2.9L Coolant in Oil, Again, WTF?!?!

[jasongind]

So I have an '88 with the 2.9L. I bought it and it had a cracked head. So I replaced the heads and everything associated with them (gaskets etc). Well a few months down the line I was driving to work and it died on me. I poped the hood and I had coolant flowing out of the upper intake. Get it home pull the heads and the right one was apparently never rebulit, all the guid seals were loose and it was warrped. So i bought some aftermarket heads, thicker walls and all that, replace everythng once again...

No problems for the last 7 months and sat I was driving on the Interstate, noticed a rattling sound coming from the right side of the motor. Like the valves were chattering real bad under acceloration above 55mph, it started to get hot. I got to where i was going popped the hood once it was cool, check the coolant and i was really low, looked under the oil filler cap and it looks like a milkshake under the cap.

Is there anything else that it could be besides the heads or gasket that could be allowing the coolent to mix with the oil. I'm about to just get rid of the truck and get somethign different after all of this...

 

[fastpakr]

Have you been replacing the head bolts each time?

 

[jasongind]

yup, new head bolts, torqued in sequance according to the manual and everything each time.

 

[cckc135r]

The only other thing I could maybe think of now would be that maybe the deck of the block could be warped too. You can have new gaskets, straight heads, but a warped or not clean deck and you would have the same problems. Once you get it pulled down again, check with a straight edge to see if that's the problem

 

[AllanD]

There is a point when you must seriously consider giving up on the 2.9 engine.

I lived with 2.9's for far longer than I should have,
but mostly because I had a supply of them, when
that supply was exhausted I gave up on the 2.9.

My switch to a 4.0 wasn't a sudden decision however,
it had been in the works for seven or eight years as I
had the 4.0 I used for that long...

AD

 

[jasongind]

The only other thing I could maybe think of now would be that maybe the deck of the block could be warped too. You can have new gaskets, straight heads, but a warped or not clean deck and you would have the same problems. Once you get it pulled down again, check with a straight edge to see if that's the problem

Thats what i was thinking also, but i figure it would have been leaking from even right after I put the new heads and stuff on. It has been a few months between installs before it starts to leak again.

I drove it like two blocks last night and now its just pouring water out the bottom. I'm going to look at it tonight and see where it is comeing from.

 

[AllanD]

Thats what i was thinking also, but i figure it would have been leaking from even right after I put the new heads and stuff on. It has been a few months between installs before it starts to leak again.

I drove it like two blocks last night and now its just pouring water out the bottom. I'm going to look at it tonight and see where it is comeing from.

You are way past the point where I would no longer be even remotely interested in why was wrong, as I've learned that there are things that
aren't worth wasting time to discover.

I'm discarded several 2.9 engines for far less than you've gone
through trying to fix that engine ONCE.

You can keep banging your head against the wall because you like the squishy sound it makes or you can decide how best to move on.

There is one thing I can say about 2.9 engines, I've pulled
the heads off more than a dozen, I NEVER put one back
together.
I've simply discarded more than that without pulling them apart to determine what exactly was wrong... there is a limit to curiosity or how much work you are willing to do to satisfy that curiosity...

The last one I pulled apart? I dismantled it only because I wanted the (spectacularly) bent connecting rod I KNEW was hiding inside the engine after it injested a couple of quarts worth of susquehanna river.

I wanted that rod as a momento

AD

 

[jasongind]

well i was out looking at it and discovered there must be a block int the radiator somewhere. The upper hose gets bulgy when its running and the pressure doesn't go anywhere until i undo that hose. The water will flow out the bottom hose into the motor until the upper gets to much pressure in it, and if i have the radiator cap off there doesnt seem to be any fluid spitting out into the "well" under the cap. So i think im gonna go check out a 2001 Ranger 4x4. It has the 3.0 V6 and 103,322 miles. anything i should know about the 3.0???

 

[AllanD]

A plugged radiator wil cause all kinds of mayhem...

The 3.0? It produces less torque than the 2.9 and you'll need to spin
it more to get at that torque and even more to get it's peak power,
but the 3.0 is a FAR more reliable engine...

AD

 

[jasongind]

I dont think I'm gonna go with the newer Ranger, they want to much for it. I might just get a junkyard radiator and see how that works out.