Weird film/spray on my valve covers.

[taxreliever]

I'm not a mechanical guru like most of you fellas on this forum, so don't beat me up too bad on this question, but I'd thought I'd run it by you guys since I don't like running to a local mechanic for every little thing. Besides, you guys have been far more knowledgeable than any local mechanic on issues relating to my dent since I've been on here and I've been learning a lot.

My rig, since it's rebuild only has 11k miles on it, with about 5k put on since this past Spring. I took it out yesterday and noticed some white spray on both of the valve covers and a little under the air cleaner and wondered if you guys had any thoughts. I've driven this thing through the rain and through puddles and such an had never had this sort of stuff show up where it is now or anywhere else in the engine bay for that matter; just this last 60 mile or so trip. This is the first time I've seen this stuff in my engine bay. When I touch it or try to scrape it with my finger nails, it almost feels like it's eating away at the aluminum covers and has to be scraped off and then repolished.

I don't smell gas when I rub my fingers on it, but that doesn't mean anything....could just be dry.

Could some fuel be spraying from my carb?

What should I check if anything? Thanks for any help.

 

[LEB Ben]

Definitely some sorta corrosion. I've seen that come from an antifreeze leak that gets sprayed across the engine bay when driving. I had one in Red that was a pin hole in the radiator that didn't leak until the rpm's got high and then was sprayed across the engine bay by the fan. I've also seen that kinda corrosion come from driving in a slat water environment. I'm not necessarily saying that's what it is, but that's what I've seen with witness marks like that before.

 

[taxreliever]

Definitely some sorta corrosion. I've seen that come from an antifreeze leak that gets sprayed across the engine bay when driving. I had one in Red that was a pin hole in the radiator that didn't leak until the rpm's got high and then was sprayed across the engine bay by the fan. I've also seen that kinda corrosion come from driving in a slat water environment. I'm not necessarily saying that's what it is, but that's what I've seen with witness marks like that before.

Thanks, Ben. Definitely corrosion.....should I start looking for leaks in the radiator hoses or radiator? And if so, how do I go about doing that?

 

[smokey]

Looks like it was from something hitting the fan and being spread over the engine bay.
Has it been raining there lately? You may have ran over a puddle of water with some kind of chemical residue in it.

 

[LEB Ben]

Thanks, Ben. Definitely corrosion.....should I start looking for leaks in the radiator hoses or radiator? And if so, how do I go about doing that?

Well usually what I do is let the truck get good and hot and pressurized. Then with the trottle linkage at the carb, I raise the rpm level and see if I can find any leaks. If not, the local parts store should have a dye you can put in your system, let it run...then take a black light to it and see if you can find anything.

 

[TexasRho83]

I think Smokey has a point. Clean it all off thoroughly and drive it around like normal - then keep an eye on the chrome to see if it comes back. I would pay attention to any water or liquid that hits the truck. Just my 2 cents

 

[m78]

Maybe it's a chemical reaction from the fukkin wax.

 

[taxreliever]

Maybe it's a chemical reaction from the fukkin wax.

Hahaha....very funny Mark.

Like that fukken stuff anyways....

 

[m78]

Ken , are your valve covers aluminum ?

 

[taxreliever]

Ken , are your valve covers aluminum ?

Yes, they are.

 

[LEB Ben]

Yes, they are.

If that corrosion wasn't on the carb too, I'd say you just need a polish. But it is on the carb, and seems to have covered the engine bay pretty well and seems to decrease the further back you get. However, your alt seems to be just fine, so I'd think maybe a pin hole/fray in one of your hoses...getting blown around by the fan.

 

[m78]

I don't see it on anything but the aluminum. The chrome dosn't show it. S/S brades on the hosees or rubber on the plug wires.

 

[Mil1ion]

This is result from Calcium chloride being used on your roads

CC dehydrates the asphalt speeding up the wet & icy road to dry pavement.

You can buy as spray that is for really for shoes that you can spray on the engine pieces and it should remove the residue.

 

[taxreliever]

This is result from Calcium chloride being used on your roads

CC dehydrates the asphalt speeding up the wet & icy road to dry pavement.

You can buy as spray that is for really for shoes that you can spray on the engine pieces and it should remove the residue.

They wouldn't be using this stuff this early would they? We haven't been much below freezing except for a night or two this past week.

 

[taxreliever]

If that corrosion wasn't on the carb too, I'd say you just need a polish. But it is on the carb, and seems to have covered the engine bay pretty well and seems to decrease the further back you get. However, your alt seems to be just fine, so I'd think maybe a pin hole/fray in one of your hoses...getting blown around by the fan.

It is much heavier in the front. The alternator did have some spray on it, however since it was chrome (valve covers are aluminum), it just wiped off clean. The stuff on the covers are almost like rust...have to kinda scrape it off. That's what worried me.

I don't see it on anything but the aluminum. The chrome dosn't show it. S/S brades on the hosees or rubber on the plug wires.

Don't know why it didn't show up on the other stuff....maybe the rubber and braided hose material didn't allow it to discolor or stick. Some kind of chemical reaction to the aluminum?

 

[taxreliever]

If that corrosion wasn't on the carb too, I'd say you just need a polish. But it is on the carb, and seems to have covered the engine bay pretty well and seems to decrease the further back you get. However, your alt seems to be just fine, so I'd think maybe a pin hole/fray in one of your hoses...getting blown around by the fan.

Ben, are you saying in one of the radiator hoses maybe? That corrosion from the anti-freeze/coolant? Or would a different fluid from another hose cause this?

 

[LEB Ben]

They wouldn't be using this stuff this early would they? We haven't been much below freezing except for a night or two this past week.

It's my understanding that it gets in to the road and when it gets wet, it'll either disturb anything that's on the surface or bring it to the surface. When did you notice the spots?

Ben, are you saying in one of the radiator hoses maybe? That corrosion from the anti-freeze/coolant? Or would a different fluid from another hose cause this?

The other fluids (tranny and oil) would just cause a mess, wouldn't corrode it any. Gas could leak too, but I haven't seen it corrode like that. If it is in fact a fluid leak, I'd believe it to be an antifreeze leak. It could be coming from the radiator itself, maybe the upper hose, maybe a heater core hose or maybe from the thermostat housing. Doesn't necessarily mean anything broken, split, frayed, etc...maybe something just needs to be torqued down.


That said, I think I'm gonna switch gears on you and wipe down and clean/polish the affected areas, try to avoid any puddles and see if it comes back. If it does, then you have a leak somewhere in the engine bay IMO.

 

[taxreliever]

It's my understanding that it gets in to the road and when it gets wet, it'll either disturb anything that's on the surface or bring it to the surface. When did you notice the spots?

That said, I think I'm gonna switch gears on you and wipe down and clean/polish the affected areas, try to avoid any puddles and see if it comes back. If it does, then you have a leak somewhere in the engine bay IMO.

Sounds like a plan.....by the way, these won't just wipe down....I almost have to scrub with a brillo pad or wire brush on the aluminum to remove and use a dremel tool and some mibro to polish.

These corrosion spots (not sure what to call them) just showed up this past week. Had never been there before.

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP GUYS....

 

[LEB Ben]

Before you go and ruin the finish on your VC's...try some NeverDull or Mother's Aluminum polish...and I've even heard aluminum foil and coca-cola work too.

 

[taxreliever]

Before you go and ruin the finish on your VC's...try some NeverDull or Mother's Aluminum polish...and I've even heard aluminum foil and coca-cola work too.

Good idea....I've been meaning to put some chrome ones on there anyways. But maybe not till Spring or later of next year.

I've heard of the coca-cola one. I actually saw an episode on mythbusters that confirmed that it works on bright metal finishes like chrome.

Thanks again.