I just checked my oil level today and the dipstick was milky white. I wiped it off and checked it again and it was the same way??? My oil cap and breather is also doing the same thing.. I haven't lost any coolant and it still runs great so what's going on?? I also had a question a few days ago and turned out to be blow-by so is this related?

I just bought a can of Restore to see if this helps but I'm really starting to get concerned.....

 

That sounds like condensation, which isn't a problem. It's often related to blow-by issues, which you're having anyway.

 

Sounds like you are getting water in your oil. You may have a cracked block Check you water level and see what it looks like. If it is low there is a good chance this is your problem. If not, then water is somehow making its way into your engine and mixing with the oil.

 

Oh, yeah. It only takes a few table spoons of water to make your oil turn milky. The combination of the heat and movement of the oil will whip it up to look like a cool whip texture. This happens a lot with boat motors. If it is foamy, it may have a very small amount of water. Sometimes if your seal between the hood and cab is missing or damaged, water from rain/washing will pond on your intake and can sometimes seep by the gaskets or into a vacuum port. This happens often in transmissions because the dipstick tube is up against the cab and the top of the stick is not sealed very well. It really could be a lot of things, but condensation sounds a little odd unless you are only running it for short periods of time. Engines do sweet but you usually never see it effect the oil.

 

Well I only drive it 6 miles to work each way and half the time it doesn't even heat up all the way. My coolant level is fine so I'll rule out a cracked block plus I par it in a garage and so far I have not had anything puddling on the concrete below it.

 

What can I do to get rid of it?? I didn't have it in the summer.

 

Well, dentside79 is technically correct in that it very well could be a head gasket or cracked block, but because I know you're having so much trouble with blow-by, I'm a little biased toward it being condensation, especially since I have the same issue on an old LTD I have. The best thing you can do is make sure your PCV is properly plumbed with a good breather filter. Letting it warm up a little before you drive it will help too. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot you can do. Cold weather and short trips are the worst thing you can do for your oil. To be safe, it might not hurt to do a compression test and try to investigate a head gasket problem, because dentisde79 is correct in that it doesn't take much water in the oil to make it milky. The fact that your coolant level is fairly consistent, doesn't neccessarily rule out the possibility of a bad head gasket or cracked block.

 

In either those two cases wouldn't it run lousy? I had a cracked head gasket on a Chevy 454 and it ran like crap. My engine purs like a kitten..

 

It's hard to say; sometimes it will and sometimes it won't. It kind of sounds like you're falling subject to the "I don't want it to be that, so it can't be that" dilemma. More than likely, yes, it's a condensation problem. But all we're saying is check to be safe. With any engine problem you start from the bottom with simple tests until you locate the source. A compression test isn't a big deal.

 

Do a leak down test to see for sure, but it sounds like a headgasket that is starting to fail. Milky oil=engine failure if it isn't fixed in a hurry.

 

You are right.. I don't want it to be that but I'll take your advice and perform a compression test. How will that tell if I have a bad head gasket?

 

A lot of times a compression test will not show a bad HG. You need to do a leak down test to determine if it is truly the HG.

 

There it is, betcha. ;)

A 160*F thermostat can do it too tho. Believe it? :)
Do your engine (and your gas mileage) a favor and run 195*F thermostat.

I knew somebody that ruined a 460 in a '75 F350 because I was the only
guy saying to take the sorry piece of crap 160*F out, they'd heard the other
"side" from so many places "it had to be true".

YMMV

Alvin in AZ

 

Hmmmm... I do have a 180* F stat in there now.

 

I've been battling this same thing for about a month now. I think I may have finally got it though. The first thing I did was change my pcv valve, then changed my oil. I thought that I had solved it, but it came back after a week or so. The last thing I did was change my thermostat. I found out (probably on the forums here) that a bad thermostat that is either opening prematurely or just stuck open will not let the engine heat up, causing the condensation. The thermostat I got was the one that opens up at 190 or 195 deg (can't remember now). Anyway, I still have to change my oil again to rinse out some of the gunk to see if I got it this time. I have not yet checked my compression, but all of my plugs are wearing equally. If the problem persists, I'll finally get a compression gauge and cross my fingers.