SO here is the situation.... I placed a new flexible metal ducting (goes from underneath the snorkel to the exhaust manifold) because it was ripped. Car seemed to be running better. Drove to work the next night (Cold in PA) and after about 15 mins, the oil pressure gauge dropped to about 12 or 13 pounds. At the same time, the coolant temp shot up to 260. I immediately pulled over, checked everything, seemed fine. Took the piece off, turned the car on and immediately everything went back to being fine. Drove home and no problems. Checked fluids today and Oil level was perfectly where it should be but it had little black flakes in it. The coolant level was fine too! Taking off the top plate of air cleaner housing, the PCV filter was covered in oil!! Looking inside the rubber hose attached to the filter, I find engine oil AND coolant mixed together pooled right before the down turn!!!!!!!! Anyone have any idea where to begin?!?!

 

The filter and breather tube are for fresh air to be drawn INTO the engine. The "dirty" air comes back out via the PCV valve and hose (usually on the other valve cover) to a big vacuum port near the bottom of the throttle body. You'll want to make sure you have a fresh PCV valve and that the hose connecting it to the throttle body is not cracked, split or plugged up internally with oil schmutz. Because if it is, those oil vapors and moisture inside the engine will try to get out by going "out the in door"- right back through that breather tube and filter into the air cleaner housing.

I wouldn't immediately assume you have a coolat leak. You can build up a fiar bit of moisture inside and engine, especially in cold weather and if you do a lot of short trips. It's not necessarily coolant leaking inside the engine somewhere. Keep and eye on it but don't jump to any conclusions about it just yet.

 

I just replaced the PCV valve at the same time that I replaced the PCV filter. Is it possible for the vaccum port to be clogged as well?? Would the hose being clogged internally cause the flakes I see in the oil?? How would you explain the oil and coolant mixture I found inside the rubber hose attached to the pcv filter?

 

Yeah, it is. Used to be pretty common on carbureted engines. Less common on EFI stuff since they run a lot cleaner, but it's still possible.

A quickie test is to make sure the PCV valve is "sucking" while the motor is running. Put your finger over the end of the PCV valve and see if it's got vacuum.

I should also mention that the quality of replacement PCV valves has declined DRAMATICALLY over the last few years. My guess is that all manufacturing has shifted to China with their world-class quality control. That thing should suck quite a bit of air while the motor is running. I've found some of them have barely any air flow through them.

Like I said, don't freak out just yet over the oil/water you're seeing. Watch the coolant level. If it's holding steady it's not leaking into the engine through a weepy head gasket or cracked block/head. It's possible that could be happening if the coolant level is working it's way down but it's not panic time yet.

 

I looked at your two photos and I don't see any coolant or flakes in the oil. All I see is a dirty breather filter, which is normal.
Your heat-stove tube has nothing to do with your oil pressure or coolant temp, though it is possible you accidentally changed something else while working under the hood.
Turning your engine off and back one may have effected the change that you noticed.
You might want to drain the oil from your pan and have a good look at it for debris that might be clogging your oil pick-up.

 

That sounds like an exhaust leak causing your carb/TBI to be breathing in the hot exhaust causing the engine running temp to rise very quickly.

 

- Sorry - just read Damon's response before typing the below...

-- Anytime I have had coolant and oil mixed together - especially in that area, it typically points to head gasket issues. If you have the brown / coolant milky combination in the filter area, its a result of blow by in the cylinders....where as the coolant and oil are picked up.....and was also explain the PCV issue.
However, it dosent really explain the sudden change ( drop ) in temperature. The metal ducting should have no effect on the issue that you are seeing that I can think of....again - just my $0.02 - and could be way off....