Milky oil on dipstick

[oliver128]

I have an 80' vette, and the oil on my dipstick is milky like a milk shake. As of recently my car would always overheat after about 30 min of driving. I suspected a radiator leak but there is no evidence of a leak in my driveway. After a week of sitting I finally get a chance to drive it and upon preflight I discover the radiator really low, the oil on the dipstick really high, and a lot of white smoke exhaust smoke. I suspect a possible blown head gasket, because of the sweet syruppy smell inside the car and outside in the engine area. I need to know what to check first and ultimately is this a DIY job? Any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[imabballer]

basically every thing you said sounds like a sympton of a blown head gasket. I would not run it w/that milky oil, it could do a lot more damage to the engine. As far as DIY, that's a question you have to answer. If it's only the head gasket, it should be relatively straight forward, but if you've gotten it too hot it might have warped the head, so just make sure you know what to look for.

[bobss396]

If you have steel heads, the head is probably ok. Once the heads are off you'll probably be able to see where the gasket failed. I would suggest a compression check, but it may not show a mild leak, especially if it is NOT between cylinders. It may not even be leaking into the combustion chamber.

It's not that tough a job to do at home, except that the engine is very low in the Vette.. my back. Just keep all the parts in order, tag everything as you go, take digital pictures of critical assemblies and print them out if you wish.

Try to find the leak trail on the gasket and or head/block. It should be obvious. When in doubt, have a good automotive machine shop check the heads for warpage and cracks.

Bob