Catch Can Sludge

[landtoy80]

I have a home made catch can from a water separator for a diesel fuel tank. I am running RotellaT 5w40 syn oil that has 6 mo and just under 10,000 mi on it. The 94 Land Cruiser has 303,000 mi on it.
The catch can and my oil consumption goes up as the oil gets oil and most of the oil must be going past the rings. Oil consumption is for first 2000 to 3000 mi and goes up from there.
The can was installed last summer and would fill with oil that looked like used oil.
This winter the catch can filled with creamy sludge. http://forum.ih8mud.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=204290&stc=1&d=1200867453

After a week it settled into http://forum.ih8mud.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=204294&stc=1&d=1200868220

I assume the bottom is water and the top is oil, but what is the middle? I thought that oil and water doesn't mix?????

The sample is now 3 weeks oil and looks the same as the second pic.

 

[mechtech2]

"as the oil gets oil"?

 

[Shannow]

water, oil, and mayo in the middle.

the bit in the middle is an emulsion that hasn't separated yet.

The milk that you drink is a stable emulsion of fat in water. mayo is an emulsion that uses eggs to hold the water and oil together.

 

[vacuum_6]

The foam to me looks like short trips, engine is not warming up all the way.

 

[mechtech2]

As you seem to know, it is not all oil in the catch can.
I believe it is water and blow-by material, with some oil.
Who knows what the actual composition is!

 

[landtoy80]

it should say "as the oil gets old"

 

[Drew99GT]

The insanely cold weather for the last 2 months around here coupled with all short trip driving has given me that milky watery impulsion on the underside of my oil cap. Both my parents vehicles have it too. I changed the oil in both of their vehicles last night and both were fully at operating temp. Within about 10 minutes, the oil/engines had cooled to being cool to the touch (was about 20 degrees out).

In cold weather short trip driving, I really think it's paramount to be on the conservative side with drain intervals. Both vehicles usually are about a half quart low by oil change time; this time my mom's Olds 88 was about a cm over the fill line, my guess being from fuel and moisture in the oil.

It takes a while for en engine to come up to full operating temp in sub 20 degree weather and even longer to burn out contaminants IMO.

 

[vacuum_6]

Originally Posted By: vacuum_6
The foam to me looks like short trips, engine is not warming up all the way.


I meant not ran long enough to allowing H20 vapor etc to burn off.