I have a 1989 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat. It has 4x4, the 302, auto, cruise, single cab with 75,000. The other day I noticed that there was a white oily substance dripping on the plastic wheel well under the air filter. I started investigating and first removed the air filter and found this (see pictures).

It appears the substance is coming from the driver side valve cover right under the oil addition cap. It is coming from this tube (a tube under the oil cap) that goes into the air filter housing. At first I thought, "It must be a head gasket" but I checked the oil and its dark (I need to change it) but it's not milkshakey. I understand that that is the tell tale sign of a head gasket, oil that looks like a milkshake. Is is possible that it is an oil additive? Where and why is this white crap coming from? If you can help it would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to chime in. Thanks so much!

And sorry that all the photos are on photobucket, you can select one photo and scroll through them, or you can open each link separately. Either way, they are all there.

1_zpsa7b64e11.jpg Photo by titanicnerdclay | Photobucket

unnamed_zpsf7ecf495.jpg Photo by titanicnerdclay | Photobucket


44_zpsabbf0304.jpg Photo by titanicnerdclay | Photobucket

33_zps1abbae85.jpg Photo by titanicnerdclay | Photobucket

4_zps53d2aecb.jpg Photo by titanicnerdclay | Photobucket

2_zps4d7be46a.jpg Photo by titanicnerdclay | Photobucket

3_zpse6c71528.jpg Photo by titanicnerdclay | Photobucket

 

PCV vapors. It's milky from condensation, usually results from short trips or the engine not getting up to temp to make the condensation evaporate.

 

What inside the engine would produce that milky substance? Thanks for the input, my mind is more at ease now. Anyone have similar problems?

 

It's just something that happens with the condensation in the winter time. A lot of short trips will make it more noticeable. This, atleast the part about the white stuff under the oil fill cap, comes up a lot on these forums in the winter time.

I haven't noticed it on my vehicles.

You might check or just replace your PCV valve.

 

The longer you go between oil changes the more moisture will build up in the oil and the more moisture will come out in the form of oil cap spooge. Change the oil and you won't see that the rest of the winter.

 

Thanks you guys. I cleaned the air filter housing as much as I could, cleaned out the cap, disconnected the hose (all just plastic) and cleaned it with soapy water and let it air dry. I reattached everything and put in a new air filter. I will probably change the oil sometime this weekend.

 

Make sure the truck gets up to operating temperature and stays there for some time during the cold months. It will help to rid the condensation and moisture from inside the engine.

 

Think of a frosty cold beer can on a summer day. It's cold inside the can, and the air around it is warm. The condensation forms on the warm side of the can (the outside) and runs down to the bottom. Well with an engine, when you have hot oil in the oil pan and it's cold out, the condensation forms on the warm side of the oil pan (the inside) and runs down... into your oil. So now you have to get the oil hot enough to evaporate/burn this water out, otherwise it just sorta hangs around and mixes with oil vapors and sticks to stuff like you saw.

 

+1 on condensation.

If you haven't changed the oil yet, buy a small bottle of marvel mystery oil and add it to the oil. Go for about a 20 minute drive (preferably at highway speeds) before changing the oil- that will help clean the internal areas that you can't get to.