Flash70

Ok so my car hasn't been driven in awhile only started up and run once a week. The other day I went out to check my fluid levels and my oil was unusually high. I then checked the radiator and sure enough there was oil floating on top. It is not milky like the oil pictures I find when searching head gasket problems. Another curious detail is that my exhaust pipes are now rusting on the inside. I assume this means they are mixing somewhere??


Short of doing a compression test is there anything I can do to test if it is a head gasket or another gasket?? Also are there any precautions I can take to make sure the least amount of damage is done? Should I drain all the fluid in the radiator and the oil from the engine? I can not afford a repair like this at the moment so it may be sitting for a little bit...

Thanks!

rmodel65

you can get a loan a tool from autozone to pressurize the cooling system....also your gonna get rust in the exhaust if you dont drive it often esp if its only short distances because water is a by product of combustion but short trips dont get all the collected water out of the exhaust system

frdnut

Compression test will probably not show the problem..Could also be intake gaskets leaking..I would try removing the intake first and taking a look at the gaskets..

guitarman376

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but it sounds like a head gasket issue. Without pictures its difficult to diagnose, but it seems unlikely that oil in the valve train would leak through the intake if the car was sitting. That being said, I agree with frdnut; removing the intake first would be a logical next step. Either way, I wouldn't run the engine until its fixed

frdnut

I agree but anti freeze could leak past a bad intake gasket and get into the oil via the lifter galley...Probably not as likely as a head gasket but since you need to remove the intake to change out the head gaskets anyway might as well have a good close look at the intake gaskets as well....Hopefully nothing is cracked?

Flash70

Should I drain both the coolant and engine oil? Or leave it in there? I won't be able to get at the engine for another 2weeks.

It is strange because the engine never overheats. And there are no symptoms besides oil in the radiator. It must have been how the engine was put together because it was barely driven (I have been in the process of saving up for a paint job).

Thanks for the comments.

rmodel65

do you have an automatic?? might be transmission fluid in the radiator and not oil...

jlg2002

pull the plugs look for rust on them; if none found, crank the starter you'll see coolant eject from the affect cylinder if its a crack or head gasket issue.

kalli

very good idea. however if that happens, it could be intake or gasket as well.
anyway at least you know there's something wrong.
If that happens you should have plenty of white smoke with engine running

MustangFTW

Taking of the intake manifold takes a minute or so, see what kind of condition the gaskets are in. make sure when/if you replace gaskets that you torque the bolts in the correct order to the specified torque.