saltandgranite

Hi guys, thanks for the help. I did a search and couldn't find any relative info...

The past month or so my 87 22R 4x4 has been a little sputtery when cold - the idle sort of revs up and down a little until it warms up. Today I noticed that while I was warming it up - there was fluid spitting from the tail pipe onto the concrete. I put my hand over it and it spit a dark brown fluid onto my hand.

It smelled a little gassy. I wiped it off pretty easy with a rag, it didn't exactly smear like oil. But I'm looking at black spatters on my pants right now, as well...

I did the head gasket about a year and a half ago (15,000 miles ago). It does burn a little oil between changes...

Is it possible that it is oil? Or just super dirty condensation? Hard to tell. It probably didn't drop below 70 degrees last night (heat wave in LA).

Thanks.

FGZ

Super dirty condensation gets my vote, I've seen my truck do it too. Watch the oil level closely just to make sure if you're paranoid like me.

saltandgranite

I'm definitely losing oil between changes... probably 1-2 quarts even. Just thought I was burning it... but could it be spitting out my tail pipe? I just thought oil would burn up before getting that far.

Also 50k original on truck. It sat for about 20 years until I picked it up 2 years ago. Engine shouldn't be "tired" yet...

FGZ

If no leaks, then yes you're burning it off and it is presumably getting past the rings. I don't think liquid oil would pass through the catalytic converter after the motor runs for a few minutes which gets wicked hot, so if you're burning oil it will show up as smoke. Incidentally, that smoke is part of the buildup inside your exhaust that is coloring the condensation black.


In my case, my oil level is decreasing and I'll probably top off a quart or more before I hit 3k miles, but I also have a rear main seal issue.

saltandgranite

Hmmm. No smoke. Just the spitting fluid this morning... But yeah, burning oil and no leak that I'm aware of. But I park on the city streets... tough to tell. I guess it could be spitting oil when cold - before the cat warms up enough to burn it? But that's so strange, I've never heard of that. If it is the case, what seal do I need to change? Or what needs to be done? Thanks again.

Still a 22R newb since I haven't had to do much (beyond HG and Carb) on this truck.