GM LS engines have it, those hoses can be a PITA to get stuck on and off. A lot of folks bypass this. The hoses enter and exit on either side of the throttle body, front bottom.

 

240 miles...











Seems to be significantly reduced... but clearly still present. Have not tried the cap cover yet.

The hole on the bottom of the cap, been thinking about why that would be there and the only thing I can think of is its intent was to allow trapped warm air up into the cap on the other side of the bottom of the cap surface. Mine is still plugged, leaving it for now until I clean the fill tube again.

 

I know it's not visually pleasing, but If it's any consolation, you really don't have to worry about it. Whatever forms below the stuff you can reach, will drip back into the engine and evaporate once the oil heats up. If it doesn't drip and just build ups, you get to clean it out again a few years from now. This happens underneath the plastic valve covers too... part of the reason why I never installed a lower temp thermostat. I like my oil to get over 212* (water's boiling point). The colder things gets, the faster you accumulate... hence you seeing that much in a single tank of gas... you're in Washington state... I'm a little warmer down here in Hotlanta.

 

We have a 3/4" x 6" 500 watt heating element in the dragster oil pan sump. No thermostat - methanol boils around 150F, it takes about an hour to get 2.5 gallons of oil to that temp. It doesn't get hotter than that because the energy is constantly turned into evaporative fuel. Once there is no fuel left, the temperature will start climbing again (but that's almost never).

When we get home after every race, we have a big stock pot setup like you'd do a crawfish boil in. We fill it with the used oil and boil it at 175* (thermostat) for about 4 hours. Usually is ends about a quart lower than it started, even with thermal expansion.

 

That water in the oil might be why so many 4.7's end up with rod knock. While it might not be a problem in hot environments, it may be an issue in cold ones. We are fairly mild here, lows will dip down to about 20 at the lowest, highs above 80 are pretty rare. A majority of the time here it is wet and mild.

Two things I have learned while owning the Ram and getting it to 467k on the odometer, stiction eliminator in the oil, presumably is keeping the rings free (pretty sure mine were stuck in some cylinders based on how it ran after having the SE in there a while) and ATF/2SO in the fuel (keeps the injectors clean and presumably the fuel system). The goal for the truck is 500k w/o having to tear the motor down, got a little ways to go once the transfer case fix is done. I see no reason not to make 600k with it seeing how it runs. The approach here is to keep the oil as clean as possible so burning off excess moisture is not a concern

As far as I can tell, the 4.7 I have is a solid motor. Anything I can do to keep it that way, I'll do and I think this is one of them... better to keep water out of the oil to begin with. Plus, documenting this might help someone else down the road.

Have not looked at it in a few days, I expect it to be getting nasty down there. I have another 170ish miles on it since the last peek and will take a look today. Have not done anything yet with the cap, not sure yet if the neoprene sleeve will fit or even work. Took a heat gun to one that I use daily and it did bleed some heat thru it but it did seem to do a decent job at slowing that heat loss once the gun was removed. I dont think it will be a good long term option but will test it out anyways. A possible addition to it might be to add some HVAC foil tape on the inside of it, that WILL trap heat.

 

As you already know, all ICE engines collect water in the oil due to condensation and as a byproduct of combustion. Happens every time you run from cold start and evaporates once proper operating temp is sustained. Issues happen when the water is not allowed to evaporate. This is the main reason why repeated short trips are considered severe duty. The water doesn't get a chance to burn off... and it's not only water, gasoline from running in open loop infiltrates the oil too. The water that collects under the oil fill cap is miniscule compared to those sources. You've got really good mileage on that Ram, so I'm sure your 4.7 will live a long time with similar care.

 

So you think a motor gunked up like this would be OK then?

 

I'd say that owner needs to go get the TSB done. Notice the old style cap. Might be running crap oil and a 180* stat too.

************************************************** *******************************

From 1999....

Form TSB-003 Rev. 1.08 February 3, 2000

NUMBER: 09-01-00 Rev A

GROUP: Engine

EFFECTIVE DATE: Sept. 11, 2000

THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 09-01-00, DATED
FEB. 18, 2000, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES. THIS IS A
COMPLETE REVISION AND NO ASTERISKS HAVE BEEN USED TO HIGHLIGHT
REVISIONS.

SUBJECT:
Foamy Oil Emulsion Accumulation Inside The 4.7L Engine Oil Fill Housing
OVERVIEW:

This bulletin involves the installation of a baffle and a revised oil fill housing cap.

MODELS:
2000 (AN) Dakota
2000 (DN) Durango
1999 – 2000 (WJ) Grand Cherokee


NOTE: THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.7L ENGINE.


SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
A customer may complain of an oil emulsion accumulation inside the engine oil fill housing.
The oil emulsion will normally be foamy and be gray or light brown in color.
The emulsion accumulation will often occur on cooler engine surfaces, like the inside of the
oil fill housing. Modern engine oils are designed to address the oil emulsion phenomenon.
Oil emulsion accumulation is normal and will not damage the engine
A new baffle and a revised oil fill housing cap have been released. The baffle and oil cap
will help to reduce the amount of oil emulsion accumulation within the oil fill housing.


DIAGNOSIS:
If the customer has experienced this issue, then perform the Repair


Procedure.
PARTS REQUIRED:
1 53032126AA Baffle, Oil Fill Housing
1 53032389AC Cap, Oil Fill Housing


REPAIR PROCEDURE:
1. Remove old oil fill housing cap.
2. Remove any foamy oil emulsion from the inside of the oil fill housing with a clean
cloth.

 

just had a look... zero change from last set if pics... at 450ish miles now, still have not wiped it. the motor is hot (in all pics). the view might be worse when cold. took shots of it just now and if i remember in the morning, will check again


edit: recheck = the same amount of buildup, negligible.

pics added...

 

Snot check... Today I had another look... its been a while and it seemed the snot was consistent while temps were in the 40-50 range. Recently though temps have taken a dive so I had a look today after the tb install. This is what I found.











So I went ahead and added the neoprene bottle sleeve over the fill cap.

I have yet to wipe it.