oh s*&t, coolant in my oil!

[joolie]

Had a problem with emulsion in the oil filler for sometime now, I changed the oil, drove long distance, and still have the same problem.

Also had a problem with the coolant, no pressure, and a leak somewhere. I could see steam coming off the engine, so always assumes it was an external leak.

I ran the engine with the oil filler cap off today, and the steam comes belowing out. so somehow theres coolant getting into the oil.

What are peoples experience with this? likley causes?

Whats the effect on lubrication?

is it a HG issue? am I going to have to strip the engine again?

J

[jeremy]

Coolant can mix with the oil if the oil cooler (under the filter) corrodes through and allows the 2 to mix. Having just said that I think the oil pressure would be higher than the coolant pressure - and so I'd expect initially to find oil in the cooling water rather than the other way round.

Otherwise it can really only be the head gasket or a cracked block.

[joolie]

When I emptied the coolant, i did find it a bit oily.

Under which filter? the oil filter?

Is there a repair for that?

cracked block ?! oh f&%k, is it easy to spot a cracked block when its off? or can the cracks be almost invisible?

[docchevron]

Yep, the cooler is the metal thing under the oil filter.
Remedy=replacement.

XUD's can and do suffer cracked blocks, nearly always cylinder number 1 about halfway up the bore nearest the flywheel.
I've changed a few engines because of that.
VERY hard to spot sometimes.
Can look like a tiny mark in the cylinder wall, sometimes it looks like a cave.
More prevelant on the 1905, much much less so on the 1769.

More likely the HG is leaking on the cambelt end.
Either way, you aint gona know till the heads off...

[joolie]

Is the engine out to fix the oil cooler? looka a little hard to get to.

How does the block get cracked?

[RichardW]

"Is the engine out to fix the oil cooler? looka a little hard to get to. "

Don't worry - it aint the oil cooler.... Oil runs at 3.5 bar, coolant at < 1bar - OC failure = black oil in coolant. Lots of it.

"How does the block get cracked?"

Thermal stress, poor casting, corrosion etc etc

Hate to say it, but it's time to decapitate it.......

[docchevron]

/\ what he said.

Oil coolers are easy to change without pulling the engine out, but thats pretty academic now, since almost without doubt the engine will have to come out...

[AndersDK]

Run the engine hot idle with car at standstill. Observe the header tank :
if cooolant is expelled, then the HG is leaking compression pressure into the cooling system.

As said above : a leak between oil & coolant system will make the 2 fluids mix well and truly :
1) during drive the oil pressure is higher than the coolant pressure, thus the oil is pressed out into the coolant.
2) with engine shut off, the oil pressure releases but still the cooling system is at a pressure of some 1bar, thus pressing coolant in to the oil until pressure is released.

If you just completed a HG job, I'd say its to be expected having a minor oil spill in the coolant and/or a minor coolant spill in the oil.
Try replace the fluids while still warm (not hot engine !) then observe again after some 100 miles.

Honestly : you DID invest in a milling of the head before refitting ?
If not - you are now punished.

[admiral51]

hi all
not sure how good this stuff is but someone has used it on the FCF and says hes had no problems
http://www.steelseal.co.uk/

have seen it on ebay here
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Steel-Seal-Head-G ... dZViewItem

hope this helps

colin