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Milky Brown oil on oil cap

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Old Apr 9, 2004 | 06:13 PM
  #1  
Anomaly's Avatar
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From: Calgary
Car: 1987 IROC
Engine: 383SR
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Milky Brown oil on oil cap

its weird because i just changed my oil and it was fine, but i get this milky brown oil buildup around the oil fill cap and if i stick my finger around the top of the inside of the valve cover i get the same thing, i know its a cooland leak somewhere but where?
thanks
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Old Apr 9, 2004 | 06:24 PM
  #2  
five7kid's Avatar
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From: Littleton, CO USA
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: L92/LQ4 (both w/4" stroke)
Transmission: 4L80E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
How do you know it's a coolant leak? Are you losing coolant?

If not, it could be condensation from short trips combined with marginally functioning PCV system.

If it is coolant, sources include intake manifold/gaskets, head gasket, cracked heads, cracked block.
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Old Apr 9, 2004 | 07:03 PM
  #3  
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From: Calgary
Car: 1987 IROC
Engine: 383SR
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
I know i'm losing coolant somewhere, but alot of my driving is short trips, how do i check the pcv system? When i pulled what i think is the pcv out of the valve cover, it was covered in the milky brown oil. thanks
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Old Apr 9, 2004 | 07:41 PM
  #4  
White91GTA's Avatar
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From: Oklahoma
Car: 1991 Trans AM GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Originally posted by Anomaly
I know i'm losing coolant somewhere, but alot of my driving is short trips, how do i check the pcv system? When i pulled what i think is the pcv out of the valve cover, it was covered in the milky brown oil. thanks
the pcv valve is in the driverside valve cover. any idea where you are leaking/losing coolant from or how much/often you are losing it?
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Old Apr 9, 2004 | 08:19 PM
  #5  
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From: Calgary
Car: 1987 IROC
Engine: 383SR
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
the overflow tank was full and in about 1-2 weeks it slowly leaks somewhere, and everyonce and while i do smell some antifreeze when im driving, so it could be burning off my intake , and the milky brown oil could be from condensation.
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Old Apr 9, 2004 | 08:59 PM
  #6  
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From: Pueblo Co
Car: 1989 C4
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 307
Then we can rule out moisture as the culprit. Small block chevys although a good design have problems with sealing the heads to intake manifold and general intake gasket failure. I'd look there for the problem, its a fairly easy fix but then your 1/2 way to being able to remove the heads and do the head gaskets.
Have you pulled any plugs lately? Usually if the head gasket is gone you should be able to detect antifreeze on them.
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Old Apr 9, 2004 | 09:37 PM
  #7  
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From: Loveland, OH, US
Car: 4
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A common coolant leak is the intake gaskets. Not very serious as far as repairing it goes, but anything that puts anti-freeze in the oil needs to be corrected ASAP.

Take a good close look at all 4 coolant places (all 4 corners) of the intake.
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