GTA_G20

Not driving the car currently, what could be the cause? Is it possibly fixable or time for an upgrade 130k on motor

Mongo

Some 97 and 98 cars are notorious for "porous" engine cases causing a transfer between oil and coolant areas of the engine resulting in mixing. This may be the case for yours. You may want to consider an engine replacement in the near future.

GTA_G20

I was informed about cold plugs possibly faulty? Im not too sure but Im definately looking at a new powerplant for next summer just trying to extend the life a little longer

Macster

Coolant in oil can arise from several things but in your engine's case I suspect a leaking freeze plug. The heads have one each (at least) and these can fail and allow wholesale mixing of coolant and oil.

With your car's age and miles unlikely a porous engine at this stage.

A compression test could eliminate head gasket leak or cracked cylinder or possibly even a porous cylinder.

Assuming it is a freeze plug the engine will have to be removed and both heads removed and all freeze plugs in both heads renewed. Even if one head's plugs good if one side has failed the other likely can't be far behind.

Once engine back together cooling system and oil system will need attention. Cooling system needs to be drained now and later when engine back together and in car the cooling system can be flushed.

Engine oil system will need draining (the sooner the better) and refilling with fresh oil and new filter. I'd do this before any compression testing.

Then when engine back together the engine cranked over with spark plugs removed to circulate oil then this oil drained and engine refilled with fresh oil. Filter should be changed to just in case paper element picked up any water from contaminated oil.

Once engine running I'd change oil/filter once more (at least) after running engine long enough to get it and oil hot.

This cheaper than a new engine (at least one sourced from dealer and installed by dealer) but a new engine might be your better long term option. Currently engine has 130K miles and while it could last another 130K miles it is closer to its end of life likely than its beginning so a substantial repair bill could have you throwing good money after bad.

Sincerely,

Macster.

GTA_G20

appreciated mac, what would I be roughly looking atto have this work done do you reckon? Im just trying to justify price at the moment. Removing motor, removing heads etc. Am I upwards of $2k? If Im under 1k then its definately something to consider, otherwise as you stated not worth it as engine is nearing the end of its life cycle

GTA_G20

Well, just sifted through the receipts from P.O. and it states on a receipt that the right bank has coolant on the spark plugs

Macster

Assuming coolant on plugs not coming from a leak outside engine dripping coolant down onto the plugs this suggests the engine has to come out of the car and at least that head with the coolant wet plugs has to come off the engine.

If you find one freeze plug bad then not only should the bad plug be fixed but of course any other plugs in that head and then to be safe (vs. sorry) the other head needs the same treatment.

Thus you should budget from the outset ot have both heads removed and torn down and at least the freeze plugs replaced.

Now, even though the engine has 130K miles the coolant might be coming from a porous casting or more likely a possibiliity a cracked head or a cracked cylinder.

You can fumble around and try to eliminate some of these possibilities and spend no little money doing so and perhaps not have an answer that you have 100% confidence in anyway.

Unless you do the work yourself, you're likely looking at at least $1000 to remove engine and reinstall it once it whatever is wrong is fixed.

What it costs to fix engine determined by what is wrong with the engine. Freeze plugs require the heads be removed and disassembled. If engine in otherwise good shape that can be the end of the work. Or you can fall into the likely to be expensive way of thinking: While I'm there...

Obviously you don't want to ignore any condition that warrants attention, but you have to be able to judge very carefully what needs to be done vs. what doesn't need to be done.

Or you have to have someone who can do this for you.

Now a shop is probably going to want to be thorough cause if it isn't and the engine develops another problem shortly after the engine put back into service you're going to blame the shop. Maybe this blame warranted. Maybe not.

Regardless you are looking at a considerable expense. If you can get the engine removed, the problem or problems identified and if say the presence of coolant in the oil hasn't affected the main/rod/cam bearings, oil pressure pump or oil scavenge pumps, the rings, pistons, cylinders and etc, you might dodge a very big and very expensive bullet.

Sometimes the presence of antifreeze in the oil can cause a glaze to build up that causes the rings and cylinders to not seal properly. This more likely to happen in engines with cast iron cylinders though and I know of at least one person who found an engine with a failed freeze plug and wholesale intermixing of coolant and oil and the bearings and pistons/rings/cylinders suffered no after effects from this, so your engine might be (no promises) ok once the source of the intermixing addressed.

Anyhow, without knowing where you are and the labor rates of whatever shop you'll use I'd roughly estimate you are not looking at getting much change back from a $5000 bill should you move ahead on this. If you are able to do the work yourself then you might come in under $1000. This I roughly estimate would be the cost of parts (spark plugs, freeze plugs, oil, coolant, gaskets, seals, new fasteners, etc.) and other shop materials. You supply the time and labor.

Sincerely,

Macster.