Slow coolant leak in oil

Good afternoon,

Can you repost the picture? It did not show on this thread.

This could be either a head gasket or a possible intake manifold gasket leaking.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/coolantantifreeze-in-the-engine-oil


Roy

I am Thomas Jones, i have talked to you before about something getting into my oil. I have ordered the things to do the test you recommended. It's going to be a few days. I have the truck listed above with 2000 miles on rebuild. I'm sending you the oil analysis hoping it may help, also i was wondering how i would know if there was a crack between cylinders, cold compression test showed all between 165/175 lbs except 5/7 75/85 warm test all 165/175 lbs 5/7 cylinders 150 lbs.

I remember the picture you sent. It was a liquid in the oil and now I am wondering if it is fuel. The fact that they found fuel in the oil is concerning. It was not a lot but you should not have much at all and the fact that they found no Glycol (coolant) and basically no water, I would think that liquid in the oil may be fuel.

Did you smell the oil that you pulled out to see if it had any fuel smell to it?

If this is fuel then you have a possible injector issue washing down a cylinder. Let me know if the oil smells at all like fuel and we can go from there.

I actually told my mechanic that i thought a smelled gas on the dipstick, was going to pull oil pan today but i am not up to it. What can i do about fuel blow by or whatever it is? Thank you

That could be from the low compression and unburned fuel going into the pan.

Roy

Hmm, i understand it, the lowest compression was 150lbs when warm in 5/7 and 75-85lbs when cold in 5/7. I need to do another compression check.

Not sure if this helps, but only 16 inches of vacuum with all inlets plugged off. could all this be connected?

That is not good, too low. It should be 18-22 pounds. 20 is ideal.

When you checked the vacuum, did the needle jump around or was it steady?

Roy

Yes. Started at 17. Then dropped to 16 and was steady at 16.

Okay, does the needle jump around while it is running? Can you upload a video of the reading while it is running?

Roy

I'm getting ready to take oil pan off, want to see what it looks like. The needle holds steady. I will take a picture of needle when i finish. Maybe tomorrow. I will plug off all inlets.

Well, i I finally got it back together and oil in. Now it's raining, wanted to show you some pictures, some of the rubber may have been RTV, but some was definitely not. Only used RTV in corners of manifold, could the other be from o-rings on injectors ? Also when i first took oil pan off i thought i smelled gas but later i wasn't sure. Hoping to do vacuum test but it's cold and raining. If and when it stops i will test vacuum, thank you. Thomas

Also, if you're wondering why i'm so slow, i'm disabled and pretty hard and tiring getting up and down. Lol

RTV looks like skin over form one of the gaskets. It looks like the oil pan had RTV around it.

Still does not explain the coolant in the oil.

I would have pressure tested the cooling system while the pan was off to see if the intake manifold was leaking into the pan.

Roy

I ordered a pressure tester for radiator and that blue stuff to test for gases. Then i'm going to do as many test as possible. My radiator will overflow way before it warms up, i have never seen it flowing but always have heat. Have put 3 water pumps on there and a new radiator within the last year.

Okay, I would also replace the thermostat as well.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-thermostat

Keep me updated. I attached some guides for you for the head gasket check and overheating.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Roy

Just wondering if it would be worth checking rad bolts torque. I have always have heat. The thermostat does open and close. I have a 195• thermostat and the scanner says its running within a few degrees of that. I had a 180 in there but it was cold. Will replace thermostat. Was wanting to go with 180 degree thermostat do to climbing mountains pulling camper. Should i take out thermostat before doing gas test?

Okay, use a 195 thermostat and do the head gasket test before replacing the thermostat. that way it will be accurate.

No to the head bolts. If you touch them now the gaskets will be damaged.

Roy

Okay, getting started.

Okay, trucks been running for 20 minutes, heater working, thermostat working, hose from thermostat hot, other side of radiator cold. Stuck my finger in there, bottom hose cold ! Suppose to be warm before test. Radiator was a little low but but overflow tank above full, where its been forever. Had never had any problems with this truck until we replaced plenum and my cousin worked on it,
40 + years mechanic.

Okay, first, do you have an infrared temperature gun to take the temperatures of the radiator in 9 spots? It sounds like a clogged radiator.

Did you use the old coolant for the test or did you put in new coolant?

Roy

I can see fluid running through radiator, i'm going to set it to 1,500 rpm's see what happens. We always had discussions in this issue, i thought it was wrong. It's 45 out here, shouldn't matter. i will check temperatures.

Sounds good.

Did you use new coolant or the old coolant? If you used new, do not do the test or the chemical test for the coolant. It will not show anything.

Roy

I always use new coolant, distilled water and new oil.

It lukewarm now. Trucks always done that, if i take a 20 mile ride it comes up to temperature on outlet.

Take the temperatures as I requested. It sounds like the radiator is clogged.

Roy

That did not work.it's cold again, running 1,500 rpm's, it warmed up when i shut the engine off.

Oh, i misunderstood you that coolant has 2,000 miles on it.

If engines running near 195 and heater is hot and i can see flow in radiator, it's not plugged right.

No, not at all. You may have only partial circulation through the radiator. That is why I want you to the tests I suggested.

Roy

What test was that? i can't use the blue stuff .there were no bubbles.

The chemical test for the head gasket does not require bubbles. It just looks for hydrocarbons in the coolant.

Roy

Vacuum just above 17.

That's with everything connected, o the pressure test, wont have test kit until next week.

Thats with everything connected, o the pressure test, wont have test kit until next week. Engine. Coolant is at 199, intake air should within 10° of engine temp. Intake air is reading 149. Thats according to snap on scanner

Looks good.

Keep me updated with the results of the chemical test.

I would still like to see you do the temperature tests on the radiator. The clogged radiator could be the root cause of failure is you have a leaking head gasket.

Roy

I cant do that gas test, i let it run all day, never got hot until i put cap on. Same as the old radiator. That's why i put a new one on. On the vacuum it was just above 17 with everything hooked up and everything plugged up. And the old radiator wasn't plugged. It was warm entering and cold exiting until the cap was on. Pressure test is all i can do unless you know of something else. Also i couldn't find my laser therm.

Engine. Coolant is at 199, intake air should within 10° of engine temperature. Intake air is reading 149. That's according to snap on scanner.

Should i just plan on taking heads off, there is one thing i dont understand and you've not commented on is the compression test. Cold all between 165 and 175 lbs except 5 and 7 65 and 75 lbs warm, all 165 and 175 lbs 5 and 7 150 lbs. That doesn't seem right to me. Am i reading to much into it or should i check again. That was a couple weeks ago

No, I would do the leak down test first. Then you will know what cylinder or cylinders has the issue before you pull it down.

Roy

Update: after letting my truck run for hours the other day, the coolant in the overflow dropped 2 inches, done pressure test. Pumped it to 15 pounds, started dropping immediately. Didn't see any leaks. Had to make pressure cap work but i think it was holding, going to try to check it today. Also seen that drivers side head gasket was sticking out about an 1/8 inch back by #7 cylinder, wasn't leaking on the outside. It's raining today. I'm going to order a cylinder leak down kit or make one with all the other stuff i I have. How many pounds do you put in each cylinder? That 1/8 inch was 3 inches long and the only place the gasket was sticking out. Just wanted to mention last time the water pump was leaking inside, but it was much worse then. Actually could see coolant inside pan. Would it be best if i did that pressure test with oil pan off? You mentioned that the other day, i liked that ideal. I want to save bearings and everything else if possible.