VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 coolant in oil? help needed

Hello Everyone,

Well, since I have started the body work on the 51', I like to start it up and let it idle every once in a while in order to keep things moving. I started it up today, fired right up, no problem.

Each time after I shut the engine off, I like to take off the valve cover to verify that oil is getting to the top. Well, upon inspection I noticed that some of the oil was a translucent tan color. So, I check two other easily accessible places the dip stick and oil filter holder- both places had the same streak of tan fluid.

Could someone please tell me the most logical order to trouble shoot my issue. I had replaced the head gasket when I had removed/installed a piston, and took great care to not pinch the gasket, and installed the head bolts to the correct torque. I've run the engine many times since with no issue till today.

Thanks for your help,
Steve

Since you are starting the engine for a short period of time only .... and not driving the car, it may be possible what you are seeing is the condensation build up within the engine, which mixes with the engine oil.

Hello Bob,

That would be great, but how could I know for sure it is just condensation. After idling other times, I've never had the oil look like this. I suppose I could get a whizz bang oil analysis kit.

Steve

I'd run it up to operating temperature, oil good and warm. Re torque the cylinder head bolts, drain the oil. Put in fresh oil and then warm it up again and then wait and watch. Make sure if you run it to run it enough to get it warm. If you don't want to go through the re torque process you could let it sit a day or so, pull the drain plug and see what comes out. If it has antifreeze in the pan it will come out first, just make sure you have a good light and are able to watch right when it comes out.

The most common and visable place to see the condensation would be inside of the valve cover....After running the engine wait an hour or two and then remove the valve cover and see if its "wet" inside. The condensation also could be caused by the oil having water in it.
The other common leak area is the rocker arm oil line, right side of the engine behind the side cover. The fitting that holds the line in the block can leak coolant at this point. Removing the side cover would be necessary.
Actually it is not a good practice to run the engine without driving the car some distance. Driving at speeds heats up the oil better and the crankcase vent systrm works only at "speed".

Thanks gentlemen,

I'll be posting you with what I find.

Steve

One of those morning thoughts- Come to think of it, as the engine got up to temperature, the manifold gasket by the each of the exhaust ports started to bubble and smoke. Could this be a sign of improper cooling? I won't be able to look at this post often today, but I will get back to you.

Thanks

Thats more or less normal if there is fresh paint, fresh oil or some other "junk" in that area....when and if you do let the engine sit and run for a time bring it up from the normal idle speed and keep it at at or above a fast idle for better cooling and oil circulation.

Please note Gene's comment. The road draft system does not operate unless the car is moving thus any condensation will stay in the engine. That is the problem with running these engines once in a while.

I had a similar oil emulsion problem with my 1939 after using it for 8 years after a rebuild.
Turned out to be the oil line which feeds the valve rockers.
Where the tube passes through the block , one side is soldered
to the brass fitting screwed into the block. This passes through the water jackets of the block, and then up to the valves and rocker arms. The solder joint had a small leak and allowed a small trickle of coolant into the sump.

I found it when i removed the side plate, and noticed a small leak running from the solder joint.