Bad LIM on a 3100???

[lone_wolf025]

Alrighty folks. The name of the game is what's wrong with this engine. Here are the symptoms:

We got oil in the coolant reservoir
Brown baked on ring (oil?) around LIM gasket
Dropping coolant level
Dipstick oil looks clean and not milky
No driveablity concerns
No visible change from the norm in exhaust appearance

I'm thinking bad LIM but I wanted to get a few second opinions. This is off a '97 Montecarlo w/the 3100 engine and around 70K miles.

[tractorman]

I think it's just a slightly strange version of the standard problem: Bad lower intake gasket. If I remember right, that car has a conventional radiator cap with a non-pressurized overflow. When the engine cools down, the radiator *sucks* the coolant back in, out of that overflow... right? Well, if the lower intake manifold gasket is leaking into the crankcase... and there's a little oil right there next to the leaky gasket, then I reckon it could *suck* that oil right into the coolant passage when the engine cools down. Over time it might do that enough that you could see some in the overflow.

This is just a guess. I also believe that Sasquatch is real.

[lone_wolf025]

First off you remember the setup correctly.

Second I suppose that makes sense if there is only a little oil sludge in the tank. Actually I'd almost expect as much. Thing is that in a matter of weeks he lost probably a good quart or more of coolant. Also the coolant that was sitting in his tank was completely covered with a think layer of oil. So its a little much to write off on.

Third... OF COURSE the sasquatch is real! How could you even insinuate that believing its real means you believe anything! Sacriledge!

[Rhedalert]

LIM gasket, yeah. They practically leak on the showroom floor!

[lone_wolf025]

I've pretty much come to that conclusion. Now I'm just thinking if this job would be too much for me to handle or not...