Coolant in oil....

[Skeith]

More car problems, and this time I'm having a bad feeling about the outcome.

This is my 1993 lumina, 3.1L MPFI. This was the car I did the engine swap on. Been my daily driver for 2 1/2 years with very minimal problems (stupid things mostly like bad batteries or alternator etc).

However, now I'm fearing the worst for the old girl.

I was driving it home Wednesday, and noticed my alternator wasn't keeping up with the vehicles demands. I looked under the hood and the accessory side of the motor was just soaked with coolant.

Parked it for the night and car pooled with my co-worker today. After work, started er up and checked under the hood. Fresh coolant was spraying off of the belt. Decided the check the oil and
just stood there in amazement for a couple seconds.

The oil is thin, and level about 3 inches above the full line on the dipstick. leaking coolant into the oil..... I immediately killed the engine.

Could be the head gasket, could be the timing chain cover. Though there were no symptoms beforehand. This just reared its head all of a sudden.

My low coolant light came on a couple weeks ago (I have had a small very slow external leak for over a year that would require me to add maybe 3quarts to top up the reservoir every 3 -4 months.
I know there was a leak because there was evidence of evaporated coolant near the water pump, though just splatters, nothing severely wet and no puddles under the car. (you might recall my thread about this way back). I never could find the leak because it was extremely intermittent so I just left it.

I'm thinking this kick to the face is the result of that leak that just suddenly failed catastrophically.
Not sure what it is, not sure if its worth repairing. Gonna tow it to the shop monday and have them do a leak down test to find the source and then quote me on repairs.

I doubt the block is cracked from freezing as the coolant was liquid when I started it this afternoon, and it sat all night in -27C without being plugged in and then sat all day. If it were frozen I doubt I would have gotten splashed in the face with liquid coolant when I started it. That and the coolant in the oil was also liquid and no signs of frost or freezing on the dipstick or under the valve cover (looked through the oil cap).

It also started fine (sluggish cause it sat all night) but started fine and purred like a kitten. I doubt it would run that great if the head gasket failed, and I see no sign of coolant being burned in combustion. and the engine has NEVER overheated.
Also I replaced the LIM gasket personally about 1 1/2 years ago with the felpro gasket. (summer 2011)

Anyone have any thoughts....

[TGP37]

lower intake manifold gasket failure....not a hard fix and is cheap if you do the work yourself.

I would not run it anymore at this point in time.

change oil and filter too, twice after the fix. Maybe even 3 times if you feel there is still water in the oil.


Gasket could have failed early if over/under torqued. Plus, if you use dexcool.....that crap eats up OEM LIM's. Best to switch to green after a good coolant flush.

[Skeith]

I would love to do it myself, but I have nowhere warm to do it right now, and its too damn cold to do it on the driveway.
Car has never run dexcool. always the green stuff.
I changed that gasket 1 1/2 years ago, took me 9 hrs. though I had to go to the store twice. Was replaced with the good fel-pro gasket. I made sure eveything was torqued down to spec.
Also there was a very very slow intermittent leak before I changed the LIM gasket, changed it because I though that would fix the leak, but it was not leaking from the LIM. Leak was very very slow, about 3 quarts every 3-4 months and very intermittent. I could not find the source. Now this. Not sure if that leak just failed suddenly.
No I wont be running it. gonna have it towed to the shop on mon, get my the mechanic to do a leak down test and see where the leak is, give me an estimate and go from there.
Depending on the cost, a truck might be on my list of things to buy.

[TGP37]

I hear ya about cold weather. Only place I can think of that would dump so much coolant into the oil is LIM gasket. Or maybe a crack in the block but I really never seen these motors crack blocks, nor heard of it.

Being caught early on, your bearings should be okay. The camshaft bearings tend to get washed down where the coolant drains into the pan. They might be shot, but again, if early enough they should be fine with a thorough oil change/flush

It is possible to lift the LIM with the injectors still installed and hang it from the hood. Power steering pump, pulley can stay on, get the bolts threw the pulley holes.

There is a tool that can rock the rockers to pull out the pushrods with-out having to remove the rocker itself.

I had done winter repairs outdoors before.....thermal full body underwear really helps.........and energy shots.


A good shop could do it quickly and not charge tooooo much.


Water pumps will start to fail at the bottom of the bearing and weep coolant. Time to change the water pump if leaking at the bottom. Really easy job.

[Skeith]

I doubt its cracked. When I parked it it sat overnight at -27c and then all day untill I started it and found the coolant in the oil.

It started fine and the coolant is still liquid so it did'nt freeze and crack anything. If it were just an internal leak I would suspect a cracked block, however the additon of the failry large external leak as well makes me think the gasket.
I did look at the LIM because that is what I thought too. although its wet there (the whole side of the motor is wet) it doesn't look to be coming from the LIM valley, looks lower. That is why I thought the timing chain cover as it diverts coolant between the block and pump.

The mechanic quoted me between $4-500 for the LIM and oil flush.

I have a water pump, just havent the time to change it yet.

I hope the cam bearings are fine, If the top end needs to be torn down i doubt it will be worth the cost of repair.

The motor wasnt making any weird noises at all though when it ran so I dont know the extent of the damage.
Hopefully it will be alright. I dont even know how long the coolant has been in there, hopefully just the one day.
I know at least that it wasnt in the oil last week, I had to add coolant, and I checked the oil and it was a bit low so I topped it up.

And its never overheated, so chances of a warped head are unlikely.

Guess I'll find out mon or tues.

[TGP37]

As long as you don't push it, which you haven't, the cam bearing should be fine. It's the ones who drive it until payday or a week or so facing more damages.

Fix the leak, change the oil/filter....should be good.

Good luck with it.