340 Duster oil looks milky

-

MOPARBURNEM

Active Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2020
Messages
39
Reaction score
3
Location
Jackson Ohio
hi guys! I look forward to gaining knowledge here. I have a 72 Duster that I recently put a 69 model 340 in. The 340 is bored 30 over, 284/484 cam with minor porting on the X heads. I have experienced issues right out of the gate. It wouldn’t run at first, we figured out the cam timing was off so we fixed that and fired it up to realize the Holley carb was bad so we swapped on a Edelbrock 750 and fired it up after changing the gassy oil. It smoked a good bit the first start up. Didn’t let it run long because I didn’t fill completely with coolant, after getting the rest of the coolant filled I started it again to see after 5 minutes of running it started smoking from the headers/ exhaust pipe so I shut it off and checked the oil to see a white tent in the oil along with noticing steam coming out of carb and drivers side tail pipe. Pulled valve covers and can’t see any “milk”. I’m Hoping to get this resolved without any Major issues. Checked the oil again a couple days later and it doesn’t look near as bad as the other day. Will be doing compression and leak down test soon just looking for some insight in case anyone has had similar experiences. The first pic is right after shutting it off, the others was from a few days after

C2ECFA66-66A7-4BED-A610-2C9B41D2B462.jpeg


B38A0759-307B-45FC-8158-24EC1F0EAD21.jpeg


8DEFD8D7-7ACD-4E87-82EC-DA04DFC7A7FB.jpeg
 
Also it’s been about a week since this issue and the coolant level is still the same with no noticeable drop in level
 
If the oil hasn't emulsified with whatever may be in the pan it will stratify...separate...and as oil is lighter than water or coolant mixture or whatever might be in there, however small the amount, the oil on the dipstick will look better over time if the engine hasn't been run. The coolant level wouldn't change if it hasn't been run. No pressure or flow if you're thinking head gasket, especially if it's very small.
Is that a newly rebuilt engine that's been broken in?
Welcome...BTW
 
If the oil hasn't emulsified with whatever may be in the pan it will stratify...separate...and as oil is lighter than water or coolant mixture or whatever might be in there, however small the amount, the oil on the dipstick will look better over time if the engine hasn't been run. The coolant level wouldn't change if it hasn't been run. No pressure or flow if you're thinking head gasket, especially if it's very small.
Is that a newly rebuilt engine that's been broken in?
Welcome...BTW
I bought it from a old Mopar guy and he said the cam, timing chain set etc was new but it set for over a year in a garage with no plugs in it. I took a gamble and got it anyway. I filled it all the way with coolant then started it and after 5 minutes realized something wasn’t right so I checked all fluids, the coolant level looked the same. It had new fel pro gaskets installed but like I said it set for over a year with no oil or plugs in it
 
Yes but was it run for break in?....was the cam run in?... after the build had it been run at all?
 
Yes but was it run for break in?....was the cam run in?... after the build had it been run at all?
I appreciate you guys’ trying to help!
The crappy part is he won’t give me a straight answer (poor lad is around 80) when I asked after all these issues he said he’s never done a cam break in and never had an issue! Lol not at all what I was wanting to hear. All I know is I can see the gaskets looked to be new and when I couldn’t get it to start I took it down to him and he found the cam timing didn’t get lined up right when they installed it (his brother was the builder) he said it was good to go so I brought it back to my place and changed oil and now here we are..
 
I mean have those been messed with since you got it.
No sir! My dad tried to talk me into tearing it down and going through it but the over excitement of finally having a 340 and the fella insisting it was fine I got impatient and here we are
 
Could it just be moisture due to the time of year and the insufficient time for the moisture in the block and oil to be heated up and removed. Had a truck dipstick that looked that way and it was due to not getting hot.
 
Could it just be moisture due to the time of year and the insufficient time for the moisture in the block and oil to be heated up and removed. Had a truck dipstick that looked that way and it was due to not getting hot.
I sure Hope so! I’m just skeptical because after he fixed the cam timing he ran it for a couple minutes then I started when I got it back to the house but only for a half a minute and then drained the oil and it didn’t look as milky as it does now

83394C00-9A6B-4824-BB7C-E5CF503E75B6.jpeg


CF11B432-FAC6-4B60-ABC5-E35232FC4BBF.jpeg
 
Did anyone pour milk into the valve cover breather port???:poke: Mopars can't tolerate Lactose!!
 
This is a good read on cam installation and break in....just info that's useful for new cams. Go's over install, lifters, lash adjustment, timing and break in.
It may have nothing to do with your issue at this point, it's just a good read.
http://www.hughesengines.com/Upload/productInstructions/camshaft_instructions_Aug_2019.pdf
Thank you! I’m Obviously Hoping it’s something simple but I guess there was a lesson to be learned and that was no matter how anxious, never get impatient
 
You might want to ask a mod to move this or restart this thread in the small block tech forum.
 
Get a glass jar and fill it with the oil from the engine. Let it sit a day or three and see what happens. If it has an appreciable amount of water, it will separate with the oil on top. It could be simple assembly lube mixing in with the oil. Fill the glass and let it sit and you'll know for sure without ever having to turn a wrench.
 
Get a glass jar and fill it with the oil from the engine. Let it sit a day or three and see what happens. If it has an appreciable amount of water, it will separate with the oil on top. It could be simple assembly lube mixing in with the oil. Fill the glass and let it sit and you'll know for sure without ever having to turn a wrench.
Great I idea and will try that after work, thank you!
 
Get a glass jar and fill it with the oil from the engine. Let it sit a day or three and see what happens. If it has an appreciable amount of water, it will separate with the oil on top. It could be simple assembly lube mixing in with the oil. Fill the glass and let it sit and you'll know for sure without ever having to turn a wrench.

FEA20385-D4B0-46E7-9107-486752E08233.jpeg


DA85903C-C4FA-4518-85F4-26DC47D96BB3.jpeg
 
That’s the oil I just drained

Ok. Let it sit there a day or so and see if it separates. You look at it from the side and you can two different levels. So far, I'm sayin that's assembly lube. Doesn't look to terrible to me. Let it sit and let's see.
 
-
Back
Top