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Smoke comin' out the valve cover...
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38513		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Wesola78 [ Mon Jan 04, 2010 5:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Smoke comin' out the valve cover...
Actually, out of where you pour in oil in the valve cover, and also a bit out of the dipstick. Quite a bit of smoke after I had been driving the Volare for awhile. I have one of those chrome breather things in place of the OEM cap. This is on my '78 Volare, but the valve cover is from an earlier slant.
I have not seen this before on this car, which I have owned and driven since 1993. The oil on the bottom of the breather looks foamy, and it's been cold here lately. I changed the oil, it was time anyway, and it seems to have gone away.
I have seen the foamy/milky looking oil thing before on other cars, and it's usually when it's cold. Could this be condensation?
I did ad some Rislone oil treatment :shock: to it awhile back. Okay, ya'll can let me have it... Dan, don't hold back brother! :wink:
This slant six has over 200,000 miles on it. Seriously, let me know what ya'll think.
Author:  carlherrnstein [ Mon Jan 04, 2010 6:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
is the pcv valve working right?
Author:  Wesola78 [ Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
It's stopped smoking, but I'll check it out tomorrow. If the PCV is questionable, I'll just replace it.
It's dang cold here now, 28 degrees!
Thanks for the response!
Author:  GTS225 [ Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
Don't check just the PCV valve.....check the hose for it, too. I've had one freeze up with a slug of condensation in a low spot.

Roger
Author:  madmax/6 [ Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
Wondering what brand oil?I have had Pennzoil do this,was told it was because of high parrifin in the oil.Could be hog wash,but when I went to Syntec,the milkyness went away.Mark
Author:  Wesola78 [ Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've been using Castrol GTX, non-synthetic.
I'll also check that hose tomorrow, thanks!
Author:  Reed [ Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
Check your thermostat. I have seen condensation due to humidity and/or repeated wild changes in temperature cause this. Also, if your thermostat is stuck closed your motor might not be warming up enough.

EDIT/UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that the above info is incorrect. If your thermostat is stuck closed, the vehicle will overheat, NOT run too cold. Ignore what I wrote above.

If your thermostat is stuck OPEN, your vehicle might never heat up enough to burn off the condensation that can accumulate in the crankcase and valve cover. REPEAT: STUCK OPEN THERMOSTATS CAN CAUSE ENGINE SLUDGE AND MILKY FILM.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. :oops:

Sorry, I had a brain fart.
Author:  Eric W [ Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:00 am ]
Post subject: 
I would replace both the pcv and the breather cap. Had the same thing happen with the 318 (sorry) in the 5th Ave...it was so foamy I though I had a blown head gasket. Changed both of the above items, and no foamy oil.
Author:  Wesola78 [ Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:16 am ]
Post subject: 
Reed, I don't think the thermostat is stuck open. After the engine warms up, I can see the coolant flowing in the rad, but not until after it gets good and warm.
Eric, I'll probably replace the breather too, I know the one on there is a few years old.
Author:  63Valiant [ Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thermostat could still be likely culprit if it's a cold one, 160. Make sure your running the 180 or 190.
Author:  wjajr [ Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
Milky foam indicates moisture in the oil, not a good thing….

When you changed your oil, you temporarily removed the moisture from the crankcase. You need to find the source, be it coolant finding its way to the oil, or something simple as a malfunctioning crankcase ventilation system allowing condensation to build up. And yes, the thermostat malfunctioning, or, a too cold stat installed will cause slow or incomplete condensation removal if you are making a lot of short trips.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Fri Jan 08, 2010 7:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Eric W wrote:
I would replace both the pcv and the breather cap


And make sure you use the correct PCV valve. Many look alike, but the wrong one will give bad results. I broke mine getting it out of the (original) grommet when I did the first-ever valve adjustment on my new '73 a couple months ago. Rummaged around in the trunk, found a PCV valve in a Chrysler box, tossed it on, everything seemed fine. But not too long after that, I was trying to diagnose a weird idle problem. I took off the air cleaner lid and the idle changed dramatically. Air filter -- nearly new -- was wet with oil, as was the inside of the air cleaner. And I could see smoke coming out of the air inlet fitting in the wall of the air cleaner. I was thinking the worst until I remembered having swapped that PCV valve. I went rummaging in the trunk again, found a known-correct new PCV valve, swapped it on, and the smoke disappeared. The replacement air filter has not been oiled down. Ya gotta have the right PCV valve or the system won't work correctly!
Author:  Kevin Johnson [ Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:24 am ]
Post subject: 
wjajr wrote:
Milky foam indicates moisture in the oil, not a good thing….

When you changed your oil, you temporarily removed the moisture from the crankcase. You need to find the source, be it coolant finding its way to the oil, or something simple as a malfunctioning crankcase ventilation system allowing condensation to build up. And yes, the thermostat malfunctioning, or, a too cold stat installed will cause slow or incomplete condensation removal if you are making a lot of short trips.


One of the by-products of normal combustion is water and some of this will enter the crankcase via the blowby gases and valve stems. Don't panic too much. If the engine is allowed to heat up thoroughly with a working PCV the water will be driven off.

It does not take very much water to make an emulsion with oil and the heat soak will break the emulsion.
Author:  rida4Christ [ Sat Jan 09, 2010 3:18 am ]
Post subject: 
I had the same problem with my 225. I was told to make sure my valves where adjusted properly, I check they where all out of whack, got them adjusted smoke amount drop a great deal. Plus the right PCV like Dan said.
Author:  theomahamoparguy [ Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
Wesola78 wrote:
It's stopped smoking, but I'll check it out tomorrow. If the PCV is questionable, I'll just replace it.
It's dang cold here now, 28 degrees!
Thanks for the response!


Dang cold!? I wish it was 28* here. Actually it warmed up today to about 25* Why the hell did I move to Nebraska.

Hey, my oil is foaming up also with this cold. I think it has something to do with the thick oil when started. I also used some cheap walmart oil last time and it seems to foam more. The shell rotella oil doesn't foam as bad.
If you could get your oil to heat up to just above boiling, you would boil out the water in it. Need oil temp gauge to check. Also. some mopar valve covers dont have good baffling. I think I may run an oil accumulater on my breather. A kit is sold through Summit for this.
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