Stumped about coolant loss.

[IdahoDoug]

Hmm. If your plugs showed no evidence of water in the cylinder, you've likely got a coolant leak directly into the oil. Bummer. If they're a shop that knows what they're doing, they'll pull the plugs, pressurize the coolant system with a pump and watch for leaks into the cylinders through the open plug holes. See nothing, but the pressure drops on their pump? Gonna get ugly. Hopefully they see the coolant coming in the cylinder and the HG will then do it for you.


Be sure to remind them to keep their friggin knees off your radiator's plastic top tank or you'll be adding a lot more to their diagnosis bill when it starts mysteriously leaking.

DougM

 

[CJF]

Hopefully they see the coolant coming in the cylinder and the HG will then do it for you.

But regardless, get the head checked for cracks, right Doug?

Curtis

 

[centrex]

I spoke to someone else today about it and they said that the coolant could be going into the oil jet? and into the oil rather than a cylinder. Is this possible??

The really milky oil is a giveaway that something is wrong.

The head maybe cracked (fingers crossed that it isn't) but the only way to really tell is to pull it off and test it.

I am not happy to drive around with coolant in the oil as it could end up costing way more than just a head gasket, so I think it is best to pull the head and cross my fingers.

I will let you all know how it goes.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Centrex,

There are a few guys on here that know this engine backward and forward if you have any further questions. The oil jet comment I hope was not made by the guy you're considering have work on your head because it's downright guesswork and sounds that way to me and the guys who REALLY know this engine. The oil jets are so internal to the block they're simply not on the table as a possibility.

I don't know if you're working with a mechanic or what. But I went through this exact scenario - coolant in the oil and no evidence in the cylinder. The only way I correctly diagnosed it was an enormous amount of input from the talent here on the board and a novel way of testing the head without a lot of teardown. It's in my thread, but here it is:

Get flourescent dye in the coolant and of course run the engine to mix it around thoroughly.
Remove the valve cover - now you're looking at the top of the head.
The coolant line that is disconnected from the throttle body removal now must be plugged for the next step.
Pressurize the cooling system with a radiator testing pump on the radiator.
Stand there and watch for leaks in the head and down the sparkplug holes.

Notes: You should have the spark plugs out as well and have a small enough dye detecting light to fit in to the sparkplug hole (avail for $20 anywhere with the glasses and dye) so you can watch the piston tops for dye as well.

Feel free to print this and show it to your mechanic. It's the result of many hours of puzzling and discussion. If you're going to drive it around anyhow, drain the coolant so you're not destroying the bearings with the additives in coolant that attack bearings. Plain water is not good for them either but not as bad as coolant.

DougM

 

[MH_Stevens]

If you are driving or running wagon to test change the oil and filter. This will protect the engine from wear and give you a clean slate to monitor the amount of emulsion being produced.

 

[Domek]

damn I am getting scare from all this comments.

All I got it's missin coolant. I have look around and no signs of leak.

I only saw once a coolant leak from the driver side on the radiator but could not see where it was coming from.. Stop using the truck for a month and then used it again and no leak, but still missing coolant.

I checked the coolant level last week and noticed the front at the top of the radiator that there was coolant.
At thetime I did not know why, but from what I read here I believe my radiator cap it's no good.

Theory: once radiator got pressure, coolant comes out through radiator cap.
I have checked the oil and there's no signs of water/coolant or milky oil.

I will start w/ the radiator cap first and a flush the radiator. When I removed the radiator cap I also noticed in there and that it's got some sort of powdery stuff. It looks like it needs to be flush to me.
It's does not over heat or anything

What you all thing?

 

[Ting]

Send oil sample to blackstone lab for quick analysis, and do hydrocarbon test.

 

[gray]

I have done a search and I fear this may be another HG prob.

I had to fill my coolant overflow last week and it has just started idling slightly rough.

I replaced the plugs and they all looked identical. I took it to my local truck shop to have it pressure and compression tested. It came back with no compression problems and no leaks (except the radiator cap had a slight leak so new cap).

I took it on a round trip about 160kms today and it used just over an overflow tank of coolant.

I topped it up and let the engine cool and did a bubble test when it was cool. There was some dripping from the exhaust which soon disappeared when the engine warmed up. I also noticed there was some white goo (condensation??) in the engine oil cap so I thoroughly cleaned it but it has since returned.

Could the coolant be going straight into the exhaust somehow not affeccting compression??

Could the coolant be going in only when it is cold or when the engine is shut off??

What can I get my truck shop to test now if the compression test was ok (when the engine was warm)??

I know everyone is getting sick of HG problems but this one has me stumped. Compression great, runs great (slight rough idle), but major coolant loss with no leaks evident.
______________________

1997 Flaxon 80 - My Baby
22x,xxx great kms + many more (I hope!)

OK, I have my fireproof suit on;

add something like Bar's Head Gasket repair in a bottle;
if the antifreeze doesn't continue to go down, and the radiator cap stays clean, you diagnosed it, and fixed it, at least until you have
time pull it apart. I would also look real close at the PHH area to look
for signs of leakage

g

 

[Riad]

Well, I agree with every thing Doug said.

Analysis is good, definitley gives you more insight, more assurence of a good thing or indication of the opposite. IMHO, You've got all symptoms of a HG failure. If you've got the original HG then it's gone or in the verge of being gone. Why not just cut to the chase and start the real work. The sooner you start, the better it will be. Trust me . Get Doug's DVD and the FSM (if you don't have'em already) and go to town. It's a fun project, little messy but you will thank yourself later, assuming every thing goes well. There are plenty of resources, threads and pics here. Just take a deep breath and start unbolting things.

 

[CJF]

OK, I have my fireproof suit on;

add something like Bar's Head Gasket repair in a bottle;
if the antifreeze doesn't continue to go down, and the radiator cap stays clean, you diagnosed it, and fixed it, at least until you have
time pull it apart. I would also look real close at the PHH area to look
for signs of leakage

g

Gray,

You're responding to a one and a half year old post.

I know it can be annoying/confusing, but you need to carefully check the date of the orignal post, and whether someone has recently revived it.

Curtis

 

[CJF]

Well, I agree with every thing Doug said.

Always a good side to be on, but...

...still 1.5 years late.

 

[Riad]

Not always but most of the time so far.

My point is, if you've got the signs, just get it done

 

[nodaksn3]

Mine did exactly the same thing; used coolent with no internal or external signs of it going anywhere. Flushed the system (twice). Overflow tank still smelled "gassey". Compression was great, engine ran great, plugs looked great, etc. Pulled the head, and it was a tiny crack in the HG between #5 cylinder and one of the smaller coolent passageways. I'd bet this is the same thing. Wish I could give a better diagnosis. But Ned

 

[nodaksn3]

Better late than never.....???