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Slow coolant leak in oil

Tiny
THOMAS EDWARDS
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 DODGE RAM
  • 5.2L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 2,000 MILES
I have a cloudy condition in my oil. Sent it to be analysed and it came back everything okay. I called them and sent pictures and he came up with a small amount of coolant getting into oil. The oil in the picture has 129 miles in it. Had the engine rebuilt 2,000 miles ago and changed the oil after break in and it looked the same as it does now. Have change oil 8 times since rebuild.
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Monday, April 13th, 2020 AT 9:40 AM

88 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good afternoon,

Can you repost the picture? It did not show on this thread.

This could be either a head gasket or a possible intake manifold gasket leaking.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/coolantantifreeze-in-the-engine-oil

Roy
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Monday, April 13th, 2020 AT 10:36 AM
Tiny
THOMAS EDWARDS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 1997 DODGE RAM
  • 5.2L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 2,000 MILES
I am Thomas Jones, I have talked to you before about something getting into my oil. I have ordered the things to do the test you recommended. It's going to be a few days. I have the truck listed above with 2000 miles on rebuild. I'm sending you the oil analysis hoping it may help, also I was wondering how I would know if there was a crack between cylinders, cold compression test showed all between 165/175 lbs except 5/7 75/85 warm test all 165/175 lbs 5/7 cylinders 150 lbs.
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 AT 12:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
I remember the picture you sent. It was a liquid in the oil and now I am wondering if it is fuel. The fact that they found fuel in the oil is concerning. It was not a lot but you should not have much at all and the fact that they found no Glycol (coolant) and basically no water, I would think that liquid in the oil may be fuel.

Did you smell the oil that you pulled out to see if it had any fuel smell to it?

If this is fuel then you have a possible injector issue washing down a cylinder. Let me know if the oil smells at all like fuel and we can go from there.
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 AT 12:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
I actually told my mechanic that I thought a smelled gas on the dipstick, was going to pull oil pan today but I am not up to it. What can I do about fuel blow by or whatever it is? Thank you
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 AT 1:07 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
That could be from the low compression and unburned fuel going into the pan.

Roy
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 AT 2:57 PM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Hmm, I understand it, the lowest compression was 150lbs when warm in 5/7 and 75-85lbs when cold in 5/7. I need to do another compression check.
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 AT 3:04 PM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Not sure if this helps, but only 16 inches of vacuum with all inlets plugged off. Could all this be connected?
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 AT 3:06 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
That is not good, too low. It should be 18-22 pounds. 20 is ideal.

When you checked the vacuum, did the needle jump around or was it steady?

Roy
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 AT 3:09 PM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Yes. Started at 17. Then dropped to 16 and was steady at 16.
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Thursday, April 16th, 2020 AT 9:28 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Okay, does the needle jump around while it is running? Can you upload a video of the reading while it is running?

Roy
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Thursday, April 16th, 2020 AT 9:32 AM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
I'm getting ready to take oil pan off, want to see what it looks like. The needle holds steady. I will take a picture of needle when I finish. Maybe tomorrow. I will plug off all inlets.
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Thursday, April 16th, 2020 AT 11:41 AM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Well, I I finally got it back together and oil in. Now it's raining, wanted to show you some pictures, some of the rubber may have been RTV, but some was definitely not. Only used RTV in corners of manifold, could the other be from o-rings on injectors? Also when I first took oil pan off I thought I smelled gas but later I wasn't sure. Hoping to do vacuum test but it's cold and raining. If and when it stops I will test vacuum, thank you. Thomas
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Friday, April 17th, 2020 AT 10:47 AM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Also, if you're wondering why i'm so slow, i'm disabled and pretty hard and tiring getting up and down. Lol
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Friday, April 17th, 2020 AT 10:49 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
RTV looks like skin over form one of the gaskets. It looks like the oil pan had RTV around it.

Still does not explain the coolant in the oil.

I would have pressure tested the cooling system while the pan was off to see if the intake manifold was leaking into the pan.

Roy
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Friday, April 17th, 2020 AT 11:14 AM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
I ordered a pressure tester for radiator and that blue stuff to test for gases. Then i'm going to do as many test as possible. My radiator will overflow way before it warms up, I have never seen it flowing but always have heat. Have put 3 water pumps on there and a new radiator within the last year.
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Friday, April 17th, 2020 AT 1:56 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Okay, I would also replace the thermostat as well.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-thermostat

Keep me updated. I attached some guides for you for the head gasket check and overheating.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Roy
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Friday, April 17th, 2020 AT 2:02 PM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Just wondering if it would be worth checking rad bolts torque. I have always have heat. The thermostat does open and close. I have a 195†thermostat and the scanner says its running within a few degrees of that. I had a 180 in there but it was cold. Will replace thermostat. Was wanting to go with 180 degree thermostat do to climbing mountains pulling camper. Should I take out thermostat before doing gas test?
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Friday, April 17th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Okay, use a 195 thermostat and do the head gasket test before replacing the thermostat. That way it will be accurate.

No to the head bolts. If you touch them now the gaskets will be damaged.

Roy
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Friday, April 17th, 2020 AT 5:08 PM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Okay, getting started.
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Saturday, April 18th, 2020 AT 9:27 AM
Tiny
PAUL KRAUSE2
  • MEMBER
  • 62 POSTS
Okay, trucks been running for 20 minutes, heater working, thermostat working, hose from thermostat hot, other side of radiator cold. Stuck my finger in there, bottom hose cold ! Suppose to be warm before test. Radiator was a little low but but overflow tank above full, where its been forever. Had never had any problems with this truck until we replaced plenum and my cousin worked on it,
40 + years mechanic.
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Saturday, April 18th, 2020 AT 11:09 AM

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