So, my truck is finally back on the road again. As some of you may recall from past threads, my truck sat for about 40 years. In 2012, my son and I got it running again, and it has been started and run periodically since that time--about 100 miles in all.

Today I went for a 30 mile ride on some back roads. My speed was mostly 45-50--never faster. The oil was full when I started. When I got back, I was a quart low, and the radiator looks to have oil in it. The dip stick looks fine, however. What do you guys think?





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Normally, the coolant goes into the oil.
Was the coolant system clean when you started?
Is there any signs of coolant in the oil?
Was the coolant system full when you returned?
Have you drained the coolant and let it separate?
Are you positive the oil level went down a quart?
Have you pulled the plugs?
Have you run a compression test?
Not uncommon to see a slight bit of oil sludge show up in the radiator of a vehicle that has not seen constant use.

 

Raytasch, thanks for the response. The oil was full at the start and at the add mark when I got back. The radiator and hoses are new, but the block was never flushed or anything when the radiator and hoses were replaced. I haven't drained the oil or antifreeze as yet. The oil on the stick looks good. My truck has 80,000 miles and smokes some, but I didn't notice the white plume and smell often associated with a HG failure. It's getting dark now, but will drain fluids and check spark plugs tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

The oil level issue could be as simple as the oil had drained out of the system and into the sump, having sat for some time, and showed full before you started it. Once the pump started pumping and refilling the system again, it took a quart to fill everything back up again, showing low when you finished your run. Let it sit overnight and check the oil again and see what it says. An occurrence not uncommon. Your radiator issue (if there is one) could be something else totally unrelated.

 

Someone posted a nearly identical picture over on another forum a month ago. I'd have said it was oil in the water, but surprisingly a number of professional mechanics said that some antifreezes turn into that with age.

 

It's a little dark, but I did check the plugs and the oil. The dip stick is still at the add mark with no sign of contamination. I'm almost certain it read full when I started. I checked it because on Saturday I put on 35 miles--about like today. The truck ran great on Saturday and today--a little hesitation maybe at take off, but no missing. The plugs look pretty black for just 100 miles--but there were no striking differences.

Plug pics:




This is the worst plug--the one closest to the front.




This is the best plug--second from the back. I have a 215 cid I6.

 

I'm used to seeing this situation with blown oil coolers and heat exchangers. So it's an OHV engine where the oil pressure is higher than the coolant head pressure (not the circulating pump pressure). It's been my experience that cross-contamination occurs at the point where the two liquids were separated by a gasketed joint or coupling, a failed weld or seam, or a failed carried away casting. I have never seen any anti-freeze congeal like that except in sub zero conditions with weak solutions..

 

So Mixer Man, you are saying that there are other points, besides the head gaskets, where oil could mix with the antifreeze? During Saturday's ride (35 miles) we stopped a few times to check for leaks and overheating, and we did notice that the water pump had a slow leak. Antifreeze was oozing from the little hole in the top of the casting. I stopped today too at the half way point to check things out. The water pump had the same leak. I don't believe my temp gauge is working because it never moves, but the engine did not appear unusually hot. After the engine was shut down after today's ride, however, the radiator did boil over some. I don't have an overflow tank or even a tube to carry the overflow to the ground. Thanks.

 

I found the pics from the other thread. Much like yours, except pink because it was Dexcool. I'll throw in another that was just neglected conventional antifreeze.

 

Okay, those are a first for me (been at this wrenching stuff for over 60 years) considering they are from aged anti-freeze. Guess I haven't been around where vehicles were neglected that much. My excavator's cooling system was much like the upper pic (rusty looking), but after a fresh water flush and a chemical flush and thorough rinse, and the addition of a coolant filter, it's sparkling clean like new inside.

 

Yes, although a pretty remote possibility on these small engines. Oil passages in the cylinder head for rocker oiling, compromised by erosion through the water jacket from casting sand. Coolant filters save coolant pumps and seals for the same reason.

 

Yeah, there is a thread for mechanics to post examples of what people bring into their shops. It's an eye-opener, especially the ones of cars full of rotting food, "dirty" clothes, animal waste...

Most of us on here care enough about our vehicles to pay mind to fluids and such, but to a lot of people, cars are just an appliance that you turn the key and drive until it won't go any more.

 

Thanks Ross. The pics do look like mine. It would be wonderful if just my cooling system needed to be flushed out.

When we got my Dad's truck running in 2012, we didn't change the antifreeze. We ran it just a few times though and only briefly--maybe 15 miles or so total. The old antifreeze looked alright, however, when it was finally drained--it was still nice and green! Because the radiator was found to have issues, the truck sat for about a year without one. During this period there would have been some 45 year old antifreeze still in the block exposed to air. Let's hope that this is why the antifreeze that went bad.

I'll drain the oil and antifreeze tomorrow.

 

Mixer Man, my Dad parked his truck in 1967. Maybe he started it up in his driveway occasionally into the late 80's. When my son and I started tinkering with it in 2012 the oil and antifreeze looked great--that's not saying it was great--but it looked great; not at all like Ross' pictures--or mine today.

 

I don't know if a quart would be typical, but is definitely not unusual for an engine loaded up with condensation and sludge (many short trips) to show a significant decline on the stick after a healthy road trip. Getting the motor fully warmed up to Normal Operating Temperature takes longer than you might think and it will finally burn it off. Maybe not what happened here though something to consider.