3fe Oil in coolant (1 Viewer)

[BSnBS747]

Hello all, I did a head gasket replacement a few years back on my 92 fj80. Since then, it has been running pretty well, other than the fact that it still remains to have oil mix with the coolant. I thought it may have been just some of the wd40/kroil that was sprayed on the block to keep it from rusting while the head was off being checked and redone by a local head shop. After the install, I flushed the system several times. It cleans up until it is driven a few days. Then it starts to get thick and sludgy and in need of another flush. All my searches turn up water in oil, but not oil in water. I have bypassed the oil cooler hoping that was it, but it doesn't appear to be. I haven't driven it much due to work. It is also limited to short trips because it starts getting warm on the longer ones, probably due to the contaminated coolant. The heater is sometimes only warm at best. As far as I can tell, no water is mixing with the oil, def not like when the head gasket blew. No hint of foam or chocolate milk. Any thoughts? Head gasket again, cracked block? I believe the head gasket kit was a felpro one.

Thanks,
KM

 

[Rush]

Check the coolant system's pressure holding. See if you have any drop at all.

I had the opposite problem, water in my oil.
See the thread in my sig.

 

[Rush]

The heater is sometimes only warm at best.

Also... Are you sure it's oil? Sludge sounds like the combo of red and green coolant.
Did you ever _back_ flush both heater cores?
If not, you could just be getting a steady stream of loosened sludge from those.

 

[BSnBS747]

Upper radiator hose has always been tight when at op temp. Little history: shortly after I bought the truck I started to notice I was losing water, there were a few seeping spots around the radiator seams, they looked like someone tried to repair/resolder those areas. I thought that was the reason for the water loss and high temps at times. Replaced the radiator. Slowed the water loss. High temps would occur after 10-12 fuel tanks of driving if you didnt pay attention to the level (found a small leak at the water pump). So, as time a money became available, I replaced the water pump and fan clutch. Worked great for a few thousand miles then one day, POP! Temp skyrocketed. I shut it down as soon as safe to do so and checked the dipstick, chocolate milk. My mystery leak was the head gasket. Trailered it home and then tore into it. Never have I ever had this oil in water sludge in the cooling system. I just back flushed it tonight until clear. A ton of beige colored oily water came out.

Looks and feels like watery oil. I have never mixed red and green coolant. It had green in it when I got it. I've put over 20k miles on it since I got and have never had this problem until after the gasket replacement.

Oh, the heat heaters have always worked well unless when the water level got too low.
Thanks,
KM

 

[Rush]

Sounds like you had a buildup of oily sludge caught somewhere. Let us know if it comes back now that you got it all out.

 

[BSnBS747]

Little update. Well, been chasing this problem for the passed month and have flushed the system about every couple hundred miles or so. The brakes started grinding the other day so i did a brake job on the front axle Saturday night. After I was finished, I topped off the master cylinder res and spilled a little. It ran down onto the exhaust downpipe. Not a big deal so I fired it up to bleed the brakes. The little bit of fluid on the exhaust started to smoke so I crawled under to see what it was just in case. Low and behold, there it was, a drop of water landed beside my head. I follow the drip up and see it seeping thru the block about halfway between the oil pan and the freeze plugs on the left side. I suspect a cracked block may be the cause of my oil in water issue, or maybe its just hydrocarbons in the water. Funny thing is, it still runs really well, it has 270k on it, and u can barely feel it running when idling in gear, gotta little lope to it in park tho. The only thing I do is flush the system once a week and she's going again. I am impressed with the mighty 3fe, but can't decide if I want to get another one or do the v8 swap. I'm in the process of trying to source a low mileage used 3fe if I decide to go that route. Anybody in mud land got a source?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[BILT4ME]

Little update. Well, been chasing this problem for the passed month and have flushed the system about every couple hundred miles or so. The brakes started grinding the other day so i did a brake job on the front axle Saturday night. After I was finished, I topped off the master cylinder res and spilled a little. It ran down onto the exhaust downpipe. Not a big deal so I fired it up to bleed the brakes. The little bit of fluid on the exhaust started to smoke so I crawled under to see what it was just in case. Low and behold, there it was, a drop of water landed beside my head. I follow the drip up and see it seeping thru the block about halfway between the oil pan and the freeze plugs on the left side. I suspect a cracked block may be the cause of my oil in water issue, or maybe its just hydrocarbons in the water. Funny thing is, it still runs really well, it has 270k on it, and u can barely feel it running when idling in gear, gotta little lope to it in park tho. The only thing I do is flush the system once a week and she's going again. I am impressed with the mighty 3fe, but can't decide if I want to get another one or do the v8 swap. I'm in the process of trying to source a low mileage used 3fe if I decide to go that route. Anybody in mud land got a source?

Thanks,
Keith

@slow95z Do you have any 3FE's?

 

[slow95z]

@slow95z Do you have any 3FE's?

Only a head right now, not the bottom end.

 

[BSnBS747]

I would be open to even a good short block if I could find one. Google hasnt been kind to me. I've already had the head redone back when I did the head gasket. It only has a few thousand miles on it, due to working out of state the last couple years. Just been parked in the garage until I started driving it a couple mths ago.

Thanks,

K

 

[BILT4ME]

Check the classifieds above. Then go to the Part Out or the Engine sections.

Your best bet will be on here rather than eBay or CL.

 

[bigredmachine]

you could always pull the motor and see if a machine shop could drill and fill the crack, to make a repair or doa v8 swap youd have to pull it anyways so no real lose there unless the truck is your only transportation

 

[BSnBS747]

My thoughts too. It's not my usual daily driver, but is until I get some new injectors for my 7.3. The old girl has 320k miles on the original injectors and starting to show it. I've parked it since I'm working at home for a while and don't want to wash the cylinders and create more problems. I'd like to replace them before I pull the motor in the cruiser. So Im gonna monitor fluid levels and flush it every couple days and see how long itll go, while searching for a replacement or a v8 donor. There goes half the swap budget.

K

 

[BSnBS747]

Well, time for an update. Looks like the mighty 3fe is slowly falling on its sword. The little crack in the block has seemed to have ran and is now several inches or so. I had to stop three times and add water in a 25 mile commute home. The water coming out of the block looks like water seeping through a mountain rock face. It still runs great though. Good news is, my injectors for my truck have been installed, just waiting for my re burned chip to be delivered. I am down to driving the wife's pathfinder until then. She is still working from home for now.

So, once my chip is here, I plan to tear into the cruiser. I haven't decided what I want to commit to yet. Swap or just replace it. I bought an old Chevy truck with a 6.2 diesel/4l80e a few years ago for a swap, but, time is difficult to find due to working on the road. Family time takes over when I'm home. Wonder if @torfab is accepting new clients? It'd be a long haul from Alabama tho. If I went with another 3fe, anyone in Alabama know of a good shop that does rebuilds? Cruiser parts has bare 3fe blocks on their site.

I'll try to post a build thread when I get started.

Keith

 

[torfab]

Keith, the old 6.2 is a great motor but they're old and don't make much sense to install into a cruiser. We have much better luck with the 5.3 liter LS engines even though they're not as fuel efficient as a diesel they're way better than the old 3FE. That or look into a Toyota diesel

 

[BSnBS747]

Roger that. A 5.3 or 6.0 is def on the list. Just the thought of wiring those things has my concerns. I just don't want this project to be a never ending one. That's why I was leaning towards the 6.2. Just a few wires to have it at least operational. Plus the trans would already be a chevy , so that would open the doors to other possibilities. I would really like to do a 4bd1t swap tho. I am wanting to do the quickest and easiest swap to get it back on the road. Another 3fe is on the table but it doesn't meet my requirements on power and fuel economy.