JMD

So true, the condensation of water in the oil gets worse if an engine is only used for "short runs" and/or bouts of idling in a garage.

This might lead someone to fix stuff that ain't broke....

The_Dude

A garage should have a tool to test for exhaust gases in the radiator, which is a pretty good indicator of a bad head gasket.

guitarman376

Contrary to what you will hear from many people, it is possible to have oil in the coolant and no water/coolant in your oil with a head gasket issue. I actually am having my motor rebuilt right now. Clogged coolant passages caused hot spots which somehow disturbed the head gasket enough to allow oil into the cooling system but not the other way around. Like everyone else said, you better pay close attention to fluid conditions and levels, as well as the temp gauge.

andrewmp6

Just drive it some if the milky stuff goes away its just from sitting if it stays then you got a problem.

JMD

Not saying it isn't possible, but due to the engine design, getting oil in the water without getting water in the oil, because of a blown head gasket, is going to be extremely unlikely and/or RARE.

Reason being is that there is no pressurized oil passing through the head gasket. As a general rule, it is going to take a little pressure to get more than a small amount of oil into the cooling system.

On the other side of the spectrum, the coolant is under routine pressure, and from a gasket leak, the coolant can simply fall into the oil pan.

The only viable path I can visualize for oil to get into water without (much) without water getting into the oil, would require the engine to have....

1. Excellent piston ring seal

2. Blown head gasket, (combustion chamber to coolant)

3. Amazingly poor intake guide fit and seal on the cylinder with the blown gasket

The scenario I see is the guide dumping a lot of oil down a cylinder on the intake stroke, and then the oil being pumped into the water on the compression stroke.

Could happen.....

eZ

wasnt there a time where there was an additive you could put in your coolant to help stop leaks that would make it that milky texture also. far fetched i know but only idea that hasnt been thrown out there

guitarman376

JMD: I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, the first two conditions you stated were exactly where my motor was at. The machinist said the ring seals/compression were still excellent on my motor. I suspected that the hot spot problem I was having also disrupted the intake to head seal, but I am unsure. Hard to imagine I know, but the car was driven about 20,000 miles with pretty severely clogged coolant passages. The problem wasn't catastrophic until right before I decided to have it stripped down, boiled, and rebuilt.
eZ: yea there are other additives that do that too, I know for sure that some of the stuff named Radiator Flush (the one that you leave in your engine for 6 running hrs or whatever) does that and who know how many other ones there are.