If the dipstick pops out a little, it could allow moisture into the crankcase... most often just filling your dipstick tube with the white crap.

 

Coolant contamination in your oil would give the oil a brown, almost chocolate milk, coloring. If oil was contaminating your coolant, you would see it when you took off the radiator cap. Does it look like your oil is overfilled on the dipstick? Have you smelled it for fuel fouling? The white you describe sounds like condensation within the motor. This naturally happens when vehicles sit for a spell. For your coolant leak, have you checked additional places like your heater core, water pump, and hoses for more leaks? You should invest in a coolant pressure tester. I think HF sells one. It's probably one of the easiest ways to determine if you have one and to find the source. One tip I can offer to check for a blown headgasket is to pull off your radiator cap and start your truck. If it's blown, you'll know from the coolant pumping out of the filler in time with the engines cycling (suck, push, bang, blow ). They also sell kits to test for combustion contamination in the coolant. As Onus said, if it is a headgasket it's a simple job.

 

Autozone/Oreilley's and such also rent out pressure testers.

Worth their weight in gold when you're troubleshooting a coolant leak. No need to run the engine and risk losing fingers! Heck, last time I used one I pulled off the fan and all the accessories so I could get up close to the block to find out exactly where my leak was coming from.

 

Thanks guys, at least now i am not so scared...
I will do some checks and see what i can do.

Again thanks.

 

i went out today and started the truck in order to let it warm up. when i went back out there was a pool of antifreeze and oil on the ground, spraying out of the engine. the engine compartment is covered and i have lost nearly all coolant. i dont know what i am going to do.
i give up

 

Don't give up. It can seem daunting if you're not comfortable working on vehicles, but we all started at the same place. First thing first is to pinpoint the sources of the leaks. Hopefully you didn't run the motor out of oil. I'd do a visual inspection to see if you can see anything that sticks out right away. If not, you may want to clean your engine off with some degreaser (cover all ignition components) so you can better see the culprit. Top off your oil and antifreeze and start it back up and look. Follow the trail of oil to the highest point. For the coolant I'd rent a pressure tester and use it to find your leak. Just stick in there! We're all here to help you out the best we can.

 

What he said...don't give up!

At least now you should be able to find your problem. Clean everything up, and investigate!

I noticed in your sig, you list three other trucks. Family trucks? Is there a loaner in there anywhere? Turn this into a project. Find your problem with help in this thread, then start a new thread for the repair.

Take it slow and easy, and you just might come out of this in MUCH better shape. And remember, you'll gain a load of experience which you can use forever. Paint the engine and engine compartment while you have the engine out (#IF# you have to pull it...but we're not there yet). Have fun with it. Impress your friends.

Dude, the same thing will/could/did happen to each of us, and that will never change. What can change is how you approach it.

Let us help you, it's really not that bad. This is not rocket science, it's an internal combustion engine. There's really not that many parts. Wiring and ignition get's me, but not the engine.

Hang in there!

 

I'm with everyone else. Don't give up.

 

Can you tell where the antifreeze is coming from?

 

Dude, face it, the heads need to come off. From there you can determine where your problem is. That's all there is to it. You either have a cracked head or a blown head gasket. A cracked block is not as likely, but could still be a possibility. Pulling the heads isn't rocket science. A basic set of tools and a couple hours work and you'll have the heads off. Inspect the head gaskets and looks for areas where they might be leaking. Inspect the heads for cracks, although not all cracks are visible without a magnaflux check at a machine shop. If the head gaskets or heads is your problem, they go back together in reverse of how you took them off, with a few added steps to ensure everything is good to go. Now's your chance to do any carb/intake/cam/timing chain/etc
upgrades, or repairs/replacements as well.

If your block IS cracked, no worries.... 302's are the most produced Ford V8's ever. They are everywhere, and can be found easily for cheap. Most engine supply shops sell 302 short blocks (block/crank/pistons/rods) for around $400 with your core in exchange. 302 long blocks go for around $600-$900 (shortblock with cylinder heads, timing chain, oil pump). A good used engine from a salvage yard will cost between $150-500, and your best bet for a used engine is craigslist classifieds.

An engine swap is not hard, the only major tool you need is a hoist, other than that, it's back to basic hand tools, a handful of bolts & nuts, a few wire connectors & terminals, fuel line, hoses, etc. I've swapped motors in half a day without breaking a sweat, a first timer could do it over a weekend if he had all the parts on hand.

 

I think he's worried about not having the money to fix it. If you're broke, a few hundred bucks is a lotta loot to come up with.

 

Ain't that the truth!!

Hey stilrich, where you at?? Seen anything, or is the ice keeping you indoors?

 

Thank you guys for being so supportive. I am strapped for cash but i had my mechanic tow it and he seems to think it can be fixed for a reasonable amount. I am going to let him do it. thank you all for the help and support.

FTE is by far the most helpful website\forum on the internet.

Thank you all.

Oh and Anafiel, my despair was so intense i couldn't bring myself to even look, or think about looking at that truck again...

 

Just curious...did your mechanic tell you yet what he thinks the problem is? There were a lot of opinions here, let's see who nailed it.

 

He said there is a cracked head, bad gaskets and a blown coolant line.