Baffled - grey/milky oil

Discussion in 'Propulsion' started by Hotz, Jun 4, 2015.

  1. Hotz
    Joined: Jun 2015
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    Location: Michigan

    Hotz New Member

    I have a 1974 Cee Bee Avenger 18" jet w/ a 455 olds & Berkley pump.
    Motor rebuilt to perfection--.030 over, ALL new guts, mild hyd cam, Edelbrock alum intake, Holly 4V, Mallory Unilite, etc.
    Problem: After running for an hour, the boat will set on the lift. Next day there is grey oil on the dipstick.
    Long long long story short, after removing the intake, the manifold underside is layered w/ grey/milky oil. Obviously, it has dripped into the oil pan overnite and caused a mess.
    Changed oil/filter, gaskets (using only the "turkey baster" valley cover-Fel Pro) 5 times. EXPENSIVE!
    Yanked it out and had my rebuilder tear it down TWICE to investigate, and each time could find no problems. I now have over $4600 bucks invested. Yum!
    Note: I installed a H2O inlet ball valve like other Olds jets have, adjusted the hell out of it, but no positive results. Lower end = cool, upper = warm.
    HELP!--Before I use it as the most expensive anchor in history.
    Thanks.
     
  2. baeckmo
    Joined: Jun 2009
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    baeckmo Hydrodynamics

    Leaking oil cooler?
     
  3. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    What is the running temp. If it is not heating up it may just be condensation that is that is not getting removed out the crankcase vent.
     
  4. Hotz
    Joined: Jun 2015
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    Location: Michigan

    Hotz New Member

    Thanks for your responses.

    A. There is no oil cooler.

    B. Temp ran w/o regulating valve at about 160. My 19' 1977 Spectra 460 (Ford) runs 160 (unles flat out--then 180) w/ no valve & problems.
    Adjusting the Olds valve I got the temp to range up to 200. Still no fix.
    Vent, eh? Hmmmm. Has only a PCV hooked up.
    Also, using the "turkey baster" type intake gasket/valley pan, is that an issue?

    Thanks again, all.

    Hotz
     
  5. upchurchmr
    Joined: Feb 2011
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    Location: Ft. Worth, Tx, USA

    upchurchmr Senior Member

    Water from somewhere.
    Did you magnaflux the block and heads looking for micro cracks into the waterjacket?
     
  6. Hotz
    Joined: Jun 2015
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    Location: Michigan

    Hotz New Member

    Thanks upchurchmr, but motor was mag'd, balanced and blueprinted, by a Professional builder.
    I still think its some kind of condensation thing.
     
  7. WestVanHan
    Joined: Aug 2009
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    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

    A friend had a picklefork with an Olds 455.same problem and you may need to concentrate on the timing cover.

    Not the outer cover but the plate in behind...
     
  8. WestVanHan
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    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

  9. upchurchmr
    Joined: Feb 2011
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    Location: Ft. Worth, Tx, USA

    upchurchmr Senior Member

    Professional builders hire go-fers to do the simple stuff.
    I have a friend who started out building 1/4 mile professional motors.
    His stories of things he didn't know are not to be believed.

    The guys who had to pay to fix them probably did not believe it either.
     
  10. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    Vent, eh? Hmmmm. Has only a PCV hooked up.

    What do you think pcv means?. Timing cover could be the problem as mentioned above. I had a mercuiser v8 leaking water into the sump through a corroded timing case.

    Hotz
     
  11. waikikin
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    waikikin Senior Member

    Hotz,
    Dunno the set up on your engine but once I had milky oil, turned out to be a raw water pump that was passing through the seals- driven off end of camshaft, someone had remachined for different seals & got them eccentric, set up on a mandrel true to shaft & went again then all good.

    Jeff.
     

  12. Hotz
    Joined: Jun 2015
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    Location: Michigan

    Hotz New Member

    Wow!
    What a great website! So many responses. Thanks to all.
    WestVanHan's link was incredibly revealing. Too many guys over so many years w/ the same rediculous problem.
    So, I have made the decision not to screw w/ it anymore, yank the 455, and stuff my 460 marine Ford in the Avenger. Yup! To hell w/ the Olds. Great 460, .020, mild cam, Holley, Hardin logs; ran like a top in my 1st. 19' Spectra.
    Don't worry, the Olds won't go to waste. I'll cram it into my old 1924 Ford Model T Dr's. Coupe. Should do fine w/ the closed cooling system and a coupla tablets of Bar's Leaks.
    Besides, now w/ retirement, 'taint a whole lot of anything else to do.
    Thanks again to ALL you guys and your info.
    A great website!
    Hotz
     
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