5.4 3v Moisture Issuse

[Soak_n_Fused]

My god does short trips suck for these vehicles

In the cold I get moisture build up so bad in the motor what can I do to make this go away or help it out

05 f150 5.4 3v 80k on motor

Thank you

 

[KD0AXS]

Drive it more.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: Soak_n_Fused
In the cold I get moisture build up so bad in the motor


How are you determining this?

 

[Bluestream]

How are you measuring the moisture build up?

 

[tig1]

Not enough info.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Guessing you are getting a milkshake on the oil cap?

Drive it more and possibly harder to get it up to temperature ... oil temperature, not coolant temperature.

 

[rodinator1234]

Yes the condensation at the top of the oil cap and fill neck is quite ugly. I just changed the oil in my 05 F150 5.4 the other day and the "milk shake" was pretty bad. I don't think it causes any problems though. Funny thing is I drive the truck in the winter a lot, and I have a Edge Evolution dash mounted programmer that allows me to monitor the oil temp and it usually get to 180+- on my drive to work but it still has condensation present. I think it has a lot to do with the design of the filler neck being composite and its bent up like a stack so the composite never gets any heat in it and always stays cooler as well as the plastic cap and it allows a cool zone at the highest point of the engine and presto condensation.

 

[Soak_n_Fused]

Yes the "oil cap mayo"

I do make short trips which is hard to drive 30 mins home when you only live 5 miles from work!

Another problem id like to ask about is I have an oil cooler that I installed in the summer I do a lot of heavy towing and see some oil temps up around 230 in hot days and long hauls

now during the winter im only operating temp of 165 am I shooting myself in the foot?

during the summer I run about 185 190

 

[mk378]

You could block the airflow through the oil cooler (cardboard, etc in front of it) to reduce over-cooling of the oil in winter short trips.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Can you plumb in a thermostatic oil cooler bypass valve?

Add a block or coolant heater?

Use another vehicle for your short winter commutes?

 

[MNgopher]

If its the usual mayo in the oil fill cap, its normal. Only way around it is to drive more (longer). My '04 F150 has done this since I bought it.

Is it harmful? 176,000 miles later I'm of the opinion no.

As for the oil temp, yes, your oil cooler is part of the problem and you are shooting yourself in the foot. The oil cooler needs to be thermostatically controlled to bring the oil temps up. You will have less buildup that way.

I had more buildup when my thermostat got lazy.

 

[Soak_n_Fused]

the oil cooler is thermostat controlled 160 degrees they send oil to the cooler and 180 they send full oil flow to the cooler

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: Soak_n_Fused
the oil cooler is thermostat controlled 160 degrees they send oil to the cooler and 180 they send full oil flow to the cooler


That's way, way too cold. Take that 160* thermostat and save it for use as a trans cooler thermostat on some vehicle. Find a new one that doesn't even start to open until 200* or hotter. I've seen a few that are rated for 205* and some rated for 215*. You're probably going to have to spend $100+ for one with the correct fittings in that temp range, but your engine will thank you for it.

Most of the common cheap ones start opening at 180*, which is also no good.

 

[MNgopher]

Agree with rslifkin. Thermostat is too cold.

 

[The motor guy]

My lawn mower does this. It doesn't get hot enough in the winter.

 

[Bluestream]

It's fine just ignore it

 

[Colt45ws]

I don't think its really a problem. The cap is away from the engine surfaces so that is why it does that. All the metal parts will be too hot to have that on there.

 

[Soak_n_Fused]

Alright I will search for a new thermostat I was under the understanding that oil running at 175 to 190 degrees was optimal

 

[rslifkin]

I'd consider 190 the low end of "normal" for oil temp. Below that, it won't burn off moisture as well, etc.

 

[BlackBeard]

My wife's cobalt does this. She does short commutes and it'll get milky. Once a week I'll take it for our family trips and always leave it idling/running when we stop so it stays hot and it always goes away after one good drive day. And definitely run your oil hotter. The best thing is get a heat exchanger from a crown Victoria. It plumbs off your oil filter and runs an exchanger in the lower radiator hose. That way the coolant helps heat it up faster and once hot helps keep it exactly where it should