Antifreeze in oil
 

I recently had an oil analysis done after changing my oil before winter.
They found a significant amount of antifreeze backed up by my having to
add some during the last part of the season. It's a 1987 5.7L GMC with
closed cooling and 770 hours. It uses no oil and runs great.

I'm trying to determine the possible causes. I've heard:
1. Cracked block
2. Cracked head
3. Bad head gasket
4. Bad frost plug
5. Bad coolant pump (supposedly located on pop of the engine by the
manifold)

Any other ideas?

Capt. jeff

Tamaroak wrote:
I recently had an oil analysis done after changing my oil before winter.
They found a significant amount of antifreeze backed up by my having to
add some during the last part of the season. It's a 1987 5.7L GMC with
closed cooling and 770 hours. It uses no oil and runs great.

I'm trying to determine the possible causes. I've heard:
1. Cracked block
2. Cracked head
3. Bad head gasket
4. Bad frost plug
5. Bad coolant pump (supposedly located on pop of the engine by the
manifold)

Any other ideas?

Capt. jeff

Do a compression test / cooling system leak down test. You have
probably a tiny headache in your gasket. Good luck. The pressure cap
on your radiator(?) has been leaking exhaust. Or, you have a crack.
X-ray, epoxy weld. Relieve end of crack with a 1/64" drill

Don't bother planing the head unless the machine shop can show you a
warp.

each guage is 20 bucks. It will save you paying a safari chasing a
golden goose. Only a girly man would do otherwise.

Go, Arnold! (I really don't know anything about his "views.")

Terry K

In article ,
Tamaroak wrote:

I recently had an oil analysis done after changing my oil before winter.
They found a significant amount of antifreeze backed up by my having to
add some during the last part of the season. It's a 1987 5.7L GMC with
closed cooling and 770 hours. It uses no oil and runs great.

I'm trying to determine the possible causes. I've heard:
1. Cracked block
2. Cracked head
3. Bad head gasket
4. Bad frost plug
5. Bad coolant pump (supposedly located on pop of the engine by the
manifold)

Any other ideas?

Capt. jeff

I would discount 4 & 5, as a frost plug doesn't lead to the Base oil pan,
and water pumps aren't Base oil lubricated, so it also doesn't lead to
the oil pan. I would first look at Head Gasket, then look at cracked
head and finally cracked block. Cracked block would not happen in the
middle of the season, unless you had a Coolant FREEZE during that time
period, Cracked head, maybe, but still very unlikely for the same
reasons, except could happen if you overheated the engine recently.
Bad Head Gasket can happen anytime, and is also not to hard to deal
with, except it will require a topend disassembly, which is also
what is required for a cracked head. Cracked block will require
a complete engine removal.


Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @

Bruce makes a good point. one other thing is that you could have a cracked
head...but not causing any noticable performance difference.

it IS possible for a head to have a ever so minute crack in a water chamber
that would cause coolent to leak (under pressure) down an oil return hole, or
pushrod hole.

One thing you could do is pull the spark plugs and examine them. if coolant IS
getting into sa cylinder, then a spark plug check can tell many tales, and show
you a cylinder you are having trouble with.

Tim



I would first look at Head Gasket, then look at cracked
head and finally cracked block. Cracked block would not happen in the
middle of the season, unless you had a Coolant FREEZE during that time
period, Cracked head, maybe, but still very unlikely for the same
reasons, except could happen if you overheated the engine recently.
Bad Head Gasket can happen anytime, and is also not to hard to deal
with, except it will require a topend disassembly, which is also
what is required for a cracked head.

you are in trouble.

From: Tamaroak
Date: 11/17/2004 12:50 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

I recently had an oil analysis done after changing my oil before winter.
They found a significant amount of antifreeze backed up by my having to
add some during the last part of the season. It's a 1987 5.7L GMC with
closed cooling and 770 hours. It uses no oil and runs great.

I'm trying to determine the possible causes. I've heard:
1. Cracked block
2. Cracked head
3. Bad head gasket
4. Bad frost plug
5. Bad coolant pump (supposedly located on pop of the engine by the
manifold)

Any other ideas?

Capt. jeff

Captain? Jeff,

Numbers 1 through 3 are possible, I do not believe 4 & 5 could possibly have
anything to do with coolant in the oil. Without more info I would suspect
first the blown head gasket. It would not take much oil in the coolant to
be significant in an analysis.

I would be curious as to where the oil is around a frost/freeze plug that it
could get into the oil.

Capt. Rich
"Tamaroak" wrote in message
...
I recently had an oil analysis done after changing my oil before winter.
They found a significant amount of antifreeze backed up by my having to
add some during the last part of the season. It's a 1987 5.7L GMC with
closed cooling and 770 hours. It uses no oil and runs great.

I'm trying to determine the possible causes. I've heard:
1. Cracked block
2. Cracked head
3. Bad head gasket
4. Bad frost plug
5. Bad coolant pump (supposedly located on pop of the engine by the
manifold)

Any other ideas?

Capt. jeff




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Most common reason is a blown head gasket, then a rare cracked block or
cracked head.
Easy to verify without disassembling engine: go to auto parts / speed
shop. Get some carbon monoxide test tablets and put into radiator, run
engine for several hours, shine 'black' (UV) light into radiator and
look for fluorescence caused by the indicator chemical (tablets above)
when it binds with the CO.

If you run hard and 'shut down fast' without letting the engine self
cool by idling back to normal temps .... then expect a blown head
gasket. Of course you probably dont retorque the head bolts yearly
like you should if you are running a lot of WOT.

In article , BSCHNAUTZ
wrote:

Bruce makes a good point. one other thing is that you could have a cracked
head...but not causing any noticable performance difference.

it IS possible for a head to have a ever so minute crack in a water chamber
that would cause coolent to leak (under pressure) down an oil return hole, or
pushrod hole.

One thing you could do is pull the spark plugs and examine them. if coolant IS
getting into sa cylinder, then a spark plug check can tell many tales, and
show
you a cylinder you are having trouble with.

Tim



I would first look at Head Gasket, then look at cracked
head and finally cracked block. Cracked block would not happen in the
middle of the season, unless you had a Coolant FREEZE during that time
period, Cracked head, maybe, but still very unlikely for the same
reasons, except could happen if you overheated the engine recently.
Bad Head Gasket can happen anytime, and is also not to hard to deal
with, except it will require a topend disassembly, which is also
what is required for a cracked head.

Tamaroak wrote in message ...
I recently had an oil analysis done after changing my oil before winter.
They found a significant amount of antifreeze backed up by my having to
add some during the last part of the season. It's a 1987 5.7L GMC with
closed cooling and 770 hours. It uses no oil and runs great.

I'm trying to determine the possible causes. I've heard:
1. Cracked block
2. Cracked head
3. Bad head gasket
4. Bad frost plug
5. Bad coolant pump (supposedly located on pop of the engine by the
manifold)

Any other ideas?

Capt. jeff

Jeff, you forgot the intake manifold. A bad gasket or a crack can
cause coolant to leak into the engine.

John

Some more suspects.
1 Block off plate between riser and manifold
2 Exhaust manifold
3 Intake manifold or gasket
JIMinFL
"Rich Schultz" wrote in message
...
Captain? Jeff,


Numbers 1 through 3 are possible, I do not believe 4 & 5 could possibly
have
anything to do with coolant in the oil. Without more info I would suspect
first the blown head gasket. It would not take much oil in the coolant to
be significant in an analysis.

I would be curious as to where the oil is around a frost/freeze plug that
it
could get into the oil.

Capt. Rich
"Tamaroak" wrote in message
...
I recently had an oil analysis done after changing my oil before winter.
They found a significant amount of antifreeze backed up by my having to
add some during the last part of the season. It's a 1987 5.7L GMC with
closed cooling and 770 hours. It uses no oil and runs great.

I'm trying to determine the possible causes. I've heard:
1. Cracked block
2. Cracked head
3. Bad head gasket
4. Bad frost plug
5. Bad coolant pump (supposedly located on pop of the engine by the
manifold)

Any other ideas?

Capt. jeff




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