Thread: Creamy oil..condensation?

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Originally Posted by Gusaroo

I recently got my 454 running, it had been sitting in my driveway for about 4 years and came out of a seemingly ok running truck that had no problems. I put in a fresh batch of zinc oil (new cam) and have run it about an hour total, idling and a quick run or two around the block. I noticed the oil seems to be somewhat milky on the dipstick. Could this be from condensation that has accumulated over the years it had been parked? Im nervous that I have some other issues. How much water does it take to turn the crankcase oil milky?

TIA guys Joe

Joe,
Condensation gets you with lots of starts and short runs with insufficient warmup/time to cook off the moisture, but when you put the fresh oil in any condensation accumulation should have been drained, too. I'd say you need to look for a coolant leak into your crankcase, like an intake gasket or head gasket.

Yep - my guess too, as Roger said, is one of those gaskets. Pull the plugs, keeping them in order and if you have a head gasket leak one or two MIGHT be super clean which is often a head gasket. Intake gasket leaks will USUALLY dump water into the lifter galley. SOMETIMES you can see bubbles or goo in the radiator. Then of course - that cracked block..........

I agree with all the above, from the scenario you outline it would take a whole lot of condensation to do what you are seeing. I've had engines that did what you have and it was always something letting water into the crankcase, like a blown head gasket or cracked block.

I would drain the oil, put new oil and filter in, and see if it comes back. If it does, you have something wrong going on.

Don