[Tim Corcoran]

This was to be a practice session for the Pontiac Heaven race next week end. Guess I'm not racing this year. I was planning on running my first 10 second time slip yesterday. My last time out I ran an 11.01 and since have taken 100 lbs off the front of the car. Friday night while preparing the car for the record run I checked the oil and found water in the oil. A small amount of chocolate milk shake on the dip stick told the story. Inside the breather caps was white gunk, water oil mixture also. This morning I did both a leak down check and a compression check, both done with a warm engine. The results are as follows:

Leak Down Test gage readings (engine warm)

1-90/90 could here very little leakage from the crankcase indicating a good ring seal and only slight ring leakage

8- 90/90 could here such a slight amount of leakage could not verify where it was coming from indicating excellent ring seal

4- 90/89 could here very little leakage from the crankcase indicating slight ring leakage and good ring seal

3- 90/86 could here moderate leakage from the crankcase indicating moderate ring leakage and borderling ring seal

6- 90/81 could here excessive leakage from the crankcase indicating excessive ring leakage and poor ring seal

5- 90/90 could here very slight leakage from the crankcase indicating slight ring leakage and excellent ring seal

7- 90/63 air pouring out the crank case indicating very bad ring seal

2- 90/89 could here very little leakage from the crankcase indicating slight ring leakage and good ring seal

Compression Test (carb wide open engine warm)

1- 125
8- 145
4- 135
3- 115* This may indicate cross cylinder leakage
6- 110* but did not hear it
5- 140
7- 125
2- 120

I did not notice any leakage at all coming from the carb or exhaust which would indicate valve leakage. I did not notice any cylinder to cylinder or cylinder to cooling system leakage indicating head gasket leakage. A side from the fact that my ring seal is sick I didn't get any indications as to why I have water in the oil. I would like to get some feed back from anyone who may be able to assist me in this.

Tim C

65 LeMans, 3600lb. all steel, full interior, D-ports and a flat tappet cam, 11.01@120

[Tim Corcoran]

This was to be a practice session for the Pontiac Heaven race next week end. Guess I'm not racing this year. I was planning on running my first 10 second time slip yesterday. My last time out I ran an 11.01 and since have taken 100 lbs off the front of the car. Friday night while preparing the car for the record run I checked the oil and found water in the oil. A small amount of chocolate milk shake on the dip stick told the story. Inside the breather caps was white gunk, water oil mixture also. This morning I did both a leak down check and a compression check, both done with a warm engine. The results are as follows:

Leak Down Test gage readings (engine warm)

1-90/90 could here very little leakage from the crankcase indicating a good ring seal and only slight ring leakage

8- 90/90 could here such a slight amount of leakage could not verify where it was coming from indicating excellent ring seal

4- 90/89 could here very little leakage from the crankcase indicating slight ring leakage and good ring seal

3- 90/86 could here moderate leakage from the crankcase indicating moderate ring leakage and borderling ring seal

6- 90/81 could here excessive leakage from the crankcase indicating excessive ring leakage and poor ring seal

5- 90/90 could here very slight leakage from the crankcase indicating slight ring leakage and excellent ring seal

7- 90/63 air pouring out the crank case indicating very bad ring seal

2- 90/89 could here very little leakage from the crankcase indicating slight ring leakage and good ring seal

Compression Test (carb wide open engine warm)

1- 125
8- 145
4- 135
3- 115* This may indicate cross cylinder leakage
6- 110* but did not hear it
5- 140
7- 125
2- 120

I did not notice any leakage at all coming from the carb or exhaust which would indicate valve leakage. I did not notice any cylinder to cylinder or cylinder to cooling system leakage indicating head gasket leakage. A side from the fact that my ring seal is sick I didn't get any indications as to why I have water in the oil. I would like to get some feed back from anyone who may be able to assist me in this.

Tim C

65 LeMans, 3600lb. all steel, full interior, D-ports and a flat tappet cam, 11.01@120

[Goatman]

Craked head or cylinder wall?

How far are the heads ported? Perhaps you have a pin hole leak.

Ever pressure test the heads?

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[stevep]

I had a pin hole in the timing case cover.It had actually eroded the metal away and coolant went into the oil.

The difference between in-laws and outlaws-outlaws are wanted

[myckee]

I had this problem last year..twice. I used ROL head gaskets on my 455. I had water leaking one way from the heads into the cylinder. The was no indication of oil in the antifreeze.

Anyway after changing the gaskets and still having the same problem, I had the heads THOROUGHLY checked and found no cracks, or warpage.

Anyway I reassembled and used Fel-Pro gaskets and have not had any problems since. Turns out those ROL gaskets, which were supposed to be really good were really crap.

[67BIGREDGOAT]

Tim, do you have a pressure tester for your radiator? Stant makes a good one. Try pressurizing your system and pull all the plugs out of the heads. If nothing is leaking in the cylinders I have seen the timing cover erode letting water into the block.

[sleepy]

Your compression is out of wack. rebuild the motor and inspect everything.

[SCOTT ESTERLE]

Your compression is awfully low. I just did mine & it was 173 to 175 & my motor has only gone 10.91 at 10.5 to 1 comp.

[Steve Barcak]

Tim,
These guys (most of them) are on the right track. If it got hot, check the heads. If it didn't get hot, check the t cover. You know how Az water is, it eats aluminum. If you didn't get it hot, it is unlikly you cracked a head, usually a head gasket will go first. How long has the motor been together, did you machine the spring seats much? C'mon, your are a past Pontiac Heaven Drags Champion. Everybody likes to see your car run. There are people now from as far away as Ohio and Florida and who knows where else that are going to attend. Could be the biggest Pontiac get together in the west ever! You need to race next weekend. Burn some midnight oil, you can do it. We'll see you there. Steve www.pontiacheaven.org

[Bruce Meyer]

Timmy,s got a 67 Lemans street car he can bring and race in the street class. Problem is he doesnt have any sticky street tires for it. Im trying to talk him into putting on the slicks from his race car and race anyway.

[tempest455]

One other thought:

Aside form the compression test, if you are not running a PCV and don't get the engine warm, I mean WARM, you are going to get condensation on the breathers and dip stick. Even more if you have blow by from bad rings. I've seen this on good motors.

I live in the arctic cheddar land of Wisconsin. In the middle of winter, if I start my motor and let it idle (because I can't drive it) it will form enough condensation on the breathers that it manifests itself as milkshake goo.

Have you changed the oil and really got the motor HOT?

Tempest455
http://www.wauknet.com/douthitt/

[Tim Corcoran]

455Tempest

Interesting theory, we don't get a lot of moisture in the air here in Phoenix. I don't know what you mean by hot but the engine never gets over 180 degrees when I race it. It has been sitting several weeks since last raced though. I guess I need to tear it down anyhow because some of the cylinders are really weak. I guess this is a good excuse to put that roller in.

Tim C

65 LeMans, 3600lb. all steel, full interior, D-ports and a flat tappet cam, 11.01@120

[tempest455]

You don't need moisture in the air, it's a by product of combustion that gets into the crank case. Certainly a dry(er) climate may provide different results, however, my point was, did you warm the engine up to 180 and run it for a suitable length of time before you noticed the milkshake?

Or, did you start it after sitting for weeks, only running it for a short time before you noticed the milkshake?

Tempest455
http://www.wauknet.com/douthitt/

[Tim Corcoran]

No, and yes

Tim C

65 LeMans, 3600lb. all steel, full interior, D-ports and a flat tappet cam, 11.01@120

[LouisianaGuy]

I get condensation build up on the inside of my Chrome valve covers and on my dipstick tube as well here in Louisiana. It worried me at first really bad because i had head gasket problems when the engine was first built, but when you check the oil there is no water in it and nothing weird in the filter, but it does build up in the tube going from the valve cover to the air cleaner, and when i stomp it it shoots the goo ball into the little pcv filter. which gets changed fairly often. Still seems kinda odd to me but i have yet to see any water in the oil when i do oil changes. SOOOoooo i will just ride it out and see what happens...i got a New timing cover anyhow cuz my opld one had no timing tab, and this way i know i aint leaking out the timing cover hehhe.
But when i pull my valve covers after tehy have been sitting over a day and night cycle there is a little whit oil stock to the tops of them but no where else.
Mike

[tempest455]

Next question:

Do you run a PCV?

Tempest455
http://www.wauknet.com/douthitt/

[LouisianaGuy]

I dont run a pcv system, last time i tried it with the valve in the valley pan it made the engine smoke like crazy at high rpm's some how it was sucking oil outa the valley pan...was thinking on trying a pcv in the valve cover, but figured it would do the same thing.
been wondering what was causing this.
Mike

[Tim Corcoran]

Tempest455

NO

Tim C

65 LeMans, 3600lb. all steel, full interior, D-ports and a flat tappet cam, 11.01@120

[Tim Corcoran]

Thanks to Bruce Meyer's suggestion to pour some Alumi-Seal in the radiator I was able to race yesterday. I changed the oil and filter, poured in two bottles of the magic formula and went racing. No sign of water in the oil all day. Low compression and all I was able to run my first 10 second run. In fact I ran four runs in the 10's with a 10.92 best time. Now I will tear it down, change the rings and bearings, install a roller, zero deck the block, take a bit of weight off the car, and maybe work on the suspension some. Then look out!!!

Tim C

65 LeMans, 3600lb. all steel, full interior, D-ports and a flat tappet cam, 11.01@120

[SCOTT ESTERLE]

That's awesome Tim. Congrats