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Grey/White milky stuff in oil

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Liveinaz

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have searched the forum, and found that this may be water, but I am not positive based on what I have read.

I bought a rebuilt motor that has maybe 1000 miles on it. It is a 350 motor with a larger cam, 11:1 compression, larger water pump, etc. I do not have the motor in the car yet and decided to drain the oil. I noticed a white or grey looking liquid coming out of the drain plug. This liquid is basically at the bottom of the oil pan and when I dump the oil pan, there is about a good inch of this grey/white milky liquid that is pretty thick and definetly seperated from the oil. does anyone have any ideas of what could cause this? I would think that if it is water or antifreeze it would be on the top and not the bottom of the pan. Could this be caused from the engine being rebuilt? The motor has sat for about 4 months too.

Any ideas would be greatly appriciated.
 
#2 ·
Id say just on a initial guess its water. and since the motor is "rebuilt" it may be something like a gasket isnt sealing on the intake. But a pressure check on the system would be what I would check.
I would think that if it is water or antifreeze it would be on the top and not the bottom of the pan.
Click to expand...
Water is heavier it always go to the botom if it sits long enough.
 
#4 ·
All may not be lost.. hope that its just an intake or head gasket and not a cracked block. Your probably going to have to tear into her either way.. Hope you didnt pay too much for that motor.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Well who knows at this point. It does sound like a crappy deal...I paid $2000 for a rebuilt motor and now before even starting it or putting it in the car I find this. I am hoping that he either fixes it or gives me my money back on it. I was talking to a guy locally that builds motors and he said that because this motor has 11:1 compression, that the very minimum octane should be 106...and using premium gas which is like 91 octane, it can ruin the motor...at this point I dont know if I should find something more in the 9:1 range where I can use regular preimum gas..
 
#6 ·
I think that I would look at getting your money back from him. If you intend to use this as a driver the compression will kill you.. It may work on 93 but most likely not. I think you would have to severly retard the timing to get it so it wouldnt detonate. Otherwise your looking at changing the heads or pistons depending on how the compression is being created, (with domed pistons or small cc's in the heads) if you do keep the motor.

Either way you look at it. Id try to return it. It appears it was ment for racing and to be trailered to the track. + a possible crack in the block or head = $$$ to repair and a pain the a@@ to drive..

Do you think that he will take the return??
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Well this is where I am at with this. I am trying to talk myself into and justify the grey/white sludge in the oil...

In talking with my step son (who sold me the engine) and also a couple other people, the history of this motor is that it was built for an off road race truck about a year ago. It never actually ran in a race or very long at all...He was actually building the truck and had problems with the transmission so basically he would start up the motor bring it to temp and then shut it down. Maybe a trip around the block in the vehicle. This went on for about 9 months when he pulled the motor to sell the truck. In talking with others, they say it could be condensation from starting the motor and shutting it off...over time the condensation drained into the pan...they also said that it could be because of the motor not having very good crankcase ventalation. I pulled the valve cover and there was actually a slight hint of water on top of the rockers and in some of the valleys, and it was water not coolant.

Has anyone experienced this situation before?

I am thinking that I will finish putting the motor in the car and see how it goes. Since the motor has 11:1 compression, I was also told that I can run nothing less than 106 octane in it...
 
#8 ·
my only problem with your diagnosis is that you said the stuff settled to the bottom... Water is less dense than oil so the oil should push the water to the top of the pan. I may be wrong, but that means so is my chemistry professor!
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
Yea, I tested it...I poured some water in oil and it goes to the bottom...then I poured some oil in water and the oil came up to the top...I would think that oil is heavier but i think it is denser and therefore floats on water...that is how they clean up those big oil slicks too...everything is floating.
 
#11 ·
Oil always floats on the top. Ever boil water on the stove and pour a little veg. oil in it? It floats. Ever seen an oil spill in the ocean? The oil floats.
 
#12 ·
been reading and keeping quiet (unusual for me, i know) because I just hate bad news around the holidays...
An inch of water in the crankcase ain't condensation.
That gray ***** stuff is what you get if the motor is RUN with water in the oil.
Being the motor was going in a race car, bet you dime to donuts there was never any antifreeze in it anyway...
Give it back...
 
#13 ·
Tell him to pull the oil pump and bearing caps. I'll bet the pump is clogged and the bearings are shot. The engine has problems and it definitely isn't condensation from your description.
There is a bad intake gasket , head gasket, leaky head bolts or a cracked block. The motor was run with oil in the water. It needs to be totally checked out.
 
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Discussion starter · #14 ·
This has really been bothering me a lot...so I went out and looked again and actually measured the amount of grey sludge...in the bottom of the oil pan that i use to coolect and dump the oil, I left the sludge in it as proof. I measure it and it is between an 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch, not an inch like i originally said. based on the size of this pan and compared to the oil pan, i would assume the oil pan had maybe 1/8th of an inch sludge in it...not sure if that really makes a difference here or not? Also, since it is sludge I would assume that part of the 1/8" is part oil and part water...how much water is needed to make an 1/8" of sludge? Also, if there is a blown head gasket or cracked head, or all the other possibilties, what would other signs be? maybe white soout in the exaust ports? I am not sure if there are others signs that i could be looking for...
 
#15 ·
I still say there is to much water to be any "condensation" issue if in fact this is water. :sad: If for some reason it were a crack in the head possibly located in a particular cylinder the exhaust port could be a hint it will or should be extremely light in color compared to the others. A pressure check of the coolant system would infact verify a leak. The "sludge" verifys it has been run with considerable contaminants in the oil. I would suggest atleast checking the bearings before running it more. I would ask for the damages to be repaired properly or a full refumd. If the motor is that "new" (1000mi) whoever did the machine work and or assembly should be willing to help with the repairs. Thats if there are no signs of abuse/neglect that caused this.
 
#16 ·
Coolant can get into the oil through a poorly sealed head or intake gasket, or a cracked head or block. If the coolant is also getting into the combustion chambers, a sure sign would be bubbles / level changes in the radiator, or possibibly low compression on one or more cylinders. Low compression on 2 cylinders next to each other is a sure sign of a blown head gasket.
Unfortunately, these internal "leaks" can affect many different things, and depending on the specific leak, may or may not involve combustion.
An intake leaking at the front water passage could let coolant into the crankcase with no symptoms at all, opther than water in the oil.
A head gasket blown between 2 cylinders would bubble in the radiator and maybe blow water out the tailpipe, and would have the telltale low compression in 2 cylinders next to eachother, but would probably not let coolant into the crankcase.
Pressure testing the cooling system would be a good place to start.
If it's only 1/8 inch, could be just condensation, possibly....
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Well I guess I am going to get this checked out...I loaded it up in the back of my truck and will take it in this week. I appriciate all of the help and information. I think I am going to start another post on as long as I am having it checked out, I am looking at maybe having the comression ratio backed down from 11:1....
 
#18 ·
My 2 cents, for a cheap solution
Iwould install the engine, with new oil and filter, take the car for a good drive get it up to operating temp, (at least 1/2 hour ) Check your fluid levels after this. When the engine gets good and hot, the intake & head gasket may seal up, or as your diagnosis is that this is full of condensation, it will clean up.
If it is bad, then you can pull it out and start over, at least you'll know for sure......
 
#19 ·
To add to this conversation about water floating in oil...

I recently drained the oil in my '69 DZ 302 after it broke a cam & rods and the first gallon or so of fluid that came out of the pan was the orange 100K coolant that I was running then came the oil.

Standing in a 5-gallon container waiting for a trip to be recycled...one can clearly see the oil at the BOTTOM of the container with the water floating ON top.

Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents...
 
#20 ·
Pull the valve covers if you see milky sludge on the under side, it's probably a bad seal on the head bolts. Ask whoever built it if they put sealant on the head bolt threads. If not, that's probably your problem. If you find no sludge on the underside of the valve covers get your money back. That ain't codensation.
 
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