Milky stuff under oil cap and on dip stick

[lileboy42]

Hey i just got this 1989 festiva, it has milky stuff under oil cap and on dip stick. Any ideas?? Was thinking head gasket not much of a mechanic though.

Thanks.

[Pu241]

Wipe it out/spray if off.
Replace and check again when you have some miles on it.
Might just be condensation from sitting for a long period of time.
Are you losing oil/coolant?

When was oil changed last?

[lessersivad]

Could be coolant. May not be. Definately moisture in crankcase.

Might be as simple as lots of short trips without the engine getting up to temp to get rid of the moisture. I've seen that on quite a few vehicles over the years.

You could try draining the oil and letting the oil sit for some time to see if it possibly separates any coolant from the oil.

Warming the drained oil or at least keeping it in a warm place would help speed the separation.

[M3NTAL]

Bearings don't like moisture...this is not good

[WmWatt]

Condensate. I get it every winter. Take it out for a drive on the highway in spring burns it off.

[Flw Sock]

I had this problem with my Ranger. Just change your oil and take it for a long drive so it gets heated up.

[TorqueEffect]

Yeah, I checked my oil cap a few days ago and had the milky stuff in it, but none on my dipstick. I do take quite a few short trips out in this cold.

[lileboy42]

Hey thanks everybody,this car has been sitting a lot. Havent had a chance to get it out on the road much. Hopefully thats the problem.

[blkfordsedan]

Short trips that donor let the engine warm up are very hard on an engine. You get the moisture condensation like you have. Change the oil often and try to let the engine warm up fully every time you start it.

[Movin]

Clean your pcv passages and put a magnetic block heater on your oil pan for cooler weather.

[zoe60]

Make sure the thermostat temperature rating is high enough. I had the same problem on an old 6 cyl. Ford F-100 I had. Put a hotter thermostat in and viola, no more milky crap in the oil.

[nitrofarm]

Clean your pcv passages and put a magnetic block heater on your oil pan for cooler weather.

Never saw one till you mentioned it. Those are really cool Marvin I might just have to me one.:thumbs_up: If you check out the "Features" on this one.It claims you can use it on "Tanks". Hmmmmm that'll be perfect for my vintage "Sherman Tank".

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200339107_200339107?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Auto%2C%20SUV%20%2B%20Truck%20Accessories-_-Engine%20Heaters%20%2B%20Blankets-_-17151&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=17151&gclid=CKqmz6m60LUCFahDMgodFT4ARw

[Movin]

Don't know what your sherman is, it sounds like its awesome !

They work nice on hydraulic tanks..

[XFSE71]

Make sure the thermostat temperature rating is high enough. I had the same problem on an old 6 cyl. Ford F-100 I had. Put a hotter thermostat in and viola, no more milky crap in the oil.

That is the reason you want a hot tstat, pressurized cooling system and antifreeze. You want crankcase temps to get hot enough to boil off any moisture in the oil so that it does not combine and create a bearing eating acid oil mixture. Water boils @ 212ºF. You get 3ºF added to the boiling point foer every pound pressure in your cooling system. You also get 10% added for 50/50 antifreeze. So a healthy cooling system with a 13# cap running 50/50 will boil around 276ºF. That's the hot end, but the tstat needs to get the temps up near that 212º mark. Ford can't put in too hot a tstat because a bad cap might cause overheating problems so that's why we have a 192º thermostat. Among other reasons, we want our pistons to get hot and expand enough to fit tight in the bore, not too tight, but expanded so they don't rock and we boil off the humidity and condensation. Not really a problem here in AZ we have "dry humidity" ... just kidding.