Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Slime like stuff coming from blow by tube and in oil dipstick

[Steuer]

I have this slime like stuff that comes from the blow by tube and leaves a pile under my truck every night. Almost like snot consistency. Looks brown on the ground then when I pick it up move it around in my hand it goes away. Any idea what this is? 97 3500 dually automatic. 66mm turbo, 80 hp injectors, honed head, head studs. All have 6k miles on it

 

[NIsaacs]

Sounds like coolant in your oil, pull your oil fill cap, is it milky?

Nick

 

[Steuer]

Sounds like coolant in your oil, pull your oil fill cap, is it milky?

Nick

Here is what the inside looks like. Hasn't been like this long. The truck runs pretty decent too.

 

[SAndreasen]

You have water / antifreeze in the oil

 

[phantomusa]

I agree with others you have coolant in your oil you need to investigate before you wipe your bearings or score the cylinder walls

 

[Wayne M.]

Definetly. It going to be difficult to diagnose and clean up.
You mentioned head studs- was the head ever off at this point? I'm sorry I don't know what a honed head is. You have to examine wherever coolant and oil come together, or are close to each other, like the engine oil cooler (behind the oil filter) or the head gasket. There could be a crack somewhere too.
As mentioned, and time is of the essence here, Not only don't run it anymore, you can't let it sit either. The clock is ticking on the bearings and machined surfaces!

 

[Steuer]

I bought the truck with the engine stuff done to it. Came with receipts so I assume honed means machined of some sort. I drained the oil and it is just as pitch black as it could be.

 

[DVolk]

Bad oil cooler

 

[NIsaacs]

Bad oil cooler

Not likely, when they go bad the contamination is reversed.

Nick

 

[NIsaacs]

I bought the truck with the engine stuff done to it. Came with receipts so I assume honed means machined of some sort. I drained the oil and it is just as pitch black as it could be.

Can you talk to the shop or owner about the repairs? Maybe it lost a head gasket, they fixed it but did not clean up the previous mess in the crank case?

Nick

 

[Steuer]

I've put about 4K miles on it since I've had it. This slime like stuff showed up one day then has gradually got worse. Like it leaves piles on the concrete. The reason for the rebuild was it spun a bearing. Oil is clean with no water/antifreeze in it. The radiator has no oil in it but I do loose about a gallon of water/ antifreeze every 5-7 days. Truck runs great hitting 35-40 psi easily but really scared of why it has so much blow by and this slime like stuff. It's even under the valve covers.

 

[fest3er]

It almost sounds like a severe case of sludge. Sludge builds when oil becomes acidic and combines with combustion byproducts. Or possibly something organic that produces the slime got into the engine.

Is it possible the engine wasn't completely cleaned when it was repaired? Or a latent fault was overlooked?

 

[Steuer]

It almost sounds like a severe case of sludge. Sludge builds when oil becomes acidic and combines with combustion byproducts. Or possibly something organic that produces the slime got into the engine.

Is it possible the engine wasn't completely cleaned when it was repaired? Or a latent fault was overlooked?

I honestly do not know. I'm going to say it is possible. Is there an easy fix?

 

[NIsaacs]

Is there an easy fix?

Short answer is no. If I had to guess, I would say you have a cracked head in the water jacket/exhaust port. Since your oil is only slightly contaminated. You would see a gallon every few days if it were getting in the oil. A gallon every few days is a lot. However, since it is mostly disappearing, I would say it is blowing out the exhaust. If the head or block were cracked in the combustion area you would blow the water out of the radiator, and that may be where it is going. I don't think so because if combustion were going there it would run hot even before the water blew all out.

Nick

 

[DVolk]

I am not talking about a transmission oil cooler im talking about a engine cooler if it has a leak and water is going into the engine it will show up ,can also perform a leak down test on the radaitor

 

[NIsaacs]

I am not talking about a transmission oil cooler im talking about a engine cooler if it has a leak and water is going into the engine it will show up ,can also perform a leak down test on the radaitor

Yes, I figured you meant engine oil cooler, that is why I answered as I did. Since engine oil pressure is a lot higher than water pressure, it is rare for water to enter the oil system at that point. It is usually oil in the water, not water in the oil.

Nick

 

[hcole]

Nick, that makes sense until you shut the engine down and then you have 0 oil pressure and 15-17 lbs coolant pressure. Sounds like it could be the oil cooler.

 

[NIsaacs]

Nick, that makes sense until you shut the engine down and then you have 0 oil pressure and 15-17 lbs coolant pressure. Sounds like it could be the oil cooler.

Yes, anything is possible but it is real hard to determine when ya can't see the rig so we gotta guess However the OP said no oil in the radiator so it would be hard for the water to get in the oil with the oil cooler if the oil is not getting in the radiator.

Also the water is getting in the oil in small amounts but he is loosing a gallon every few days, that's a lot of water going somewhere. So I don't think it is oil cooler related.

Nick

 

[DVolk]

When it is running is there bubbles in the radiator ?

 

[Steuer]

I did not check for bubbles in the radiator. I called the shop who did the work on the truck and they told me that when they did everything they put the original head gasket back on. Then they put the bigger turbo on later so they did not want to take the head back off and just rolled with it. I also noticed some antifreeze on the bell housing. Reached around to see if the freeze plug was busted but didn't feel like it. Shop said it's more than likely a head gasket so I guess we will see.