safulop

Yeah the shop has all the tools of the trade to check if it is head or oil cooler. I will keep an eye on things in the next few months and see how it goes. The signs of cross-contamination are so slight at the moment that they are ambiguous; need to get a little more clear signs before taking action.

GregBBRD

Any oil cooler leak, in the radiator, is going to put way more oil into the cooling system than the opposite.....especially in the very beginning. 80 psi of oil pressure is going to feed a lot more oil into the coolant than 14 psi of water pressure is going to feed water into the oil.

If there is no oil in the plastic tank where the cap is put on, you can virtually forget about the oil coolers, in the radiator, being the problem.

Head gasket is an obvious possiblity....but any combustion leak into the water system is going to put a LOT of pressure into the cooling system. A LOT.Keeping water in the plastic tank is going to be a real challenge. If you really study the junction between the heads and the block, there is very limited places where water can leak into the oil.

Since you have an '88, with the "early" head design, it is not uncommon for there to be a crack/cracks in the heads, where the head washers sit. This was common enough that Porsche changed the entire design of this area in 1989. Water leaking here is pretty easy to find, with the valve covers off. Simply put pressure into the water system and watch at the base of the lower washers. Water running out is bad.

If the car is an automatic, carefully inspect the crankshaft endplay. It is very common for the blocks to crack from the center main bearing up into the cylinders. Since there is water pressure on one side of the crack and just oil splash (no pressure) on the other, these crack always put water into the oil.

It doesn't take much logic to figure out these water/oil problems, in these cars. Observe what is mixed with what and then head down the appropriate road.

rgs944

https://secure.steelseal.com/index.p...FaI-Mgod6kMA5Q
I am as skeptical as anyone but all I have heard good things about this stuff.

jeff spahn

A sign for me that my head gaskets were bad was a hydrolocked motor. Took out the spark plugs and when I cranked it water flew out the holes. No guessing involved.

chrisjbell

One of the many reasons I love cars / machines, etc... usually simple to determine right from wrong.

jeff spahn

Yep. I am glad I had enough sense to know that when the engine cranks then stops with a less than normal sound, you don't crank it again. No bent rods or anything. Pulled engine, redid some things and was good to go.

SeanR

Jeff, I forget, which one was filling with H2O?

jthwan22

I use the test kit to see if headgasket is bad
http://www.blockchek.com/

jeff spahn

It was the back one on the driver side IIRC.

safulop

My shop took another look today and they decided that it was a false alarm after all. The apparent 'milk' in the crankcase was chalked up to lots of short trips in the cooler weather, leading to condensation. Also there is no clear indication of oil in the coolant either. So we're good here for another while! I've been really nervous the past few weeks.

safulop

BTW this car has over 140K miles. The odo was broken for a little bit so the current reading of 138K is not accurate but it is fairly close. Original transmission never rebuilt - strong stuff here.

dr bob

Means you need to get out and drive it I guess. Those little jaunts to the school and back aren't enough. Might want to put the fuse back in the cooling flaps at least when the weather is cooler. Headed back to Alberta next month? That should get it warmed up enough.

safulop

Yes I am planning the annual Cal-berta road trip. With luck I won't have any more belts snapping and getting Larry the Cable Guy to work on my car in the middle of nowhere. Calgary 928 guys look out, I'll be calling on you next month for a visit!

-Sean