Did I blow my head ?

[Forsakendreamerz]

Starting my mustang today it smoked on start up but after driving bout 7 min it was done went in the store came back out smoked a bit more wen I started and it idled for a bit in the parking but wen I drove back home it was gone should I be worried ? Here’s a pic of the dipstick and inside the cap

 

[07GtS197]

The oil looks dirty but not bad like a blown head gasket. I’d suggest at least an oil change.

What color was the smoke? Being the cooler time of year it’s likely it was water vapor.

 

[Forsakendreamerz]

The oil looks dirty but not bad like a blown head gasket. I’d suggest at least an oil change.

What color was the smoke? Being the cooler time of year it’s likely it was water vapor.

It wasn’t see through but it wasn’t flying out the tailpipe it was jus blowing and it has a oil leak too

 

[07GtS197]

It wasn’t see through but it wasn’t flying out the tailpipe it was jus blowing and it has a oil leak too

Still could have been water vapor. Does it burn oil?

 

[96blak54]

Im with 07GtS197, i dont see anything abnormal.

 

[Forsakendreamerz]

Still could have been water vapor. Does it burn oil?

Yeap

 

[Forsakendreamerz]

Still could have been water vapor. Does it burn oil?

 

[r3dn3ck]

The symptoms you describe sound consistent with some wear on valve guides. Smoke on startup after being parked would be from oil leaking down the guides onto the back of the valve. First spit of gas from the injectors washes it down into the cylinder and boom, smoke. The amount I see there is not enough to be alarmed but it is a portent of the future where you still end up pulling the heads and having them gone over and freshened up. When you're driving you won't see it. Things heat up and start moving and you won't see the smoke anymore until you park and then startup again. People behind you will see little puffs now and then, particularly on acceleration but it won't be enough to see in the mirror. The amount of varnish I see in there is pretty high, suggests to me you're using conventional oil or a prior owner did and the car has seen a life with lots of extended oil change intervals. You might pump up to 10W30 oil instead of 5w30. It'll resist travelling down the valve slightly better but won't be so thick that it drives your oil pressures into orbit or give you poor lubrication in the areas where clearances are still at spec.

 

[Forsakendreamerz]

The symptoms you describe sound consistent with some wear on valve guides. Smoke on startup after being parked would be from oil leaking down the guides onto the back of the valve. First spit of gas from the injectors washes it down into the cylinder and boom, smoke. The amount I see there is not enough to be alarmed but it is a portent of the future where you still end up pulling the heads and having them gone over and freshened up. When you're driving you won't see it. Things heat up and start moving and you won't see the smoke anymore until you park and then startup again. People behind you will see little puffs now and then, particularly on acceleration but it won't be enough to see in the mirror. The amount of varnish I see in there is pretty high, suggests to me you're using conventional oil or a prior owner did and the car has seen a life with lots of extended oil change intervals. You might pump up to 10W30 oil instead of 5w30. It'll resist travelling down the valve slightly better but won't be so thick that it drives your oil pressures into orbit or give you poor lubrication in the areas where clearances are still at spec.

Since my ownership of it I used 5w20 penzoil high mileage full synthetic

 

[r3dn3ck]

Bump to 5w30 or 10w30 depending on the low temperature extremes in your area. See if that helps the situation. If it does, valve guides.

 

[Forsakendreamerz]

Bump to 5w30 or 10w30 depending on the low temperature extremes in your area. See if that helps the situation. If it does, valve guides.

I live in Little Rock where it’s starting to get chilly temps touching like 44 at night I normally put it in the garage at night tho

 

[r3dn3ck]

44 is not an issue for 10w30. If you get down to like 20F then 5w30 would be my starting point but if you're not seeing much below 35F I would stick with 10w30.

For those that don't know, the 10w in 10w30 means "10 winter", so in super cold weather the viscosity modifiers keep the oil thinner than the 30 weight viscosity that it achieves when it's hot. Multi-weight oil was a big breakthrough because it contravened the normal behavior of liquid oil which is to thicken at lower temps. There are also viscosity index improvers in motor oil which reduce the tendency for the oil to thin out at higher temperatures.

As an aside, when you find out what all the additives in motor oil actually do you start to wonder if someone didn't just start with the wrong kind of substance to begin with.

 

[shovel]

If it has quarter century old valve guide seals there is a 100% chance those need to be replaced.

 

[maillemaker]

If it has quarter century old valve guide seals there is a 100% chance those need to be replaced.

You make me feel real old when you put it like that...

 

[96blak54]

Oil additives have been known to harden seals, valve seals included. We go to the parts store and there we see so many oil additives that make promises. A liquid gold fix all representation. Most times power restoration is their main selling point.

Im with the others, most likely the valve seals have hardened, valve guides are a bit worn. Compound them together and oil passes by.

 

[Forsakendreamerz]

Oil additives have been known to harden seals, valve seals included. We go to the parts store and there we see so many oil additives that make promises. A liquid gold fix all representation. Most times power restoration is their main selling point.

Im with the others, most likely the valve seals have hardened, valve guides are a bit worn. Compound them together and oil passes by.

So I add Lucas with my next oil change

 

[shovel]

that won't solve a single thing.

The fix is to replace the valve guide seals. They're inexpensive and the work is not difficult if you have or make the right tools.

 

[Slice]

You would have to be double jointed to blow your own head.

 

[Forsakendreamerz]

that won't solve a single thing.

The fix is to replace the valve guide seals. They're inexpensive and the work is not difficult if you have or make the right tools.

Okey doke

 

[r3dn3ck]

Lucas oil treatment is a viscosity index improver, it makes the oil thicken under heat. All that will do is drive your oil pressures unnecessarily high and very likely reduce oil flow which could have much more negative consequences. Lucas is best left on the shelf at O'Reilly with all the other snake oil. It has a use case but this ain't it. New seals for sure, new guides for sure. The problem will slowly get worse but you have a little time so I'd save up your sheckels in the meantime and see about grabbing a set of used PI heads and having those freshened up or go the full 9 and snatch up a set of Trick Flow heads. They're not cheap but they are the foundation for a helluva little build.