Oil residue in coolant tank = blown head gasket?

[Fkyx]

I'd just like to make sure. It looks like there's some oil in my coolant tank, and my car has started smoking if I push it hard for any length of time. I'm assuming it's oil dripping on the exhaust.

If I do have a blown head gasket, how much am I looking at for a replacement, and what's the part #? Thanks.

[flatoutfred]

Uh! yeah oil in coolant is pretty much always a blown head gasket. Except if your girlfriend thought that's where you put the oil!

Have you notice a compression loss?

Rockauto parts retails the kit 227$ + shipping.

I've never done it on a scooby but I guess it's a hell of a job since you have to do both sides and there'is barely no space to work.


Good luck

[evolutionmovement]

Is it oil or corrosion? A little skin of black on top could just be internal corrosion. Oil in the coolant should look almost like chocolate milk.

[Fkyx]

I haven't pulled the tank to empty it out, yet, but I pulled the tube out and it was covered in oil. Can't really tell much from looking into the tank, but it definitely doesn't have that clear "coolant look". Somehow, the socket I need is the one size I don't have on me currently.

Is there any way to notice compression loss short of pulling things apart? I did notice the turbo whine isn't consistent (a little choppy)... if that might be related. I've been staying out of boost as much as possible because it seems like my engine is ready to take a massive dump. lol

[Aerotech]

There is another possibility; since it's a '91, you have the early heat-exchanger/oil cooler setup, which was redesigned later to solve an internal leak problem. Mine broke, and I ended up with oil in my coolant tank, the amount of oil proportional to how hard I pushed the car that day. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from for a while, and it cost me two full sets of engine coolant hoses over about 3 years, and at least two trips on a flatbed when one of the hoses would burst on the highway; the oil degrades the rubber and they soften and swell.
It never went the other way, either... never any water in the oil. But the tank is the last place it ends up after floating up to the top.
If you determine your headgaskets are OK, check this out, it's a known problem.... unfortunately, not a cheap fix, unless you can source a good used one.

And... I do have a cooler available, the one I bought new about 5 years ago for my SS. Since the RS-RA came with a cooler on it already, I have a spare. Let me know, I hope it's not your headgaskets; I'm still putting mine back together again after changing them. PITA

[flatoutfred]

You should already feel that your engine has'nt the power he had before.

For a quick ghetto compression test,
while driving put the car into 4th or 5th gear so the engine willl be reving really low and try to accelerate. If your engine is has trouble reving up.
Or on the highway, if you know that your car usualy rev 2800 at 75mph and now he's reving higher to keep the same speed.

[Fkyx]

You should already feel that your engine has'nt the power he had before.

The problem came up after I had gone a few months granny-ing it to save gas. The first time I pushed it, it began to smoke a little. I don't really have a reference point in terms of power before and after the smoke.

The car does still pull hard through first and second, and reaches 100mph about as quickly as I ever remember... but I may have had the problem this whole time. I have no idea.

[93forestpearl]

There is another possibility; since it's a '91, you have the early heat-exchanger/oil cooler setup, which was redesigned later to solve an internal leak problem. Mine broke, and I ended up with oil in my coolant tank, the amount of oil proportional to how hard I pushed the car that day. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from for a while, and it cost me two full sets of engine coolant hoses over about 3 years, and at least two trips on a flatbed when one of the hoses would burst on the highway; the oil degrades the rubber and they soften and swell.
It never went the other way, either... never any water in the oil. But the tank is the last place it ends up after floating up to the top.
If you determine your headgaskets are OK, check this out, it's a known problem.... unfortunately, not a cheap fix, unless you can source a good used one.

And... I do have a cooler available, the one I bought new about 5 years ago for my SS. Since the RS-RA came with a cooler on it already, I have a spare. Let me know, I hope it's not your headgaskets; I'm still putting mine back together again after changing them. PITA

Hmmm. I was unaware of hte problem with the '91 cooler. I've been using one for some time without issue. I do have a newer one I could swap in.


Yeah, coolant hoses are not oil rated. I learned that with my first oil drain. The heater hose balooned up pretty nice.