I am grounded!!!

pgerhardt

pgerhardt

Well-known member
I was planning on going to the New Fairfield car show tomorrow, but now I am “grounded". I went up to do a “pre-flight” check before tomorrow, and after checking tire air pressure and oil/fuel levels, I went to check coolant level. This is what I found (picture 1). It looked like oil floating on top of the coolant to me. I inserted a paint stirring stick, and . . . came out with oil(picture 2)! If there is oil in the coolant, there is likely coolant in the oil. I won’t be running the engine until I resolve the problem. I have asked our "club mechanic" (Patrick Musante) to come up and take a look and plan our attack on the problem. If we must pull the head I might as well upgrade to a high compression head while we are at it! Ah, every cloud has a sliver lining! :D
 

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pgerhardt said:
I was planning on going to the New Fairfield car show tomorrow, but now I am “grounded". I went up to do a “pre-flight” check before tomorrow, and after checking tire air pressure and oil/fuel levels, I went to check coolant level. This is what I found (picture 1). It looked like oil floating on top of the coolant to me. I inserted a paint stirring stick, and . . . came out with oil(picture 2)! If there is oil in the coolant, there is likely coolant in the oil. I won’t be running the engine until I resolve the problem. I have asked our "club mechanic" (Patrick Musante) to come up and take a look and plan our attack on the problem. If we must pull the head I might as well upgrade to a high compression head while we are at it! Ah, every cloud has a sliver lining! :D
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That is not a true statement. Stop and think how oil is getting into the coolant. Did you lube the rear fitting on the water pump lately?

I would start by checking the oil for water. If it isn't milky, then I would not be as panicked. It is not going to hurt to drain the oil. Pay close attention to the first amount of oil that comes out to see if it is mixed with water. Refill with clean oil and drive to the show tomorrow just watching to see what happens. Oil in the water does not hurt a thing, and generally we find on engines that have water-cooled oil coolers, there is WAY more oil floating in the radiator. Yours does not look like anything I would be worrying with at this time, -especially if it is running well and not using any water.

Think about it, if you go to the show and it starts making milky oil, then just call for a roll back to pick it up and bring you hole.
 
X2
Paul in CT

I'm going to the 50th Lion's show in Seymour tomorrow. Special A parking at the entrance to the show. Enjoy yours.
 
Dip strips of paper towel into the coolant to wick out the oil on top, then see if any more gets in during the next couple weeks.
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C said:
That is not a true statement. Stop and think how oil is getting into the coolant. Did you lube the rear fitting on the water pump lately?
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No. The water pump has not been lubed recently.

I'll do an oil change tomorrow and see what I find.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Ok here is an update:

I changed the oil today. (It is too crappy out here in CT this morning for a car show anyway.) There was no sign of any water or metallic material in the old oil, so the engine's internals are most likely fine. I also used the paper towel tip to wick out the oil in the radiator top tank. It only took one towel as there was not much there. However when I started it and let it idle, the coolant bubbled like a newly opened Mountain Dew! (picture)

So I am thinking the head is still coming off. :(

High compression head, here I come. :D

Any suggestions on what is the best one to get, and where to purchase it?
 

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Paul,

From your last post, 'coolant bubbling at idle', sounds to be either a warped head or 'blown' head gasket pumping air into the cooling system.

Yup, if the engine's bottom end will support a high compression head, go for it !


Check Tom Wesenberg's posts on what chemicals to use to flush all that oil from your cooling system.

Best, JB
 
I would re-torque the head just to satisfy yourself. There are no oil passages in the head that would leak into the coolant.
 
By the time that oil turns milky, you have done serious damage to the babbit. An oil analysis will determine coolant in the oil long before it is causes bearing problems. Most Cat dealers offer oil analysis and the cost is usually $25 or less. Since we change oil only once a year, this cost is minimal. I used to run a lab that did oil analysis and I never had a routine customer that felt it did not pay for itself.
 
I talked with our cat guy about water in the oil.
He looked at me like I was crazy and said that cats need water not oil.

Should I have asked about fur balls?
 
I understand how a leaking head gasket could generate bubbles in the coolant, but where could the oil be originating from? Perhaps a crack in the block? :(
 
I talked with our cat guy about water in the oil.
He looked at me like I was crazy and said that cats need water not oil.

Should I have asked about fur balls?

Not real helpful comment was it?
 
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