Oil filler cap

[stuartr]

I pulled the oil filler cap off my 2008 mounty 4.0 today and found some white sludgy looking stuff that made me think water in the oil. I took it to the dealer and they said that it was probably condensation in the motor and any water that shows up will collect up there. I have never seen this in my 4.0 2002 mounty though. But a good friend that is a really good mechanic said it probably was just condenstaion. He said to let it set where you are going to change the oil over night and pull the plug any water will come out 1st to be able to see if there is any water in the oil. I will hopefully get to change it this weekend so I will see for sure then.

Oh ya, also I tried to change the oil today and the dang oil filter is stuck bad. What could have caused that? Maybe just overtight. THis is the 1st time I have changed it since I bought it. I think a gorilla may have put this thing on! Any tricks to get one off, sure is tight up in there.

Anyone else ever had this issue?

STU

 

[ZO6_Vette]

The yellow sludge I have seen on a few cars, other than water leakage it happens from short trips not letting the engine fully warm up.
Don't know how much experience you have wrenching cars but as a last resort you can drive a screw driver right through the oil filter. Just be careful not to hit the threaded portion of the oil filter adapter.

 

[stuartr]

I thought about the screw driver thing but it is so tight up in there not sure if I could and that is always a last resort tears the filter up that nothing else will work. I will try it again later to see if it will come off.

STU

 

[bill32399]

Interesting that you mention the warm up thing Z06. I was just reading my new "My Ford" magazine they sent to me and Brett Hinds their advanced engine design and developement manager says that the engine warming up theory is a myth. He said unless the temp is -20 f then you engine has full lubrication and is ready to go within 5 seconds of starting. Their chief engineer, Sherif Marakby says the same principals apply for hybrid motors. Just was suprised to see that cuz I have always let mine warm up a bit.

 

[michael loibl]

Not so much let it warm up before driving, but sludge often builds up if you usually only go short trips where the engine doesn't run at full temperature for the majority of the time. Example: cold start, drive 5 minutes, park for an hour or two, restart and drive 5 minutes. As opposed to cold start than drive 20 minutes where the majority of the time was at full temperature so oil can evaporate out the condensation that every motor will build up in the first minute or two after a cold start.

No need to eliminate the short trips, but sometimes combining them when posssible will minimize cold starts, as well as boosting fuel economy. This is one reason why oil changes were typically recomended at shorter intervals if you do mostly short trips and cold weather.

 

[edwx]

Maybe if you let the vehicle warm up a little the filter will come off easier.

 

[stuartr]

Thanks guys. Her Mounty is driven mostly to work by her and it is a 7mile trip. So that would make since. I hope that is all it is. As for the filter the vehicle was at operating temp when I tried to get it off. I let it sit maybe 5mins is all. I think I will take it back to the dealership I bought it at "a chevy place" and let them get it off. They changed that oil in it so their guy put it on and he can get it off. I ain't going to pay either don't seem like my fault. I hope that will work anyway! I just hope they don't tear anything else up getting it off. I will let them use my Motorcraft filter and oil I bought that way I know what is in it.

STU

 

[bill32399]

Hopefully they did'nt cross thread it when they put it on.

 

[my pos mounty]

Go buy a 3 legged oil filter wrench. You use it with a 3/8" extension and ratchet..when you turn to loosen it, the 3 legs squeeze the filter body. The harder you turn it, the harder it squeezes. Runs about 10 bucks.

 

[ZO6_Vette]

Interesting that you mention the warm up thing Z06. I was just reading my new "My Ford" magazine they sent to me and Brett Hinds their advanced engine design and developement manager says that the engine warming up theory is a myth. He said unless the temp is -20 f then you engine has full lubrication and is ready to go within 5 seconds of starting. Their chief engineer, Sherif Marakby says the same principals apply for hybrid motors. Just was suprised to see that cuz I have always let mine warm up a bit.

No No No! I am not talking about waiting for the engine to warm up before driving away.

Overnight water condenses in the engine and exhaust, in order to dry the engine (internally) the engine oil has to get to operating temperature.
Even though the engine temp gauge may show that the engine has reached operating temp, the oil takes longer to heat up evaporating all the moisture within the engine.

So if you take short trips the water never fully evaporates causing that yellow sludge.

 

[bill32399]

Ah, gotcha Z06. I need to quit speed reading.

 

[stuartr]

Well I finally changed the oil the cap was clean. I put motorcraft oil and filter in it. I checked the cap again yesterday and the sludge is back. I called the 800 ford serv. # and they had no idea of the "issue" the ford place told me of so I called another ford dealer and they too had no idea. I called back to the dealer I took it to and they said they would repressure test the system to see where it was coming form. I would think it would be odd to see water on the cap in maybe 500-600 or less miles after an oil change wouldn't you? I am not sure if they even tested it to begin with. Or is they just said it was something that happens. Anyone elso out there having this problem? I am just afraid that I have an issue that is going to lead to problems down the road. Sorry to keep asking the same ? over and over. But it reoccureed.
Here are some pics of the cap and the bit you can see in the filler neck.

STU

 

[stuartr]

Bump!

STU

 

[kkreit01]

I wouldn't be calling it "sludge" when describing it to dealers/mechanics. It's not sludge.

 

[stuartr]

Well not sludge. More pure water isn't it?

STU