what causes foam in the oil , I use valvoline 10-30 and change every 3000 miles.I have started to use oil ( 140k ) but it is not leaking and doesn't smoke. any thoughts ???

 

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foam? means you added way to much oil and it is hitting the crank, causing engine damage.

 

I just checked my oil today and noticed some foam on the dipstick and on the underside of the oil filler cap.

I do not believe I overfilled my truck with oil, unless the manual I consulted was incorrect and the dipstick is reading incorrectly.

My question is, what else besides overfilling can cause oil to foam?

 

which engine? may be getting water or moisture into oil, excessive short drives with little hot long driving ...water mixes with oil and creates a slurry
how much oil usage?..any less than 1 qt per 1k miles is ok for most engines...usually aged cooked hardened intake valve stem seals or loose intake manifold bolts and/or missing sections of intake manifold gasket allowing oil from galley to be sucked into head intake runners...may also be coke deposit build up in grooves behind rings, especially oil ring build up

failed intake valve stem seals will leak oil on downhill coast or letting off gas from high rpm with manual tranny...

 

Check your PCV system.

If the PCV valve is clogged up or stuck & isn't working to purge the engine of vapors, it'll cause this problem too.

 

Are you talking about a white/grayish like cream?

If you have a relatively new engine, and considering that you are located in Fargo, ND, I'd hedge my bet that you are driving alot of short miles in which the oil never gets hot enough to burn off the condensation from combustion.

 

The engine is a 351W with 100k miles. The foam is exactly as you described. I have only put 200 miles on the truck since I changed the oil in September 2005 with a Motorcraft filter and Penzoil synthetic blend, I believe 10-30. (I plan to use 5-30 pure synthetic for future winter driving after reading posts on these forums).

Maybe I should just change the oil now over to 5-30 synthetic now before the weather hits -40 below.

Everything you guys are saying rings true. I only drive 13 blocks each way to work each night, and try to combine other errands with my trips to work to get the truck warmed up better. Plus I have another winter vehicle that I rotate through the week, trying to save the truck for snowy icy nights.

Thanks for the advice!

 

At -40F, 10W-30 is likely too heavy for your engine.

Take a peek at your owners manual for viscosity recommendations for the temperature range you expect during this oil change interval.

If you don't have one, you can view or down load one from the Motorcraft or Ford owners web site.

For your area, synthetic in the proper weight for the expected cold temperatures sounds like a good choice.

With your short trip opeation in those temperatures, I agree, it sounds like thats the probem.

But make sure your PCV system is in good shape & operating correctly,( It could be frozen up with moisture), then consider taking this puppy for a 20 mile round trip highway drive, to get her warmed up real good & boil off as much of the accumulated moisture as you can, before you change the oil.

Then take her for at least a 10 mile round trip highway drive, at least once a week & that'll likely cut down on, or stop, the foamy milky deposits, the moisture is causing.

Your driving cycle sure falls into the severe service category & IMHO you should consider shorter oil change intervials.

If you decide to do the highway driving thing once a week, let us know how it does.

 

I just changed the PCV valve two days ago. Does that mean my PCV valve system is operational? Or is there more too it?

I do plan to take the truck out on the road weekly for a good long trip as you recommended.

Would it be a good idea to change the oil and/or filter because of the foam?

Or should I just take the truck for a good, long highway drive, burn off the foam, keep the current filter, then replace the oil with pure synthetic 5-30?

Thanks Again!

 

Well sounds like you've taken care of any PCV valve problems you might have had, by changing it out.

How did it look & sound inside????

Were the insides of the PCV hoses connecting to it, clean, clear of any foam, ice, or other obstructions, if so your likely good to go on the PCV system.

On the oil change & filter question, I'd change the filter too, as it likely has moisture trapped in it & from that maybe even rust & ice, if it's below freezing, also draining the old oil out, might not get all the moisture thats collected in the media or in the bottom/closed end, of the can, especially if it's frozen.

So you don't want to be running $$$$ of clean oil through a dirty $3 filter, or one thats rusted or frozen up & maybe going into bypass, into a multi hundred dollar engine IMHO, just to save three bucks on a filter & maybe one qt of replacement oil, if you weren't going to drain the filter too!!!!!

So I'd not take short cuts, change the filter & put in the specified correct weight oil, for the temperatures you expect during this oil change itervial & be done with it until spring.

Will be interesting to hear how the weekly highway driving will affect this problem. I've not had this foaming problem since my 65 VW Beetle!!!! LOL
Of course it doesn't get down to -40F here either, thank goodness!!!!!

 

The old PCV valve and its hose were free of foam, ice, water, oil, etc. The grommet on the valve cover and its surrounding area was relatively clean as well. I was able to "rattle" the PCV but on another forum on this site it was stated that this was an old wives' tale and did not really let you know if the PCV was working as it should.

I'll just go ahead and change the oil and filter before it's too late.

Thanks for the info!

 

Take it for a good long drive, say maybe 20 miles or so, before changing the oil & see if that won't clean up most of the foam, at least it should evaporate most of the condensate accumulation.

Well if the PCV would shake, thats good, at least it wasn't rusted, varnished, gummed, carboned, foamed, or otherwise clogged up, such that it was stuck & not able to work at all.

So the hoses being clear, the PCV valve being loose enough to rattle IMO means it was likely working ok, but if it hasn't been replaced since 2000, it probably needed replacement anyway, so good idea to change it, now you don't have to wonder!!!!

So as has been supposed, (unless you have some kind of internal coolant leak), the foam was pobably due to those short trips.

If 5W-30 is the weight oil specified by your owners manual, for your temp range, thats what I'd use.

You'll likely hear & feel a dfference in how it cranks & runs in these cold temps.

I know the starer, battery, & engine will likely appreciate it!!!!

 

Not sure if this was asked...

Is the engine using any coolant? If you are adding say 1 pint a week, then you have a coolant leak somewhere. This leak might be getting into the engine which would cause the milky deposits on the cap and stick. With your miles, things can start going wrong with the engine.

Another possible source of foaming is that your oil pickup tube has become loose or developed a leak and is sucking air along with the oil. Again a mileage related problem.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

I haven't needed to add coolant since July 2005 after I sealed up the leaking overflow tank. But then I have probably only put 400 miles on the truck since.

I'm not familiar with the oil pickup tube, is that the one that goes from the filler cap on the valve cover to the oil breather filter on the air cleaner assembly?

Anyway, just finished changing the oil a few minutes ago. I went with Mobil 1 pure synthetic, 5-30 weight. This was the first oil change I had ever done in 10 degree weather. Not as bad as I thought, even considering that my garage has no heat, I had to leave the garage door open, and I have a dirt floor covered with landscaping rock!