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Both cases of oil turning brown are from water contamination. In the rear end, it is usually the shifter boot leaking in the rain. Cheap fix. The engine is another story. If it's cold outside, and you don't let the engine properly warm up, condensation can cause a slight milky color....that is why it is reallly bad to start an engine sitting in storage every couple of weeks to charge the battery! More likely, it is a leak in the head gasket, allowing water to go from the cooling system, to the oil....is the radiator fluid disappearing? Could it be that someone added radiator sealant in the past to fix this problem, and in turn crudded up the old radiator? The good news, is that replacing a head gasket is a lot easier on a flat head, but I am pretty sure you'll need to remove the hood. A torque wrench, a sevice manual, and a metal gasket is about all you need. Many people will have you check the head for warp, I think this is unneccesary. As master N mechanic Zane says, with 55 pounds of torque on all those bolts, it could be bent up like a potato chip, and you'd still flatten it. Good Luck
Steve
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