Coolant in my oil, fearing worse than a HG...

[Talyn]

Started with a substantial oil leak, that I couldn't find, then discovered coolant in the oil after putting dye in it and driving the car home, and am now pulling the cylinder head, it appears to have an MLS gasket on it, which makes me fear that I may have a warped/cracked head and or block....
Is it common for these to warp/crack heads or blocks?

Also any tips on cylinder head removal would be helpful, I know what I am doing, but I do not know these cars, looks like the easiest way is to pull it off with the exhaust manifold still on it and detach Ex manifold from the turbo, also looks like unbolting the Tstat housing is easier than detaching all its lines and such.
Then in the back it looks like I have to remove the coilpack, injector rail, and then the intake manifold?

 

[bryanwheat]

IT is not common for these blocks and heads to crack at all. I personally haven't seen either crack. I would be willing to bet that the head and block weren't surfaced well enough for the mls gasket. I would check the head for straightness and throw it back on with a felpro composite gasket.

 

[Chevy2g3]

I had a similar problem when I first bought my 2g. It did turn out to be a warped head because my car overheated into the red. I had blown a turbo coolant line and never noticed it. I'm not saying that's your problem but a warped or cracked head is a possibility. I'd recommend pulling the head and having a machine shop inspect it.

 

[Jon91TSi]

I had a similar problem with my car after I bought it. The block was decked with a mill, however the head was surfaced with a belt sander by the previous owner. The MLS gasket let go on the way home pressurizing the cooling system and evacuating all the coolant. I have since had the head surfaced by my local machine shop on a mill and haven't had any problems to 37psi. Make sure you never let your head get surfaced with a belt sander if it does need to be surfaced. Also, the head and block need to be a specific RA to use a MLS gasket, if you can't get to the proper RA with the block stick with a composite and head studs.

 

[Talyn]

Alright, well hopefully its not sealed to the gasket and or just a warped head, as long as the bottom end is fine ill be happy. Do you guys think my bearings will be ok after having coolant in my oil? Drove on it like that 30 miles max, and took it easy, it didn't have coolant in the oil when I left, but when checking it this morning after getting it home I found it in there, so it must've happened on the drive home.
All the cylinder head bolts felt like they were torqued properly. Still have to remove the waterneck, everything on the intake side, and the timing belt(I'm just going to cut it, its been drenched in oil and I could never trust it after that)

 

[bryanwheat]

You should be fine with a little coolant in the oil. I've seen vehicles where the oil turned to a milkshake consistency and were fine afterwards.

 

[Sansone]

Check that head gasket! The MLS won't seal right if the block and head aren't completely flat. Pick up an OEM composite.

 

[Talyn]

Sigh, rain at a time like this, really....god i wish i had a garage.

 

[toppertopper]

Just go buy a roll of plastic, toss it over the roof and your good to go i do it all the time

 

[mattasi]

One of those prop up covers would be perfect. Or plastic sheeting

 

[GSTurbo1]

Good luck buddy... I had to replace a valve cover gasket on mine a week after I picked up the old 2g. Came with a cometic head gasket so I think I'm good there for time being.

 

[Talyn]

Got the head the rest of the way off today(got held up by the timing cover bolt because my jack was in my other car which I hadn't gone back to pick up yet).

Anyways, I can move my pistons around in their bores a little bit, should I be concerned? It does appear to have been rebuilt as I can still see the cross hatching from when it was honed...My worry is that it might not have been built right. So any input on how much play is acceptable moving the piston side to side on the bore would be helpful...I really don't want to tear the whole thing down to check ring gaps if there is another way..
Also I realized the other day that I spazzed, I didn't get coolant in my oil, I just forgot that I put dye in it..(never used it before and didn't realize it effected a visible change in color). So at least I know my bearings are ok.

Looking forward to some input, I want to be sure my bottom end is right, before I rebuild and put back on the top end.

More Update:
My exhaust manifold is cracked, and possibly my intake as well(might just be a chip in the powdercoating).
Somehow I always end up with crap cars, even though I look them over good and they run and drive fine when I buy them.

More More Update:
I googled the # on my pistons and they are forged ross(99811), so if the bottom end was rebuilt properly I can be content with picking up where it was left off. The oil pan also confirms it to be a 6 bolt, so at least the guy never lied to me.

 

[BogusSVO]

Yes a small amout of movement is normal in the cylinder bores.

Rotate the engine over so all 4 pistons are at mid stoke.

pour engine oil on top the pistons so they are coverd by about an inch
\
Let sit for several hours-overnight

If when you come back, the oil level is about the same on all 4 you are good.

If one is down lower than the rest, you have ring issues on that one

 

[Talyn]

Well I think they are alright after all, it seemed like more than normal play, but after looking up the factory specs(.002 piston clearance) I went onto ross's site, and depending on application(ie. extremity of build) they specify a range of .005 to .012, after knowing that I am no longer concerned, I am certain they are at the low to mid low side of that range.
Tomorrow I will be checking my head for warpage, and pulling the downpipe off the turbocharger to check for oil buildup. Also planning to pull the timing cover off, going to do a balance shaft delete, new timing belt(Mine was in good shape, but got drenched in oil so I no longer trust it(cheap insurance) and replace the crank snout seal as I think it might be my oil leak, if not, it won't hurt any to do it while I am in there.

I do have a question for you guys, though this is probably not the thread or section for it, I wish to replace my exhaust manifold since its cracked ofc, but I want to make a switch to a tubular header. My problem is, atm I just want the car driving again, thus do not wish to replace anything it doesn't need due to time and budget constraints,
Basically I want a tubular header that will work with the stock turbo, but only if I will be able to get a different turbo that can get me to 400hp while keeping the manifold, if there isn't one, then I will either bite the bullet on a turbo upgrade, or more likely cheap out and get a replacement, or ported replacement manifold. Depending on whether my turbo is my oil burning culprit.(My money is on it being that)

 

[bryanwheat]

Don't buy a tubular header if the car is a daily driver. They will cook everything in the engine bay anywhere close to them, they crack, they have warped flanges out of the box and usually poor fitment. Just pick up a ported 2g manifold, or an evoIII manifold. You can also but a brand new 2g manifold from rockauto.com with a heat shield for right around 100 bucks.

 

[92AWDHX40]

2g manifold great buy and cheap on ebay.

 

[Talyn]

Update:
I decided to get an FP manifold already.
My clyinder head is .0025 out of flatness, which in and of itself would probably have been able to skate by if not for the MLS gasket, so it may have been leaking some the turbocharger was definitely leaking a lot if the shaft play is any indication-definitely need a new turbocharger. As for the head I am trying to track down a good used one, was planning to get one from dsmgraveyard, but they are out of stock, sent a guy on the boards a message about his though, and awaiting a reply.

 

[BogusSVO]

Why not just rebuild the head you have now?

 

[Talyn]

A good used one is cheaper, and I don't want to have a head rebuilt, till I have some good stuff to put in it-which is a while away yet.

 

[Talyn]

Figure I'll put in an update in case anyone was wondering what became of this.
M
y head has slightly leaking valves on cylinder 4, but I believe it is just carbon deposits(cleaned the valves up a bit while still in the head, going to run some intake cleaner through it once its all back together), and decided not to mill it due to time and budget constraints, as well as most of the techs at work unanimously agreeing it didn't need it with only .0025 warpage.

Got my gasket kit, timing kit, timing cover gaskets, oil pan gasket and everything yesterday, but forgot to get head bolts(Will have them tomorrow). Cylinder head and intake manifold, are cleaned up, and on the block with new HG and just not bolted down yet. Tomorrow and sunday will be spent finishing the head reinstall, replacing the timing components. Then its just waiting till I have money for a knockoff brand 20g and install kit, shouldn't take more than a day to install that and the exhaust manifold once I get it.