take a look at the pics (follow link)
https://picasaweb.google.com/1010922...5/2003DodgeRam#

should i be worried? or is it just because of all the short trips i make?

dipstick looks fine (both level and color of oil). doing oil change tomorrow because it's due (5k miles)

 

I can tell you right away if you make many short trips and the oil doesn't get warmed up completely you will have sludge like stuff on your oil cap. But after looking at the pictures that seems a bit extreme. Someone else will chime in.

 

Looks like a blown head gasket to me. I take a lot of short trips too and you may see a very slight sweat under the cap, but that's definitely water in the oil. No good.

 

Nah, I've seen them have nothing more than condensation in the neck that bad, especially the 4.7. I wouldn't jump the gun and panic just yet, especially if the oil at the pan is dark and shows no signs of water/coolant.

But you need to take that truck out on a couple of good, solid 10-15 mile trips a week to let that oil temp get up and burn that sh*t off...

 

Thats ALOT! I would drain some oil and pour in an entire quart of marvel mystery oil and drive for 1kmi and then dump out and change. Repeat the same procedure but go the full 3kmi next change. It'll be spotless in there after that.

What kind of oil do you use?

 

I had that on my v6 and it was just condensation

 

it's 4.7L and neighbor has the same looking stuff(same year and model truck) but just a very little on his cap, but he drives it more often and takes longer trips guaranteed.

Hoping it's just from condensation. I scooped it all out and then took some paper towels and got down in there and cleaned out as much as a i could.
yesterday i put a little seafoam in the block and I drove it about 20 miles yesterday and i'll probably drive it another 20 or more today and then change the oil.

 

Your PCV valve mounts to the side of the oil filler, make sure that it is not clogged. By the looks of that it could be! If it is, it won't pull the vapors out. Some goo is normal on short drive engines.....Our Durango's 4.7 gets the same deposits.... more so in the winter (MI), I just wipe it out every so often.

 

I agree, that is an insane amount. I have the typical similar colored slime on the underside of my oil cap, but it's a light coating. You can still see the black plastic through it. I's been there for the last 70k miles. I drive on average 350-400 miles a week. I drive a little over 60 miles round trip to work every day. All highway. I do oil changes with Mobil 1 5w20 every 3500-4000 miles. I cannot imaine what would cause that level of slime.

 

My dad has been taking his truck to jiffy lube for the last few oil changes... they use whatever the cheapest is (if it's not recycled oil)

I told him I would do his oil changes for him using better oil and filter + labor for less than what they charge. I think he always uses 10w30 but I've told him that it's recommended to use 5w30. He says he always uses 10w30 and rather stick with that.

still praying that it's not a head gasket problem. I have no loss of power that I can notice...

also, the gurgling noise is no longer there. I did the recommended procedure for "burping" the system. although it did not really burp but there were pauses in between the jet of coolant that gets sprayed back into overfill bottle. that went away and was a steady stream once i had ran it long enough.

There is still a water trickling noise coming from the dash. I have a feeling the heater core is going to need to be replaced very soon. The only time I smell antifreeze is when I have the heat on (especially when I first turn it on - it's really strong smell then)