Whip cream inside driverside valve cover

[cmhaah06]

When my truck started running abnormally warm and the oils started disappearing without any trace as to where it was going, I checked the oil and it was chocolate milk colored. I parked the Explorer and I decided to change the head gaskets.

Well this morning I finally had the time, no kids around either, to tackle the last part of the tear down. I pulled the valve covers and on the inside of the drivers side valve cover, I found a frothy whip cream type substance. I would say thats a CLUE. Anyways, water break is over and I'm down to valve train and exhaust manifolds. Then I can pull the heads.

I sure hope its just the gasket. We should place some wagers on this. Gasket or cracked head? What do you think?

 

[Turdle]

what did you see when you drained the oil? lots of water or just oil?

 

[jd4242]

i say cracked head,did you do a compression test before tearing the heads off?

 

[Roadrunner777]

Roughly how much did you find? A small amount can result from condensation if you drive short runs.

 

[cmhaah06]

When I drained the oil there was water and oil mixed. Looked like coffee with a lot of cream. I did not do a compression test. The truck had 115,000 original miles from the original owner and I have put on another 24,000, I figured a new set of gaskets wouldn't hurt. The entire inside of the value cover was covered in this "whipped" substance. Was about 1/8th inch thick all over.

 

[Xeek]

this crap?:

that was due to coolant getting in there. not much got in there, just short runs made condensation to make that.
after you fix the reason water got in there in the first place...
i suggest what i did; change oil, run to temp and unhook pcv at the valve cover, breather hose on the other valve cover, oil cap and oil dipstick. i removed all that just to over do it, all arent needed.
do that until the steam coming out isnt as much. change the oil again(dino turd kind) and you should be ok. i changed the oil one more time after that just to make sure

 

[cmhaah06]

Ok. Yeah that's exactly what it looked like, only, it coated every inch nook and cranny. It was every where. I have the engine pulled apart so I'm just going to get new heads and gaskets for everything.

 

[Xeek]

yea its the condensation. a tiny dot is prob ok, but anything more is coolant/water.
check the heads if you need new ones theres an ebay link to the ones i got on the first post of my rebuild in my sig

edit: hes selling them for a lot more now, i got mine for $114 each... theyre good heads tho, perfect.