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Old Apr 25, 2013 | 07:17 PM
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yellow sludge

My 351m oil dip stick was leaking and the oil dripping looked normal but maybe a little watery. I pulled the dip stick after driving it and it was covered in yellow sludge. Is it a blown hg? Intake gasket? It doesn't over heat, it sounds fine but is steadily leading brown oil from dip stick. Is there a way to narrow it down to the exact problem?

Thanks, Justin
 
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Old Apr 25, 2013 | 07:32 PM
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Somehow ya got water in your oil... sometimes it's just condensation and evaporates with a longer running time.... but sometimes the problem is more than that.

It's hard to ascertain what is causing the leakage without disassembling the engine. I'm not a pro on 351Ms but someone who is will chime in soon... there might be some common malady with them that causes your issue.
 
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Old Apr 25, 2013 | 08:31 PM
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And the yellow sludge was in the valve cover when I replaced the gasket a month or so back
 
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Old Apr 25, 2013 | 09:10 PM
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If your truck is subject to frequent short trips, some frothy buildup is normal, even on late-model trucks. This question comes up often enough that, a while back, I took this picture of an oil fill cap off a late-model Toyota Tacoma.

 
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Old Apr 25, 2013 | 09:13 PM
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Pull the plugs, get a compression tester and do a test of each cyl. that will tell you if you have a blown head gasket. if that √'s out say all cyl are 110-140 you then may have a cracked head or block.
 
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Old Sep 15, 2014 | 07:07 PM
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is the sludge a puke or milkshake color? also, check your radiator cap or cooland overflow tank.
 
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Old Sep 15, 2014 | 07:44 PM
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Other things to check 1)The PCV system - it helps pull the moisture out. 2) Thermostat and operating temperature. I consider 180 degrees minimum and OE 190-195 better. Too low and the moisture won't evaporate quickly enough.

Personally I'd let it settle for a few hours minimum and change the oil. If you get visible water/coolant out the bottom of the pan that would be a cause for concern. Antifreeze is not kind to bearings. If not, change the oil, check the stuff above out and run it at full operating temperature for a while and see if it clears up.
 
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Old Sep 16, 2014 | 12:16 AM
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There is a history of cracked blocks but it ends in may 77. Usually they seem to occur in broncos. Check the stickies in the 335 forum it'l show you where the crack appears. Hopefully this isn't the problem.
 
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