Light grey gunk, what is it?

[sasilverbullet]

I'm posting this for a friend from the Lincoln forum:

I decided to take the rocker shafts off to clean them out and replace all the pushrods. Well as soon as I pulled them off, I noticed the oil passages on the heads were packed full of this light gray sludge. Whats strange is that out of the 2 passages, only one on each head had the goop in it. The stuff also traveled inside the shaft and coated the bolts that were blind, as in, not oiling passages. Usually this is from ground up aluminum, can anyone tell me what may have let go?

This was completely full and level with the top of the machined surface before I poked at it with a small screwdriver.

[img:left]http://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/download/file.php?id=12072&mode=view[/img]

 

[OVERKILL]

Is this an old Y-block?

 

[Klutch9]

Is that a sign of heavy fuel dilution? I know that isn't coolant...

 

[sasilverbullet]

It's on a 65 Lincoln, if that helps.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet
It's on a 65 Lincoln, if that helps.


What engine? Looks like a Y-block from the picture. We've owned a few of them, though they were almost all in boats.

 

[mechtech2]

Also, who knows what sauces and products were put in the engine over it's 45 year life?

 

[Loobed]

I have seen that stuff before in some old Chevy and Chrysler/Dodge engines. I think it is from water condensation. Does the 65 Lincoln have a PCV valve or is the engine an open breather type.

 

[berniedd]

Looks like an emulsion that's the result of oil and water combining. I often saw that gray paste when I changed my 1967 VW Beetle's oil and removed the oil screen for cleaning. Since it was an air-cooled engine and hence no radiator, I gather it was from the water byproduct of combustion that wasn't burned off if the oil didn't get hot enough on short trips.

 

[addyguy]

Lead deposits from when it had leaded fuel?

 

[Chris142]

I've seen it too in older engines.

 

[bruno]

Lead deposits , it used to be common before lead was banned .

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet

[img:left]http://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/download/file.php?id=12072&mode=view[/img]



Sure looks like deposits from leaded fuel which I used to see in every engine I opened up before the mass switch to unleaded... could this thing have had very low mileage since the late 70s or 80s perhaps??

just saw the confirmation that its a '65... DEFINITELY lead deposits from leaded gasoline. My '69 had deposits like that when I opened it up in 1995, so they last a LONG time even after ditching leaded fuel. Harmless... if you don't eat it.

 

[morris]

the old engine needs to be up dated with newer PVC system so the mosture is removed from the engine. my idea is that the mosture makes acids. and try to run the engine as hot as you can, it would be best to an expert to make it run hoter.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Harmless... if you don't eat it.


Bwahahahaha. I shed a tear laughing when I read that. Thanks!

 

[dwendt44]

As long as it's not plugging up an oil passage, ignore it.

 

[paulo57509]

Years ago, a guy that used to build racing boat engines told me that the gray goo is the VI from multi-viscosity oils breaking down.