Milky oil cap question

ronmc1954

ronmc1954

Member
Hey guys and gals, I was just getting the 74 Scout ready for a road trip tomorrow and I checked the oil, about 1/2 a quart low, I went to add some and when I pulled the cap it was covered with milky oil which means moisture. The dip stick looked fine and so did the rockers looking in the valve cover. My question is this just condensation on the valve cover, like I think it is, or should I drive something else? As I said the oil on the dip stick looks fine. Temps around here are +20f to single digits.
4 hour road trip one way.

Ron
 
Well, I live CA, so not the same conditions as you.

I have gotten the same "gunk" / "residue" on the caps of my corvairs. Have not noticed it on my t/a, but I usually drive it more than a couple miles when it is out.

I clean the caps with a paper towel if the "gunk" is there.

But, a 4 hour road trip will probably do the same...

Thought of something else -- does your Scout have the filler tube extension to clear the a/c?

The corvair has a metal tube that sticks up from the rear cover to clear the altenator / idler pulley. My t/a does not have a/c, so the cap is on the valve cover...
 
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That's nothing more than condensation forming ron. Most noticeable during the winter months on rigs that are used in short hop jaunts.

And like Robert mentioned, it's much more of a anomaly with air-cooled engines due to the fact they simply can't generate and maintain an optimum overall temperature for the oil, even though a corvair does have a form of thermostatic "damper" air control if it's functional.

The 23hp kohler liquid-cooled vee-twin in my garden tractor has this same issue, worst I've ever seen as it has a plastic, loooong oil filler/dipstick neck. But the 21hp briggs vee-twin (air cooled) with a similar filler tube in the john deere zero-turn mowing unit does not for some reason.

I never saw this condition in my own 392 until I added the 6" long oil filler extension tube to the valve cover.

Don't be concerned...drive on!
 
Well the Scout made the 8 hour round trip just fine. Only 1 little prob, the alternator started acting up about 40 minutes from my destination. Lights started fluxuating like it had a bad connection, alt guage did the same. Put on a new alternator sat morn and fixed the problem.
I would call it a successful trip for the Scout.
We are back home now waiting for more snow tommorow:yikes:
ron
 
When you see that headlight throbbing and the ammeter doing the dance...that's a sure sign the internal regulator is going away...typical failure mode.

If the headlights appear to get somewhat brighter, then it's going way above 20+ volts output, I've seen 60vdc+ on my own failures while stuff goes up in smoke!

Then all of a sudden it'll settle down and play nice for awhile.

Bet that grungee oil filler condition is now either minimized or disappeared after keeping the engine/oil temp up for a good while!
 
Your right! It did clear up.
If the Scout keeps running this good I May have to drive out the the fall ralley:cornut:
ron
 
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