Tiny Bubbles on Dipstick...

[GSXlaunch]

As the title states...I decided to test my AWD in the rain after just getting it back on the road after some head work. Man, that was fun...zero loss of traction...I had a blast. Anyhow, once I got to work I decided to check things over under the hood. I pulled the dipstick with the car at idle and looked at the oil. The oil was spotless except for these tiny sand grain size bubbles. It was not milky The car does not tap or tick...idle is great. Power is great. The only time I get smoke out the exhaust is in the mornings when it is cold and then it is only steam and goes away after a short drive. There is also no smoke or leaks in or around the engine. There is no sign of oil in the water. There are no engine oil leaks. I am using the metal head gasket from Conicelli and I used copper spray on both sides with ARP head studs. I also have the open eliment K&N, and the breather line on the valve cover is left open for now. There aren't very many bubbles just a few clumped together. I cleaned the dipstick off with my fingers and the oil does not seem to be watered down. I also pulled the oil cap off and did not notice any bubling on the cap or in the valve train. i do have about a 75% water to 25% antifreeze mix in the radiator. The only thing that concerns me are these tiny bubbles on the dipstick. Is this normal in very humid areas or after a drive in wet weather? Thanks

 

[markmakeitso]

Easiest advice first: do you have the right level of oil in the engine? If its too high the crank can whip the oil up and form bubbles.

Secondly, do the bubbles remain if you check the oil a couple minutes after turning the engine off? When was the last time you changed the oil filter? If the filter is plugged up the oil pump has to work harder, which can lead to cavitation in the pump which will also cause bubbles.

 

[GSXlaunch]

I used vavoline 20w50 full synthetic...it was changed 170 miles ago along with a fram oil filter. I just checked the dipstick...after driving it 33 miles round trip...the car had been off for about 5 minutes and there were no bubbles at all and oil looks nice and clear. I know when I check the level on the dipstick (cold engine) it shows it to be about this length (-) over the second dimple on the dipstick. I put about 4.6 or 4.7 qrts of oil in it last oil change. I believe the chiltons book called for 4.6. Thanks

Thanks for the information though. I learned something.

 

[markmakeitso]

At least you got it figured out. As a quick heads up, it's a good idea to always refill the oil according to the dipstick, not the amount recommended in the manual. Most of the time following the book will work, but every once in awhile it will be quite a bit off.