serious sludge problem in my cooling system

[kikkegek]

guys,

please help.

I has taken me over a year to close all the small cooling leaks in my car. Finally I have no visible cooling leaks anymore and for a short time I lost no cooling liquid.

Before I went away for a week I topped off the cooling system and left the car for my wife. I also topped of the engine oil. I loose about 1 liter of engine oil every 1000km (say 600 miles), but never find any oil in my cooling system nor under the car. also my exhaust doesnt smell like burned oil.

She has driven it only for a couple of very short drives, but the car produces a lot of white smoke, doesnt idle nice anymore (like it has a cold), and I had to fill over a quart of cooling liquid when I got back after 8 days.

I opened the cooling system and found these pics. a sh1tload of what seems sludge...what is going on? any ideas?

[frydaddys87]

that looks to be a blown head gasket. it will look just like that when the gasket blows and mixes the oil with water.

[Weasel Diesel]

Sorry, I am the bearer of bad news. That IS oil in your cooling system. Now, from the indicators that you have given, White smoke, runs bad, ect., I believe the head gasket has went on ya. SO,... you are going to need to pull the heads, look for a visible gasket problem, have the heads checked for warpage, and cracks. There is a slight possibility of the intake gasket being the problem, BUT with the symptoms you stated, I'd say HG. I feel for ya partner, that isn't good at all.

[kikkegek]

[old Rusty C10]

make sure that when you have this apart you also check the block for cracks

[kikkegek]

I'll do that, thanks!

I am calling a shop I know tomorrow afternoon...hope it isnt too crazy...I'll report back

[terryj]

You may as well replace both head gaskets, flush out the cooling system and have the heads checked for cracks. Here in the states if a shop was going to do that it would cost about 1500 dollars. Good luck

[Gyawo]

You should open a milkshake shop with that thing! Suck when it happens, cause its usually too late before you notice it. Lucky it wasn't oil in the crankcase though, cause that means a brand new block instead of just head gasket/heads.

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by Weasel Diesel

Sorry, I am the bearer of bad news. That IS oil in your cooling system. Now, from the indicators that you have given, White smoke, runs bad, ect., I believe the head gasket has went on ya. SO,... you are going to need to pull the heads, look for a visible gasket problem, have the heads checked for warpage, and cracks. There is a slight possibility of the intake gasket being the problem, BUT with the symptoms you stated, I'd say HG. I feel for ya partner, that isn't good at all.

thanks for the reply. I got a question for you.

Is there a way to determine if it is the intake gasket? without opening up the whole thing? so do the HG and IG have different symptoms? can I see some thing on the sparkplugs?

in about 1,5 weeks our local shop will inspect the engine by slowly dismantling it, but I hope to solve it myself beforehand...any help is welcome.

[old Rusty C10]

you can do a compression test and see if its isolated to one or two cylinders that should tell you what side is the culprit between on at which cylinder...
Assuming its an 8 id do both headgaskets its not that much more to take it apart and frankly if youve got an older motor id prolly do a timing chain water pump and if the valve seals are questionable id do that too while its apart

[motornut]

WOW dam thats a mess
running rough, pull a plug wire off see when it changes/or not
how is the oil?
might be rebuild time,would help fuel mileage
but dam that sucks

[Weasel Diesel]

Originally Posted by kikkegek

thanks for the reply. I got a question for you.

Is there a way to determine if it is the intake gasket? without opening up the whole thing? so do the HG and IG have different symptoms? can I see some thing on the sparkplugs?

in about 1,5 weeks our local shop will inspect the engine by slowly dismantling it, but I hope to solve it myself beforehand...any help is welcome.

Well there is a tester that can be used to detect exhaust gasses in the cooling system. It uses a fluid that will change from Blue to Green if present. A bad intake gasket would not put exhaust gasses into the cooling system. Most shops that do engine work has one. Now,... You said that you have had multiple leaks you had to seal up in the cooling system. This would be an indicator that pressure has been high in the system. By pumping exhaust gas into the system, ( like an air comressor ) that would build pressure alot. I truly think it is going to turn out to be HG, or head problem. Don't forget to have that cooling system & block flushed out DARN good after the repair!

[kikkegek]

yeah...I did some more searching and reading today and came to the conclusion that I always have a upper radiator hose I can not pinch anymore, because it is rockhard from pressure, when the thermostat hasnt even opened yet...that is probably the best prove for either a broken headgasket or a crack somewhere in the engine...

and yes, thats probably why I went from one leaking hose connection to the other...just a pressure that is way too high...hope we can fix it soon....

thanks guys.

[rwhit57]

I don't know how long you drove it like that but consider the wear on the bearings having that sludge for lubricant. Then I would consider how many miles on the motor before I started throwing time and money at it. I know what I would do but I don't know what's available where your at. I would buy me a Goodwrench 350(about $1500) here and swap stuff over and be done with it. Just my opinion. Good luck with it

[Gyawo]

I don't know how long you drove it like that but consider the wear on the bearings having that sludge for lubricant.

That wasn't in his crankcase... That was in his radiator/coolant passages.

[rwhit57]

Originally Posted by Gyawo

That wasn't in his crankcase... That was in his radiator/coolant passages.

LOL at myself! What was I thinkin? Still the crate motors are a good way to go. You could easily spend a good chunk of change and time to find out a head is cracked or the block. I'll try to pay more attention.