Swifty75 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Hi AllI have a 1970 Mk2 VitesseI am not sure if I am worrying for nothing. However I noticed a slight white yogurt type liquid around the oil filler cap (very small amount). I cleaned out the oil breather and that also had the same in there. I was running the car in the garage for about 5 minutes so not massively warm, when I blipped the throttle by tweaking the carb the release on the oil filler cap let out a small amount of smoke. When I checked the oil tonight it looks as thought the level has risen (although I could not be 100% sure)On the plus side the water temperature is at a constant 85 when running. It never goes over this. It runs well, good pick up and it idles properly too. There is no excessive white sweet smelling smoke from the exhaust. I topped up the radiator tonight. First time since I have had it (3 months and 350 miles) and it only took about 1/2 pint. The water does go into the expansion tank but not excessively.Am I worrying about something that I should not be?Any help much appreciated.Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Short runs, with the car not fully getting up to temperature can cause condensation etc which will give some similar signs to head gasket problems. I guess the real test is to drive it about a bit and then check..it maybe nothing and just condensation from a cold engine that's been sitting around for a while? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve AKA vitessesteve Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 What does the oil look like? Has the oil level gone up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty75 Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 The oil look fine. The oil level is on the Maximum and I thought that on m last check it was about 1/2 way between minimum and max. Not sure if I topped it up though!!Think I need to take it for a longish run......if it ever stops raining! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Some mayo in the breather and on the filler cap would be entirely normal at this time of year - especially if only used on short runs. Sounds like your engine is fine to me.Head gasket problems are not common on the Mk2 6 cylinder.Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty75 Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Thanks AllGoing back to thinking that my glass is half full again!Going to take it for a long drive soon (weather permitting). I have taken it for a 35 mile blast about a month ago where I did not hold back as I was testing to see how it would perform. Even some high speed motorway did not phase the engine, it did phase the driver who backed off before it hit anywhere near it supposed maximum!Thanks for the messages Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hammond Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 MKll Vitesse good for an indicated 110 mph if you are brave. My one used to start to lift on the front at around those speeds....Fortune favours the brave.....Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Mine managed 108 (satnav) on two sections of the Nurburgring. It was very loud (wind noise, vibration) and scary......Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hammond Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I wouldn't say scary at least on the straight but then the car wasn't too old at the time, 7 years old with 40000 ish miles. I would say that allowing for speedo optimism that it was a true 100 mph.M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosbif Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 When I took delivery of my 13/60 last February there was some mayo on the oil filler cap, once wiped off and the car driven regularly it never came back (oops ! that’s blown it now) the car clearly hadn’t been run properly for some time before I got it. Hopefully you have just the same effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paudman Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Quoted from Nick Jones Some mayo in the breather and on the filler cap would be entirely normal at this time of year - especially if only used on short runs. Sounds like your engine is fine to me.Head gasket problems are not common on the Mk2 6 cylinder.Nick +1. If you idle it a lot, especially if it's newly fangled and you let it run on the drive while you're working / playing with it, you'll get this. A few good long runs and it should go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oil_on_the_carpet Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Back in the day, I'd have blanked off part of the radiator with tinfoil by this part of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scimher Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 ...1300 Dolly-engined Herald had mayonnaise in early days of me having it - daily use & regular oil-changes saw rid of it. Since covered twenty thousand or so (miles!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 head gaskets rarely let coolant into the oil , it doesnt happen, you get combustion gasses forced into the water jacket long before any catastrophic failure ever lets any coolant in the sump. far more likely to get fuel from a duff pump in the sump than coolant .go back to the 70's hair cream this was common , condensation would even rot through some rocker covers , then there were some bright idea's around in experimental to reduce the cooling air over the thin tin rocker cover by adding insulation to the cover, by removing the fan and mounting a baffle to deflect the cool air away from the tin work. .....all will aid the effect fit a alloy cover with a better heat soak and the brilcream disappears Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piman Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hello Pete, In my life I have had very few head gasket failures but they have all been between cylinders and all have let coolant into the sump. Once the fire ring is burnt, the water ports in the head are open to the cylinders and once the engine stops the water jacket pressure fills the cylinders which then percolates into the sump. That's my experience.Alec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveKent Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Most we see at work are oil into the coolant, with the oil in the sump remaining clean; however we do see a considerable amount of pressurised coolant tanks (from combustion/ compression in the cylinders) and some water into oil gasket failures. With moderns, the most regular water/oil cross contamination I see is caused by oil cooler failure rather than head gasket failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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