Gasoline smell in engine oil???:S

[1990lumina]

Hey all, I checked the oil in my ol' 3.1 today like I do every couple weeks and today I thought of smeling the oil to see if it smelt burned or anything (I smell the tranny fluid regularily lol) anyway. I think I smelled some gasoline in the engine oil. However the level on the dip stick is still at full....so I'm not sure...

 

Is it possible there is gasoline in the engine oil? What would cause this if possible?

The car is still running good, still has a lifter tick and bit of a piston slap thing, but anyway....

any ideas??? Thanks!

 

- Jeff L.

[gp90se]

slim chance at a head gasket, sounds likes the piston rings might be on there way out, do a compression check and see what ya come out with. we have the same issue with a 350 right now were trying to figure out.

[MoTox8410]

X2 also check the the pcv valve if it rattles

 

also take your oil cap off while engine is running and if there is smoke then your rings are letting a whole lot of blow by by.

[1990lumina]

Okay, thanks guys I will check this tomorrow after school.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

Would the gas float to the top or mix with the gas?

[gp90se]

I think it will actually mix in a break down the oil. if it sat long enough id guess fuel would float on the oil.

[1990lumina]

It mixes in, but when you drain it you can tell gasoline is in the oil...there's a bit of a "film" on the top. However I don't know what is happening in my engine just yet.

 

I know when we got the new engine in the Suburban this past spring, the guy showed us with the engine running taking off the oil cap and looking for blow by...he said it may do this until the rings are seated (some type of titanium rings)

 

However my problem might be that the rings have worn to much.....I dunno though, the engine only has 90,000miles on it. However, it does have a bit of a "piston slap" and the lifters are ticking like no other lol...

[gp90se]

change the oil with 3 quarts of ya favorite cheapo oil, a bottle of lucas oil stabilzer and beat the snot outta it till it dies.

[Spoon]

How is the car starting? A hard start could eventually dump fuel in your oil. Screwed up coolant sensor? I heard that if you drain your oil into a clear container and let it sit for a few days, the oil and fuel will seperate. Fuel stays on top I think.

[1990lumina]

It starts great and runs great (well it runs as good as it always as since I got it)

It has been getting colder the past few weeks, and it turns over slower, however still starts awesome. I dunno.

[gp90se]

compression check it if ya really care, but do an oilchange w/lucas, new pcv valve and toss a bottle of engine restore in for good measure.

 

the 3.1 is unkillable, just keep driving it lol

[GutlessSupreme]

toss a bottle of engine restore in for good measure.

 

 

x2 that stuff's the shit.

[1990lumina]

the 3.1 is unkillable, just keep driving it lol

 

I plan too

[93CutlassSupreme]

change the oil with 3 quarts of ya favorite cheapo oil, a bottle of lucas oil stabilzer and beat the snot outta it till it dies.

 

 

3 quarts of oil?

 

 

 

mine takes 5

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

change the oil with 3 quarts of ya favorite cheapo oil, a bottle of lucas oil stabilzer and beat the snot outta it till it dies.

 

 

3 quarts of oil?

 

 

 

mine takes 5

 

 

Those 4.4L jugs is just the right amount for my car. (Converted 4.6494 quarts)

 

But I guess with the bottle of Lucas it would be pretty close to the right amount.

[gp90se]

bottle of lucas is about a quart and 1/2

[GP1138]

I've heard a good way to test for that is to take a lighter and try to light the dipstick on fire. We did that in my basic auto class, I think..

[joey b]

If there were gas in the oil, wouldn't it evaporate and go into the intake through the PCV system? I thought that was why it was there. Gas vaporizes at a lower temperature than oil. I would guess that if you make many short trips where the car doesn't get to temp, the rings won't expand and gasoline may leak down past the rings.