Oil in Radiator!?!?!? Friend needs help.

kino_fab

kino_fab

KTPA Tech Official
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
Messages
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I got a friend with a 2000 quad cab and he is getting oil in the radiator. We were at a pull in Jamestown TN last night and he was just checking his oil and saw it was a little over full. Another friend of ours said it seemed like it had fuel mixed with it. He then pulled the radiator cap and seen there was oil sludge inside the radiator. The truck doesn't seem to run any different than before. He has to add oil to it every now and then because he has a leak at the front of the motor (not sure where). I'm thinking he may have just over filled his oil last time he added, but that still doesn't answer why there is oil in the radiator. The only thing we can guess is there is a bad spot in the head gasket. If so he would like to use a CR gasket, but we ware not sure if the CR gasket will work on the older 24V's. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
 
Its either a headgasket or the oil cooler. Hope for the oil cooler, its easier.
 
is the oil cooler made into the Radiator, kinda like a tranny cooler, or no?
 
THe oil cooler on the side of the block can leak and will mix water + oil. The CR headgasket isn't the same as a 24v gasket and will not work.
 
I've been there with the radiator full of 3 gals of oil. It was the Oil cooler. The dealer sells them for about $500. Its bolted to the side of the block where the oil filter sits. I know someone around here that'll sell them for around $50 but its used which is what i did. The gaskets total up to about $60 and its not that bad to do. I ran half a bottle of simple green and water in my radiator everyday for about 2 weeks and flushed it out everynight with an ocational add of dishwasher soap. It works great and cheaper than a new radiator. I've heard baking soda works good to but never tried it.
 
Thanks for the input guys. So how do you diagnose if its the oil cooler or a head gasket? I know his oil pressure is stays about 40-50lbs idle, and about 60-70ish down the road. His water temp never gets over 160 either, even if you drive it hard for a good while. BTW, the truck has around 260K miles as well.
 
lol, flip a coin? When My head blew it was clearly comming down the side of the block. Is there any easy accurate way to know if one's blown but leaking internally?
 
Pressure test the cooling system and compression/leak down test the cylinders.
 
Thanks guys. I'll let him know his options tomorrow. I'll make sure he is sitting down lol.
 
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