Hack Job

It used to fill with nasty oilish mixture with a slight fuel smell. I thought that was normal. As the weather has been getting colder this is what it catches. Its watery with clumps in it like separated clumpy rotten milk. Was adding some antifreeze for the winter and I noticed the goop looked worse & i'm getting worried.

Coolant (amsoil coolant booster & water) & oil (amsoil synth) both look perfect. The engine runs normal, no codes, and no other issues. Do I need to worry or is at simple as morning condensation in the crankcase being filtered out?

2005Redfire6

Crap!!!! I am trying to remember exactly what that is called and what causes it, Its driving me nuts because someone has mentioned it a few times to me before. I want to say it has something to do with the cold weather, I almost want to say its condensation that isn't being burned off due to short trips in cold weather in never has a chance to burn off. But then again don't quote me on that! I am sure someone will chime in.

Rob72

The PCV system doesn't flow one way. It could be condensation from the outside air. That's why they don't recommend dumping that back into the engine. Now if you drain your oil and it looks like that you have problems.

Ditty

It IS condensation mixed w/ oil vapor. It is fairly common....expecially on 1999-2007-ish Dodge/Chry V6 vehicles. Bacially, it's water, that when hot, vaporizes and moves to the top of the engine.....where the oil vapor is. These two mix (yeah yeah...."oil and water don't mix".....this is more complicated than that). Your catch can is getting these so THIS is a GOOD thing. This Crud is NOT staying in the engine.

To see this INSIDE of an engine. Find a friend/relative/etc that has a 3.7L V6 like in a Jeep Liberty etc....w/ over 40-50k miles. Take the oil-fill off and pull that pull looking thing up. THAT is NASTY. Should look a little Orange to Yellow-ish.

Diabolical!

THAT is the reason everyone with an S197 should be running a catch can. Just shows that your system is working. Oil and water.

Hack Job

Thanks for confirming what I thought it was - crankcase moisture being caught on the cold humid FL mornings. I wasn't too worried but I do feel better now. Both heads cracked on a SBC engine I was racing with a few years ago. The coolant & oil churned into a similar sludge in the crankcase. I knew that wasn't the case here but was still concerned to find that stuff in the catch can.

HxCGuitars

Might want to add a catch can to my to buy list...