Unless the heater valve is bad?

 

The heater valve fails open, but you're right, it should be checked.. Certainly, with all the gunk Keith found, there could be an obstruction. I would pull off the heater hose and see if there is significant flow or not out of the block.

 

Exhaust gases or air in the coolant will not transfer heat to the thermostat as well as water which would explain why the thermostat isn't opening. As recommended earlier, pull the plugs and check for contaminants, run a compression test and watch for more than a 25% drop. If it is a bad headgasket, the heads can be pulled without removing the engine. Both heads should be done at the same time unless you want a repeat performance in the near future.

Dennis

 

Thanks Bill, I'll take a gander at the materials you've assigned Keith here's a hug for you big guy, I am sorry about all this crap, and you don't deserve it. So ... this is the forst time you've changed oil? Dude you've had the car a while now. I know how it goes though, time gets away from you. Either way I think your radator and heater core are likely suspects....

 

Well it would be great if the radiator that you put in has a bad side tank, and that there possibly wasnt enough coolant in the engine to have it topped off , (To fill your cooling system i have found that its best to fill the bottle to about 3/4 full after you have already had the car running with the heater on full , after the temps stabilise drive the car for about 5 miles this helps move coolant around and then let it sit and cool off, after this open the cap and top it off) I am wondering How did you come to this car anyway, what kind of condition was it in, you said that you just changed the oil and it was very dirty so that means that there wasnt any oil mixing with the coolant, prior to this lets try to figure out what changed between the old oil and the new. It might be a good idea to drain the oil out asap so it doesnt mess up the engine bearings, I dont think that you had enough time to damage the rod/mains with the milkshake oil, you should probably run some kind of new oil through the engie possibly with the oil lines disconnected from the radiator, Ahh you could remove the oil lines and get a cooling system pressure tester and with the oil lines removed pressure test the cooling system this will tell you if the rad has an internal leak. If so I would bypass the oil cooler and get fresh oil in the engine you might want to use some junk oil as it will be nasty hopfully flushing out the bearings and the lifters

 

Stan that's not how I read it?

 

Keith,

I'm with Dennis on the idea that you are pumping combustion gasses into the system, and that they are gathering in the thermo bridge and not causing it to open.

Do a compression check and either confirm or eliminate the headgasket as suspect. It's relatively quick and easy. Whatever the failure is, it's a big enough failure to allow both combustion gasses into coolant, and coolant into oil. That points to headgasket rather than block crack, if that adds any comfort. Take a careful look at the plugs too-- If they were getting wet with coolant, there are usually telltale splash stains on the insulators (depends on the dye in the coolant...) or they will be very white from the water-washing/steam cleaning.

Motor out is always fun, but will likely be less work in the long run, as opposed to trying to wrestle heads in and out of the narrow engine bay. Engine out means you get to steam clean. pressure wash, scrub/polish/wax all the engine bay surfaces. That's a lot of fun too.

 

Wow Bill, that's some great info on coolant. I thought it deserved its own thread.

Keith-
Sorry to hear your problems. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you that it's just the rad.

 

Ahh thanks H, I didnt go back and read this I was going on memory, thanks for pointing it out, Sorry for my confusion.
And since this was already posted about the Mochachino oil condition this is an even better clue as to the condition of the engine.
So a compression test for diagnostics then pull the engine out and take it apart or replace it, as there is no telling how much coolant /oil has been in the oil passages for how long a time period??

 

Keith, when was the last time you pulled the dipstick and saw the condition of the oil?

 

First off. I have had the car since this past Oct. It is a 1982 Euro 4.7L CIS. The MOST it has ever been driven is around the block or to the gas station and back which is a 1/4 mile round trip....and THAT has only happened twice. The car isn't even registered yet. If I put 1 mile on the car since i have had it, then that is optimistic.

I bought it knowing it had an overheating issue and it needed some tending to maintenance wise what ever. I checked the oil several times since I have had it and the oil was uncontaminated. In chasing the cooling issue, I had changed out the radiator from another car I have as the original had a leak in it. The water in the oil that I drained yesterday was the first I saw of this. And of course when I checked the new oil. In retrospect, the other day I had noticed some coolant at the header between the oil cooler and the main tank on the radiator but didn't think much of it.

Now after I have had time to think about the whole scenario, the radiator does seem suspect.

So this is what I am going to do at this time.
1) Drain the oil and loop the feed and return from the
cooler.
2) Plug the rad main tank at the bottom outlet, pressurize and see if water comes out of the return of the
oil cooler tank.
3) Check plugs
4) Compression test

Will report back then.

FWIW, I can see the header on the main tank breaking and mixing with the oil cooler if there is enough pressure in the cooling system while revving. The WP would be pumping furiously into the rad when there is no flow at the other end where the t-stat is. I felt the hoses at one point to check for temp and they were hard as can be fully pressurized! I still keep coming back to something blocking the flow of coolant at the water bridge. Water is not getting to the bridge/t-stat to open it up.

Anyway, thank you for all of the advice. It is time to do a process of elimination with all this new info.

 

Keith: If your car's heater never gets warm, it's more than a waterbridge/t-stat issue.

 

Hey Keith, I thought it was your GTS. Guess I missed where you said it wasn't. I'm relieved it isn't!! Now it all makes a lot more sense. Either way man I'm glad you caught it.

 

Sludge anywhere near Keith's GTS? - NEVER!

 

though a HG is a possibility, imo it is not likely.
after testing the rad, and if you do a compression test, fill the system with coolant/water.
once you think you have it full remove the temp sensor from the top of the coolant bridge, while this is out squeeze the rad hoses and let go, repeat, this moves the coolant in the system and you will be able to get every last drop of air out. With the passages of oil and coolant around the head, a compression test will not actually find the problem that you are seeing. it will only tell you if the gasket is blown into the water jacket and if it was you would have ALOT of white smoke out the back. It wont cause the two fluids to really mix as you are seeing.