Milky oil advice

[Malone34]

Finally got to work on my 72 yesterday she's been in the garage neglected for a year but trying to get it going. A little backstory I bought it and po had it sitting for about 6-7 years. Said it ran when it was parked but we've all probably heard that before. I pulled the valve covers and points distributor to put in a hei and noticed the oil on the distributor was milky. Checked the oil on the dipstick and looked normal. Was going to drain oil and pull the the oil pan off. Does anyone have any suggestions before I go any further. Still learning so take it easy on me. Forgot to mention it's a 327 from a 65 Vette per the numbers

[Grumpy old man]

Just drain the oil and post a picture ,also what does the coolant look like ?

[trac209]

Could be just condensation frothed up on the gear mixed with oil. Give it an oil change,replace the coolant and start from there. A compression and or leak down test should give you an idea of the engines condition. If it hasn’t turned over in a while some oil sprayed into the cylinders will make sure it’s free of any stuck rings.

[Malone34]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Just drain the oil and post a picture ,also what does the coolant look like ?

Didn't check yesterday but I'll check it out tonight.

[Malone34]

Originally Posted by trac209

Could be just condensation frothed up on the gear mixed with oil. Give it an oil change,replace the coolant and start from there. A compression and or leak down test should give you an idea of the engines condition. If it hasn’t turned over in a while some oil sprayed into the cylinders will make sure it’s free of any stuck rings.

Thanks. So is removing the oil pan not really necessary?

[rockyrivermark]

Originally Posted by Malone34

Thanks. So is removing the oil pan not really necessary?

Removing the pan isn't necessary.
As stated. Change oil and antifreeze and go from there.
Then keep and eye on what the oil looks like and the level of both that and coolant.
If coolant getting in oil level should go up.
Mark

[Malone34]

Originally Posted by rockyrivermark

Removing the pan isn't necessary.
As stated. Change oil and antifreeze and go from there.
Then keep and eye on what the oil looks like and the level of both that and coolant.
If coolant getting in oil level should go up.
Mark

Thanks

[rjs53]

If the coolant has oil in it you know you got problems. If its just in the oil it might be a blown head gasket. Easy fix.

[rockyrivermark]

Yep. Mine was a leak in an intake gasket.
But head gasket is usually the first culprit

[Steeveedee]

I'd recommend using plain water for coolant until you are convinced that the water in the oil is just condensation.

[sick472]

I would consider running the engine for a short period to get it up to running temps before changing the oil so that the existing moisture gets flushed around and emulsified into the old oil. Then change it. Otherwise, water will likely show back up in the fresh oil and leave you wondering.

Watch the temps as it warms up and make sure it does not want to overheat.

Look for burping in the radiator (usually shows up burping out of the overflow line)...a head gasket leak (or head/block crack) could produce compression gasses that escape into the cooling system.

Check spark plugs for coolant fouling. A head gasket leak/crack that goes the other way can allow coolant into the cylinders causing the spark plugs to have build up on them. Make note of where any suspect plugs came from, just in case, so you know which head to pull first for inspection.

Watch/smell the exhaust for coolant fumes. Dual exhaust can also help identify the suspect side. If the coolant is still fresh looking, I would leave it in the system as coolant has a distinct smell if it ends up coming out the exhaust.

As mentioned, a compression test can tell a lot. Typically, when a gasket leak or crack is suspected, poor compression in a cylinder is a good indicator that the problem lies within that head/cylinder.

[Malone34]

Thank you all for your comments that's why I love this site. Sick472 thanks for all the information you gave. Like I said before I'm still learning so the extra info helps out. Hopefully getting this going by the weekend. Work schedule and a 2 year old dictate alot of my time haha. Thanks again for everyone's input

[sick472]

No worries..glad to try and help!

I would like to add that a few of my motors have shown "milky oil" under the oil cap, pcv, and valve covers due to weather conditions. Basically, condensation gets in the motor and seems to settle high in the engine. This does NOT make the oil in the pan milky. I can not explain it, but it happens a lot in the winter time around here. If this is the case...it's nothing to worry about and should go away on it's own under normal use, but may return under the correct weather temps and humidity levels. Hopefully this is your situation, but still check it all out.

[Malone34]

Yeah considering this is where I saved her from I'm hoping that too. Worst case it would force me to start the ls conversion a couple years sooner than I anticipated haha

[Malone34]

Didn't upload first try

[El Dorado Jim]

Originally Posted by Malone34

Didn't upload first try

nice truck, looks like the 72 I had in high school