LT1 Based Engine Tech 1993-1997 LT1/LT4 Engine Related

Is it normal for the oil in my catch can to look like chocolate milk (pics)

Old Feb 7, 2007 | 01:47 PM
  #1  
speed_demon24's Avatar
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Is it normal for the oil in my catch can to look like chocolate milk (pics)

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...tchcanoil1.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...atchcanoi2.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...atchcanoi3.jpg

This much oil came out in only 2-300 miles too. My oil has always come up to temp every time I drive the car too, each trip is atleast 15-20 minutes. And I live in florida, so I'm not driving in any freezing temperatures either.
Old Feb 7, 2007 | 01:50 PM
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Is that from a seperator on a PCV line or something? If it is, it could just be sucking oil mist and moisture from the crankcase.
Old Feb 7, 2007 | 01:53 PM
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well if you only have that in the catch can then you got everything setup correctly, but check your oil as well. you wouldnt want that in your crankcase, which is the purpose of the system correct?
Old Feb 7, 2007 | 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by street demon2k3
well if you only have that in the catch can then you got everything setup correctly, but check your oil as well. you wouldnt want that in your crankcase, which is the purpose of the system correct?
The crankcase oil looks fine as far as I can tell, I guess I'm just paranoid because it overheated on me a few weeks ago.
Old Feb 7, 2007 | 02:14 PM
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Just to add, last time I emptied it it looked like regular black oil.
Old Feb 7, 2007 | 09:46 PM
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Im not trying to get anything started or scare you but my head blew a hole in it from where they were ported and hydrolocked my motor and the oil that came out of it looked just like that.
Old Feb 7, 2007 | 11:00 PM
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it looks aerated, thats what engine oil looks like when you run it through an air compressor. I'm using my a/c pump as an air compressor in my impala, so i have to have an oiling system with a oiler on the intake side and a coalescing filter on the pressure side. occasionally I run out of the proper oil to put in and i use motor oil, and to make a long story short thats exactly what it looks like when it comes out the filter. my guess is that it is getting aerated some how on the way to the catch can and as long as the oil in the motor doesn't look like that i wouldn't worry about it.
Old Feb 8, 2007 | 06:26 AM
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Originally Posted by speed_demon24
Just to add, last time I emptied it it looked like regular black oil.
Well, something must have changed. I would drain the oil (in the pan) and check it. You said it overheated on you, maybe you warped one of the heads, or blew a head gasket.
Old Feb 8, 2007 | 01:29 PM
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The question is, does it taste like chocolate milk?
Old Feb 8, 2007 | 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by cehan
Well, something must have changed. I would drain the oil (in the pan) and check it. You said it overheated on you, maybe you warped one of the heads, or blew a head gasket.
Bump for this idea.
Old Feb 8, 2007 | 03:50 PM
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#1. Check the rest of your oil.
At the least pull out the dipstick... Best thing would be to do an oilchange... Looks to me like coolant + oil
Old Feb 8, 2007 | 05:27 PM
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yeah that does look like oil and water/coolant. how hot did it get? buried the needle?
Old Feb 10, 2007 | 09:12 AM
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looks just like mine did after the head gasket went out. Got me to build a 383
Old Feb 10, 2007 | 10:30 AM
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Head gasket, or you have crack somewhere. I'd say head gasket.
Old Feb 14, 2007 | 04:19 PM
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Well, my catchcan in my truck has always looked like that and fills about half way up every 1k miles or so. Oil looks fine in it so I haven't worried about it. Just put a CC on the 95 TA, and after 500 miles the can was full and looks like that...if you let it sit and suck the liquid out of the can starting from the bottom of the can with a surynge (sp?) or turkey baster, you'll find it to either be clear...which is just moisture in the crankcase, or green to indicate a small coolant leak somewhere. My truck is clear, my TA is green, but the oil is fine, so I suspect its a small leak of coolant probably thru a bolt not sealed properly when the motor is cut off and the pressure builds in the coolant system.....but right now have other things to worry about until I can pull a valve cover off when its hot and see if there's any coolant drips I can find.

Maybe try a can of radiator sealer...I haven't tried that.

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