coolant in oil

[AG 305]

i just checked my oil and it was all milky. checked my oil cap and also milky oil under it. im already suspecting a bad HG/cracked head but i wouldnt want to! ive driven the car before with absolutely no loss in power or anything of that nature. idles fine. no leaks that i can see

how many other possible things are there that can cause coolant in the oil??

bad VC breather/PVC set up? turbo? oil filter housing? water pump? IDK

car right now has a new 16psi rad cap, new thermostat (cooler then stock) ac/heater out, 14b with minimal shaft play.

if its a HG/cracked head then so be it but ill hate to replace it to then later find out it wasnt the issue AT ALL

i have no means of getting a compression/leak down test done so i really dont know whats going on 100% besides the fact the car runs fine and holds 15psi all the way to redline without a problem. i DID however have some random water on top of my intake manifold in the area where it bends how it got there i have no idea.

what are some of the stuff you guys have ran into over the years that have cause you to have coolant in the oil without it being a bad HG or cracked head?? car is a 91 gsx basically stock (intake exhaust etc)

 

[Robbyd]

yea its most likely your headgasket went bad.

 

[CrawlinZX14]

It really sounds like a BHG. Since your stating ANOTHER head, have you redone your head recently?? If so did you tq the head down properly, and then retorque it after a few heat cycles? If not you could have lifted the head. And in that case, it sux, but its generally an easier fix. If you have done a HG recently also, did you check the bolts u pulled from the head for stretch? Did you replace the bolts? My suggestion would be leak down test, but if you replaced a HG recently, you may also want to check the tq spec on your head bolts. Especially if they are used. If you have to replace the HG, I would def replace the bolts with studs. I personally think the piece of mind is well worth the extra 100 bux. I would personally run a cometic hg as well tho. It may be overkill for your needs, but it would likely be the last HG you would ever have to buy and would likely outlast your car. Since a MHG can be reused in most cases. Factory gaskets are great for factory setups, but they still require factory type maintenance and replacement from time to time. So normally when I blow a HG, i replace it with a MHG as what I spend now can save me many times over in the future. Just a thought.

 

[raybugarin82]

Blown head gasket.....

 

[Calan]

It really sounds like a BHG. Since your stating ANOTHER head, have you redone your head recently?? If so did you tq the head down properly, and then retorque it after a few heat cycles? If not you could have lifted the head. And in that case, it sux, but its generally an easier fix. If you have done a HG recently also, did you check the bolts u pulled from the head for stretch? Did you replace the bolts? My suggestion would be leak down test, but if you replaced a HG recently, you may also want to check the tq spec on your head bolts. Especially if they are used. If you have to replace the HG, I would def replace the bolts with studs. I personally think the piece of mind is well worth the extra 100 bux. I would personally run a cometic hg as well tho. It may be overkill for your needs, but it would likely be the last HG you would ever have to buy and would likely outlast your car. Since a MHG can be reused in most cases. Factory gaskets are great for factory setups, but they still require factory type maintenance and replacement from time to time. So normally when I blow a HG, i replace it with a MHG as what I spend now can save me many times over in the future. Just a thought.

Please spend some time with the "ENTER" key..paragraphs are a wonderful thing.

By "MHG", I assume you mean "MLS", or Multi-Layer Steel head gasket. MLS gaskets are nice, but they also require a very smooth surface on both the block and head for proper sealing. Composite gaskets on the other hand are much more forgiving, and will work just fine for most sub-350whp setups. Unless the OP is planning on tearing down the motor and surfacing the block and head to an RA of 35 or so, a composite gasket is a much better choice.

FWIW, many people have made big numbers reliably on an OEM composite head gasket and aftermarket studs.

 

[JusMX141]

You guys need to consider the operating pressure of both systems- a warm cooling system contains around .9 kPa / 13psi, while an oiling system can have 60-80psi while driving. That begin said, it's much easier to get oil in your coolant than coolant in your oil unless there's a place where the coolant can easily trickle it's way into a low-pressure or unpressurized source.

Not saying it isn't possible for coolant to enter the oiling system just anywhere- for instance, the cooling system holds pressure once the engine is turned off but the oiling system does not.


It amazes me the amount of these threads which get created meanwhile the original poster has done absolutely ZERO diagnostic experimentation on their behalf. If you haven't taken the initiative to rent a leak-down tester and find out where the coolant is going, what makes you think any of us are going to be able to offer any type of assistance while staring at a computer screen?

 

[BogusSVO]

i just checked my oil and it was all milky. checked my oil cap and also milky oil under it. im already suspecting a bad HG/cracked head but i wouldnt want to! ive driven the car before with absolutely no loss in power or anything of that nature. idles fine. no leaks that i can see

first the OP states that there is not a driavablity issue, if he was mixing coolent in the oil from a busted head gasket, I feel there would be loss of power a skip/miss

Also if the head was warped enough to allow coolent to flow over to the oil return ports, it would most deff have a miss.

i used that on my N/T and it did the trick, just process took about 1 or 2 hours
its called "BAR LEAKS HEAD GASKET REPAIR"

^^^^ this is not a good Idea unless you are going to dump off the car on someone esle and make it there problem.

I have used diffrent brands over the years, they cause more issues than fix, and it is temp at best.

so I do agree with Calan

Do not try to plug a cracked head or leaking HG with some miracle fix-all fluid. All you'll do is clog up small passages where you want oil to flow, or gum up the radiator (for coolant additives), if anything. With the cylinder pressures that your gsx sees, you have to fix these problems correctly or you're asking for more trouble than you already have.

Here again I say Calan is on the mark

On a water-to-oil cooler it will crush the internal fins and cause oil and water to mix.

There are two likely sources for oil and water to mix; the head gasket, and the oil filter housing...if you have the water-to-oil cooler. (I believe they appeared during the 91 model year, but not sure exactly when). It's possible for water and oil to mix in some turbos, but probably not very likely (Justin could speak more to this). There are a couple of other places where it could happen (cracked block or head for example), but they aren't as likely.

But How I would check for this issue is use a "COOLANT PRESSURE TESTER"
Its simple, and the engine will not have to spin over,for the most part, maybe once at most.

I say pull the oil filter, and the oil cooler (like Calan explains) and place a clean catch pan under it.
also remove the spark plugs and wires from all the cylinders.

Now fill the cooling system up, and now hook the Coolent pressure tester up, and pump to the rating of the rad cap (13 psi on a stock DSM cap?)

Watch the needle on the gauge, it should drop if the is ANY failure in the cooling system.
Pump it up a few more times.

Look at all hoses and connections, the rad, the HVAC drain.

Now while the presser is up, look at the oil cooler, if it is bad you should see coolent leaking from it.
if it is leaking , problem found.

also look down the spark plug holes, if the HG has failed you will see coolent on the tops the pistons

Now if not sure if you can see anything on the piston crowns, with the spark plugs out, have a friend spin the engine over for a sec or two, if you see water shoot out the spark plug holes, you know the HG has failed.

I feel that the use of a coolent pressure tester in the OP case would give move valid info, than a compression tester or leak down test.

 

[AG 305]

Since your stating ANOTHER head, have you redone your head recently??

no im speaking of my last car. this head has never been off

The only exception to this would be if you have major blowby, and enough water vapor is condensing out of the crankcase gasses to show up as an oil/water mix. Running E85 would make it worse, but still...that would be a considerable amount of blowby and some really humid air

i do have just a VC breather not connected back into my intake pipe like it was from factory. blew my dipstick out once but ever since i put a good new one it never happen again

first the OP states that there is not a driavablity issue, if he was mixing coolent in the oil from a busted head gasket, I feel there would be loss of power a skip/miss

Also if the head was warped enough to allow coolent to flow over to the oil return ports, it would most deff have a miss.

i have no loss in power what so ever. car idles and drives fine and doesnt over heat. what i DO have is a very very rough cold start but im guessing it has to do with my recent battery relocation.

It amazes me the amount of these threads which get created meanwhile the original poster has done absolutely ZERO diagnostic experimentation on their behalf. If you haven't taken the initiative to rent a leak-down tester and find out where the coolant is going, what makes you think any of us are going to be able to offer any type of assistance while staring at a computer screen?

IM ON IT! havent been able to but im on it dang it

 

[AG 305]

i pulled my plugs to check if there was any coolant on the pistons and there wasnt any thankfully but i did have a tiny bit of something on cylinder 4 around the edge the plug screws into not really on the piston. with that being said i think i may have a more serious problem then i thought.

when i pulled the plugs they were blacker then ive EVER seen them on this car. as soon as i saw that i went and smelled the oil and it smelled like gas! WTF under my oil cap also.

im either running extremely EXTREMELY rich or i got bad piston rings...

what would cause me to run so rich though??? im on a completely stock fuel system and 14b. the rough cold start ive been having could be from the car being flooded now that i think about it.

is it possible that i have an entire bad pcv/breather system? my dipstick has popped out before so i know i been getting some blow by but ever since i put a new one it hasnt ever happened again.

 

[AG 305]

i found out my folks have a portable air compressor! so it looks like a leakdown down test is coming soon. ill keep you posted

i think CALAN is the only one who has answered my original question. im not asking WHY there is coolant in my oil im asking what OTHER reasons besides the HG is there thatll cause it. i wanted to know what you guys have ran into over the years. so far i got...

bad HG
broke oil filter housing


WHAT ELSE??

 

[Bud92gsx]

I'm actually intreged by Calans answer to my post about tightening your oil filter too much..That is very interesting that it will cause problems besides crack the filter housing..

Good information to know..That one goes in the roledex..Thanks Calan..

To the OP..Have you yet tried anything to diagnose the problem?

 

[AG 305]

To the OP..Have you yet tried anything to diagnose the problem?

just got word today that my folks have an air compressor. gonna be using it some time this week to do a leak down test.

would a crack in my CHRA cause coolant in oil?

 

[AG 305]

i think i may have blown this whole thing out of proportion!

i was looking at some pictures of actual bad milky oil and the stuff in those pics looked all foamy and crusty and like sludge and the color is way more different then mine. mine is more of a super SUPER light brown which i still think is no good anyway.

what color would oil and gas mixing together be?? my oil does smell like gas a bit and my spark plugs are super black.

 

[AG 305]

changed the oil and checked my head studs. they were fine. heres my milkshake

the oil really doesnt look TO bad. it does have a bit of whiteness on the side of the container when light shines thru it. when i pulled the drain plug it shot out like if i disconnected a water line never seen oil come out in such a way.

 

[AG 305]

ive driven it hard for 2 days now. no power loss and no coolant in oil since the oil change. is it possible that i blew this out of proportion and thought it was more serious then it really was!? i do like to jump to conclusions and expect the worst case scenario

i tried renting a leak down tester and compression tester from advance, autozone AND napa but they dont lend them out anymore

 

[DSMReviver]

ive driven it hard for 2 days now. no power loss and no coolant in oil since the oil change. is it possible that i blew this out of proportion and thought it was more serious then it really was!? i do like to jump to conclusions and expect the worst case scenario

i tried renting a leak down tester and compression tester from advance, autozone AND napa but they dont lend them out anymore

Harbor freight compression testers sells for 9 or 10 dollars(basic kit). Hose and a gauge. Leak down testers cost me $27 dollars with discount.

 

[AG 305]

how about a block test?? i was told to try one of those out since i really dont have any power loss, miss or overheating but i dont know how good/accurate that would actually be.

 

[hawkman gsx]

I would just replace your HG that most likely your problem

 

[AG 305]

I would just replace your HG that most likely your problem

oh i know what the issue is but my original question is what else can it be BESIDES the hg

 

[BogusSVO]

What else besides the HG..

> Cracked head
> Cracked Block
> Bad turbo, IF water cooled
> Bad TB, from rot of the pre heater that passes thu it
> Bad oil cooler

 

[AG 305]

What else besides the HG..

> Cracked head
> Cracked Block
> Bad turbo, IF water cooled
> Bad TB, from rot of the pre heater that passes thu it
> Bad oil cooler

my 14b has a bit of up and down shaft play, no in and out.

ac/heater has been removed and hose is bypassed but i do have idle surge and an isc issue

as far as head/block being cracked it could be. but it also could be so tiny that it doesnt affect my performance at all (no over heating, no miss/skip, idles fine, no smoke)

i got a 91 so no oil cooler

been starting and driving the car around on the new oil and so far there is no signs of coolant in it anymore. look at the pic of my oil... does it look normal? the oil was mobil 1 extended performance fully synthetic and it was in for about 200 miles only. i also have just a breather on my vc instead of a catch can so it couldve just been contaminated. smelled like a bit of gas also