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Choke and Water in Valve Cover.

To: spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Choke and Water in Valve Cover.
From: Lancer7676@aol.com
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 10:16:02 EST
Reply-to: Lancer7676@aol.com
Sender: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
Hey LBCers:

I have a comment and a concern.  First the comment.  I have a '79 Midget with
a detoxed 1500 engine sporting a Weber downdraft carb.  About a month ago I
subbed the automatic electric choke for a manual choke--That was ok, but the
angle at which I had to run the cable never offered a really smooth operation
of the choke--it seemed to never be truly open when the Choke knob was pulled
all the way back.  The knob mount was a problem as well, short of drilling an
obscene hole in the dash.  Anyway, yesterday I removed the manual choke and
reinstalled the automatic--Now the car starts, idles, and runs much smoother
than it did with the manual.  Just a note I am passing along for anyone
thinking about making that conversion.

Now the concern:  When I pulled the Oil Filler cap to pour in a quart of oil
(Castrol 20w50), I found the cap and the filler hole all gummed up with a
gray, thick oil/water mixture.  Somewhat alarmed, I rechecked the oil in the
cranckcase--it was just fine--a little dirty oil but still all oil--no water
there.  Pulled the radiator fill screw--just fine--a mite low--added
antifreeze to top up--but no oil there.  Whew!   Pulled the Rocker Cover--No
gray oil/water gum on the rockers at all, but coating the inside of the cover
was a 1/4" thick layer of the gum--also gummed up the tube running from the
cover to the Weber carb.  One mechanic said it was due to condensation--we
have had a dreadfully warm and moist winter (winter?) here in TN and the moist
air is sucked into the engine, then when it gets colder at night the vapor
condenses on the inside of the rocker cover, mixes with oil and coats the
inside of the cover and filler cap.  He said not to worry about it--just run
the car--get it hot and it would revert back.   I did clean it out--blew out
the holes with compressed air and sprayed with carb cleaner to wash all the
crap out.

Anybody have any experience with this phenomenom?  Any need to worry?  Just
forget it and let it go?  Thanks for any ideas.

--David

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