Hi I had one forum going already but it got deleted somehow.... So I have an 02 7.3 E350. I pulled the valve covers and all the injectors already. Reason for doing that is to get all the sludge junk out. But I plan on topping the radiator off with water then pressure testing it and hopefully I can hear where this coolant is getting in at. My point in posting again though is because someone mentioned the oil cooler rings blowing out. I thought if the oil cooler went out that would make oil go in the coolant? Not coolant in the oil or am I wrong? Also I drained some of the coolant and it was very brown. Not sure if that's just some nasty old gold coolant or what. And the previous owner claims he switched the oil cooler and that didn't fix anything. Well I looked at the oil cooler and it looks like it came from a junkyard so who knows maybe he threw another bad cooler in it. This van has 235k on it.

 

I forgot to mention he said it was smoking white really bad when it started acting up. So I'm leaning toward a head gasket is blown. But hey of anyway has suggestions of other thing to check please say something! Thanks

 

internals of oil cooler, cavitation behind the waterpump, o-rings around injectors...

 

After you shut down, the coolant stays under pressure while there is no oil pressure... but I doubt you have pressurized oil on the other side of the coolant leak. This could be a head gasket thing (rare) or a front engine cover thing (behind water pump).

 

Guys I think I'm onto something. I filled the resivoir with water today and left for work. Well I came back to an empty resivoir so I pulled the drain plug on the oil. Wala! Water! One thing I did notice is black coolant in my resivoir once I filled it so maybe oil?! Can that happen?!

 

i vote, internals of oil cooler is shot, for that much water to dump into case.

 

Internals as in the whole oil cooler is junk? Or I can simply rebuild it?

 

You can rebuild it...search for it, there is a good set of instructions.

 

I think tim is suggesting that the integrity of the hard parts inside the oil cooler have been comprised. If that is the case... yes they can be repaired... but you need a metal shop to do it...

If it just orings... that is an easy job... if not a bit messy...

 

That's why I was confused. He said internals. Well there is internal o rings and the internal part of the oil cooler. I wasn't sure if that could go bad over time. I pulled it off earlier before work. Hopefully tonight I can get it apart and inspect it

 

sorry bud, but ya, what Chris said. I was try'n to find the thread where its a similar situation, your having. Ended up being the "guts" of the cooler.

 

Hmmm. Is there a way to test the guts of the cooler so I can verify this before I put it together?

 

Those little tubes that run the length of the cooler... those are the water jackets... plug one... and pressurize it from the other end... maybe 15-20psi of air or water pressure.

Test every one of the water jacket tubes.

 

I just got the oil cooler apart the inner o rings weren't brittle but obviously they are smashed flat. The outers snapped instantly and smashed flat again. Ill pressure test the cooler here in a minute

 

I'm not having any luck making this thing leak but I filled the oil part of the cooler with mineral spirits so ill let that sit all day and check randomly for wet spots.