help! i checked my oil today and i've got a white/brown coloured oil in my head my question is...whats gone wrong?

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1975 Leyland Clubman 'S'
1976 Leyland Clubman 'S' *work in progress*
I smile everytime!

water in the oil most likely a head gasket gone.

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68 Mini
70 Moke

yep sounds like the head gasket to me. bad luck

what is the colour of the oil in the sump? if it black/brown and not the milky off white colour then the next time when the car is hot drop oil from the dipstick on to the manifold if it just smokes then it has no water in it or if it sizzles and boils then you can tell if there is any water in there.

the condensation in the head indicates a blown head gasket as smarty and stef have already pointed out.

head gaskets are relatively cheap but it is a fairly big job. get your hands on a workshop manual if you dont already have one and see if you have the tools to do it

remember to torque the head correctly after

i have a work shop manual in electronic form so PM me if you would like it

best of luck with the repairs

cheers

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Check the dipstick- if oil looks milky, dump it and the filter before you run it again after fixing head.

<edit> best head gasket these days is the ACL one. Available from Repco, AutoBarn, etc.
make sure the block and head are dead clean before fitting.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

alrighty then....well the dipstick is just black oil
and the head has returned to black after me filling up the car with oil again
on sunday i went to gundagai and its been a little while since my last oil change could this just be old oil?

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1975 Leyland Clubman 'S'
1976 Leyland Clubman 'S' *work in progress*
I smile everytime!

what brand oil do you use ?? I have experienced some oils that have this effect on mini motors especially in cold weather. May look like a blown head gasket but just normal condensation sitting in oil cap. If it is a head gasket you will be using coolant is it using coolant ??

also check if there is oil in your radiator or bubbles in your radiator

cheers

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i use Castrol Edge Sport (25-30 W) (Its the replacement for the old Formula R Black)
Nope not using coolant, and nope no oil in the coolant or bubbles.
Car seems to be working fine as well nothing out of the norm.

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1975 Leyland Clubman 'S'
1976 Leyland Clubman 'S' *work in progress*
I smile everytime!

Probably what you are seeing then is called `mayo', condensation caused by cold weather and short running.
Moisture byproducts of combustion condense on the cold metal of the rocker cover etc, and combine with the oil film there.
If it goes away with a decent run, it's nothing.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

fantastic news! thankyou all!
had me scared there for a while

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1975 Leyland Clubman 'S'
1976 Leyland Clubman 'S' *work in progress*
I smile everytime!

Yes I agree with the Doc, it is just mayo from condensation.

I can't believe all the people saying it was a head gasket.
Here we are just into the cold months, it is prime time for mayo to be formed in the rocker cover. I could go out to my Morris now and probably find it under my oil cap. A long drive will burn it away.

Rule of thumb...
1.0L of fuel burned produces ~1.5L of water vapour, some of which is bound to get past the rings. Add cold engine parts for it to condense on, and you can see why it happens.

<edit> Hey if your oil is BLACK as you said, it's time for a change.. Do the filter, too...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

its always black about 50 miles in....is this a problem?

_________________
1975 Leyland Clubman 'S'
1976 Leyland Clubman 'S' *work in progress*
I smile everytime!

Either the motor is worn and has lots of blowby past the rings, or it's been allowed to sludge up in the past and the clean oil hasn't got it all out yet.

Do a few oil changes at 500 mile intervals with el cheapo 20W/50, see if that helps.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.