Oil in coolant different question

Sebscst · 07-07-2014, 01:43 PM

Saw an 85/2 thats in great condition minus oil in the coolant . How safe would it be to drive this car 60 miles back to my home. Is there anything i could do to avoid any problems on the drive or does it have to be towed.

Thanks

POPS 83 944 · POPS 83 944's Garage

I would tow it, you don't want to mess the crank up by spinning a rod barring.

Bradical · 07-07-2014, 02:46 PM

How safe would it be to drive 60 miles with your oil pan filled with coolant?

A sufficient flat bed trailer rented from uhaul costs $50 for the day.

Slam · 07-07-2014, 03:00 PM

Hmmm... How much oil?

As long as there's no coolant in the oil, I'd go ahead and drive it. Really. Oil in the coolant is just gonna make a mess of your cooling system (which it already has anyway). But coolant in the oil is another matter entirely.

9FF · 07-07-2014, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bradical

How safe would it be to drive 60 miles with your oil pan filled with coolant?....

He has oil in coolant not coolant in oil.

I've done it for 10 miles just to get it home at night with signs of oil in my coolant. I topped up the oil level and had an eye on the oil pressure and coolant temp all the way. If I had to move it any further I would definitely get it towed as Bradical and other posters have said.

flash968 · 07-07-2014, 03:29 PM

oil in the coolant is almost worse. it's all but impossible to get out of a radiator. but, if it's already there, the damage is done, and you're likely buying a new radiator anyway.

that being said, if the liquids are mixing in one direction, it's only a matter of time before they go the other way.

Sebscst · 07-07-2014, 03:31 PM

Thanks i guess some more information would have been helpful. The owner passed away about a month ago and his widow said he had just found out about the issue. This is a one owner. I could not believe good this car looks plus all the records. Is there a way to tell if it has a spun rod bearing. She was not home when i saw the car yesterday, so i was unable to start. I looked at everything i could but have not heard it run. Will it be ok to start and take around the block.

flash968 · 07-07-2014, 03:38 PM

if there is a liquid where it shouldn't be, i would not start the car - period. if you are lucky enough not to have coolant in the oil, i would not risk it, as a failure will result in having to pull the motor to flush it out.

failing obvious things like oil pressure failure, or noise, the only real way to see if a bearing spun is to pull the bearing.

John_AZ · 07-07-2014, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slam

Hmmm... How much oil?

As long as there's no coolant in the oil, I'd go ahead and drive it. Really. Oil in the coolant is just gonna make a mess of your cooling system (which it already has anyway). But coolant in the oil is another matter entirely.

+1^

I bet there are a lot of cars with an oil sludge in the coolant reservoir needing to be fixed...

J_AZ

Sebscst · 07-07-2014, 04:29 PM

Should i drain some oil out of the pan just to be sure there is no mixing of coolant besides just checking the dipstick and looking for moisture on the oil cap.

9FF · 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flash968

oil in the coolant is almost worse. it's all but impossible to get out of a radiator. but, if it's already there, the damage is done, and you're likely buying a new radiator anyway.

Why? Just flush radiator with solvent and then water and your gtg. Change all the rubber coolant pipes but not the radiator.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flash968

that being said, if the liquids are mixing in one direction, it's only a matter of time before they go the other way.

Highly unlikely, oil pressure is always higher than coolant pressure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebscst

Should i drain some oil out of the pan just to be sure there is no mixing of coolant besides just checking the dipstick and looking for moisture on the oil cap.

Coolant in oil is a different story and can cause severe damage very quickly. Wouldn't hurt draining some oil out and checking to be sure. Moisture on the oil cap is not a foolproof method as cars that have been sitting then started tend to have some moisture there anyway.

Volhv · Volhv's Garage

I'd drive it if oil looks free of coolant.
You could pull the drain plug, if it's been not started for months. Hopefully the coolant would have settled to the bottom of the pan. But if its been run, it will be mixed with oil pretty well.

True, oil pressure is higher than coolant pressure,
BUT
once you turn off the car..
What happens to the oil pressure? Goes to 0 instantly.
What happens to coolant pressure? Stays pressurized till it cools down.

I've cleaned out oil sludge from my radiator and coolant tank with gasoline. Did not break down the plastic. 3 years later over 10 000 miles... all is good.

Honestly if, the problem just started, it should be fine to drive...... if you're really paranoid, change the oil.

flash968 · 07-07-2014, 07:44 PM

the capillaries are too small to flush out oil. it will cling to the sides. you can't use solvent either, due to the seal at the plastic tanks. you can't even rod out these radiators, nor can you take them apart and successfully reseal them. they almost always leak. pretty crappy design actually. to flush it out with any kind of cleaner, assuming you can find one that won't eat the seal, you would have to do it under pressure at high volume. otherwise, it will just leave the oil there. you can see this from the film that is on top of the coolant in the reservoir. i've recently had to deal with this myself, and even with everybody i knew, i struck out. you would be extremely lucky if you were able to flush that out.

if i absolutely had to run it, i would drain the radiator and engine, flush the cooling system completely, and run straight water in the cooling system until i could get it to the shop.

this is all really dumb though. a tow is much cheaper than the repair needed if you guess wrong. i don't see the point in risking it. tow it, drain it, change the gasket and anything else amiss, and be done with it.

Slam · 07-08-2014, 08:17 AM

Well there you go, Sebscst: from the paranoid to the cavalier. I guess now it comes down to your level of risk acceptance, hey?

Cheers and good luck!

flash968 · 07-08-2014, 01:17 PM

lol - funny

Sebscst · 07-08-2014, 02:45 PM

Yes the responses definitely ran the gauntlet. Unfortunately it was for naught upon a better inspection of the car there was coolant in the oil also. And at some point the hood and bumper were switched possibly due to accident. I almost bought it for the interior alone. Thanks for all the help, guess ill go back to installing a head and timing belt on my 83

dp951 · dp951's Garage

Tow it

azbanks · azbanks's Garage

I know this is an old thread but I drove my car home from Willow Springs to Phoenix and then from Phoenix to north of Vegas and back with oil mixing into the coolant. There is no/0/nada coolant in my oil.

kdjones2000 · kdjones2000's Garage

Take the oil an have it analyzed. My guess is that you have some coolant in the oil that your eye can't see.