96redvette

As the car is away for the winter, I have been spending a few days in the garage cleaning and fixing a few small things. I noticed today that the pcv valve has a coating of milky oil around it, as well as the oil filler cap (very small amount). I couldnt see any inside the valve cover, on the dipstick or in the coolant. Keep in mind the car has not been started in 2 weeks in a un-heated garage. Is this just condensation, or could I have a major problem here

Thanks

hippy

PROBABLY nothing to worry about. Just condensation. PROBABLY

bogus

With great emphasis on PROBABLY .


[Modified by bogus, 1:50 PM 12/23/2003]

jackdaroofer

:rolleyes: :iagree:

Two weeks laid up in an unheated garage isn't much! Keep your fingers crossed, but with the car laid up for winter anyway, I think I would start checking for head gasket, manifold gasket leaks....better to find out now if you have a problem than wait for the weather to get nice again

:seeya

cdnguyred88

:iagree: Better safe then sorry.

Pats90

it's nothing to worry about. The worse thing you can do to a Corvette is not drive it...

96redvette

Now I'm really getting scared! I will let it run for a while tomorrow and see what happens. It has been running really good, so I hope I don't have to tear anything down. Are head gaskets a normal thing for lt1's? I just got the car in June and do not know any history on it, so I will keep my fingers crossed. :confused:

CentralCoaster

You may have coolant leaking past your intake gaskets. If it gets in the combustion chamber, it'll cause extra blowby, send water into the oil and bearings, and ultimately force some out the pcv valve.

The best thing you can do is after letting it sit for a day or so, pull the drain plug, let about a cup of oil drain out into a clear container, and look for water bubbles in the oil.

Water is denser than oil, and will sink to the bottom of the oilpan given enough time, and come out when you pull the drain plug. If it is an intake gasket leak, it's not the end of the world. Parts are cheap, but the labor is sort of intensive. If you have a little mechanical experience and a helper, it's sort of a fun repair.

I hope for your sake it's not a head gasket. Pop your radiator cap and check for bubbles when the engine is running.

hippy

In my youth I did many many oil changes. More times than not I would find milk on the fill cap when I took it off. That is why I say probably not. Check your antifreeze level if it is cool (full) guess what so are you (not full but cool).

RichS

A LT1 intake is a dry manifold, There is no water going through it. I would have the coolant system pressure tested.

CentralCoaster

Argh, its a 96. Ignore my post! :D

Corvette0096

What temp of a thermostat are you running? Engines are big vaccums. If the oil don't get hot enough the moisture that is pulled though the engine will never cook out. Short drives are the same thing over a period of time. One more thing I would make sure that your PVC valve is working..





[Modified by Corvette0096, 6:58 AM 12/24/2003]

96GS#007

Pressure test the coolant system like Rich S suggested. You can also go to AutoZone and get strips to dip in the coolant that test for combustion byproducts. If it fails either of the above tests, then most likely one of the head gaskets is failing.

In all probability however, it's just condensation.

96redvette

I think (keping my fingers crossed!) that everything is OK, there was a milky film on the top of the valve covers, but after 3 heat cycles (letting the car warm up for 20 minutes, shutting down for an hour, then starting again, it has gone away. I will keep my eyes on it and see about getting a coolant pressure tester. I'll keep you posted over the next couple weeks.

Thanks a million

JAKE

Did you pull the valve covers and take a look at the inside? If you have a milky substance clinging to the inside of the valve covers you can about bet the bank you have a coolant leak.

Probably intake gasket, since it's the most common cause.

Every time I've seen milky substance it's been caused by a leak somewhere. Once it was caused by cracks in the cylinder head itself, right at the head to block bolt holes. Later found out the engine owner installed the heads with an impact wrench.

My home is Chicago, where the temps go from -20 or more below zero to 100+ in the summer and I've never seen milky substance on any engine that wasn't the result of a leak.

Sorry for the bad news on Xmas eve.

Just my thoughts.

Jake

96redvette

I thought that LT1's did not have coolant passages in the intake? If this is true, the intake should not be in contact with coolant.....is this correct??

I did a search and saw that others have also had this happen, only to find out condensation was the only problem. I will head back to the garage over the weekend and hopefully find some more good news. :confused:

96GS#007

Yes, the LT1 and LT4 manifolds are dry.

96redvette

YEA!!!!!

no more milky oil!! after letting it run, then cool down a few times, I checked it a little bit ago and everything is back to normal. It was condensation. I think a faulty PCV valve did not hepl matters either, I'm still going to keep my eye on it and holp for the best

Merry Christmas! :hurray:

bogus

I would drive it some in the winter, as long as the roads are clear.

Corvette0096

[QUOTE]YEA!!!!!

This is my main reason for not running a 160 stat. The oil temp just don't get hot enough to cook off the moisture in the oil.