Oil In Coolant

[drmayf]

Truck is 1997, 3.0L naturally, Splash version, manual trans. Won truck at Football game is '97, new. Less than 84000 miles. Found a spot under the truck in the driveway about where the lower hose is located on rad. Hose was dry to the touch, dusty even. Next day, fired it up and let it come to temp and found that it was weeping from the driver side plastic rad tank. Bulged out and the ribs on it broken. Purchased new radiator along with a water pump and thermostat. Then went at it: drained the rad and coolant was dark but still green. some spilled on driveway and next day it looks oily. Pulled the upper hose from the radiator and YIKES, actual oil in the hose! I am guessing that the radiator was broken because it was being over pressurized by faulty head gasket or some such and therein is my problem. If the rad is a closed system then how does the oil get in and where is it likely to be coming from> Have checked driver's side plugs and they look perfect for age. Nice brown tan color and all. No water nor oil, just great. Pulled dip stick, no water in oil in pan, ie no milkshake syndrome. I will take a look at the P side plugs as soon as I can get back to it, but what else should I be looking for? I am puzzled as to how oil of the quantity got into the radiator. And from how and what caused it.

Any thoughts, comments, or education for me?
ok to pm me if you have a solution for me. Or in making me smarter which is easy...

drmayf

 

[adsm08]

I would either glove test it, or get an actual combustion tester and test it. You might have a head or gasket issue.

However that usually results only in coolant in the oil, not the other way around. It's a gravity thing.

The 3.0 has an issue where the timing cover gasket fails and allows mixing where the coolant passages to and from the water pump return to the block, through the front cover. This is probably where your problem is.

 

[drmayf]

Thank you, I had not even considered that. And my son had an explorer that had a timing cover gasket issue, just no coolant involved on it though. Again, many thanks for a possible new lead and maybe a lot less work.

drmayf