Author Topic: Head gasket or what? (Read 4328 times)

Buckracer · « **on:** June 02, 2008, 10:33:05 pm »

maybe 10,000 miles ago, I noticed I was getting oil in my coolant. I found that most cars that this happens in, it ends up being just the oil cooler. well I drve on it and it has run like a top, just slow as hell like it has always been. I finally got time to do some major overhauling, timing belt, suspension parts all around, new brakes and a new oil cooler ad fuel filter and the list goes on.

my main question, did some diesels not come with the oil cooler? because mine is NOT THERE. :shock: just mounting flange to filter for me. this also means i have no hoses either to get coolant from! I dont even see the hose I'm looking for on germanautoparts.com

Thsi car also had something rigged up with the fuel filter too, the in and out lines are hooked up but there is a screw in the hole in the top of the filter, and a union between the two hoses that should do seomthing with the filter right there.... needless to say, the car has been hacked before by an "import mechanic" ie, I have metric tools....

sorry to ramble but, if I have no oil cooler hooked up, where is the oil getting into the coolant? after 10k and pushing the temp wayyyy up there on this car many times since then, could it be a head gasket? I figured that thing would have gone sky high by now if that were the case. I know I have some blow by, but if a headgasket leak were that bad, would the car even start? I'd think the compression would be nothing.

I really don't know!!!

Op-Ivy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 03, 2008, 08:58:18 am »

Diesels with AC had the oil cooler.

Oil in your coolant is a classic sign of headgasket problems. I doubt that an oil cooler would ever leak oil into the cooling system.

When was the last time it was changed on your car?

jtanguay · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2008, 10:05:48 am »

turbodiesels had the oil cooler and n/a diesels did not have the oil cooler, except 1.9 N/A motors.

Buckracer · « **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2008, 11:21:25 am »

Ok that is enlightening. mine is N/A. but why is it just a little in the oil? and why hasnt it blown up by now. an easy 10k on it the way it is right now. Im racking my brain in hopes to find some other place the oil could get in the coolant, but I'm stumped. I just dont want to have a head gasket done... I'm not sure when that last HG was done, its got 250-260k on it now. I've got the whole thing apart right now, to do a timing belt, I just dont trust myself with a HG job... Im also worried because its been burping a little oil from the dipstick like the rings are going/gone.

bottom line this is looking grim! :x

Quantum TD · « **Reply #4 on:** June 03, 2008, 01:01:55 pm »

Burping oil usually means blown rings, unless your crankcase vent system is clogged. It's possible that you're losing compression into the case too. So, it may be a one-stop fix.

Generally, I find that the old 1.6 mechanical motors do not hold up so well to high mileage (like say over 200k), before they need a complete re-bore, rebuild. Especially the Brazilian blocks. There are obvious exceptions. But, cars with multiple owners and sketchy histories tend to need bottom end work by the time the HG fails. Might be time to look at a rebuild.

Now, if you have a 1.6 hydro with a good german block, you might be able to get away with a re-ring and a HG. If you do pull the head, it's a good time to have the valve guides and seals replaced, and the exhaust valves. By now, the stems on the exhaust valves are sure to be completely pitted.

Good luck

Buckracer · « **Reply #5 on:** June 03, 2008, 02:02:07 pm »

the car was bought new by my grandfather in 89. its a german made, wolfsburg edition. he hit a deer with it and i bought it from him last june. the car has needed little things but this sucks. I just dont trust myself with engine work of this calliber...

Quantum TD · « **Reply #6 on:** June 03, 2008, 02:29:01 pm »

Well, it's not the end of the world. People have fixed worse. I'd say, if you did it youself, and had all the tools, you could rebuild the head and reinstall for about $400-500 for a quality head rebuild (less for a crappy mill and go job). Once you get the head off, you can see if you need to bore the block. Basically, if you see any striations on the walls of the bores, or if there is a noticeable ridge at the top, then figure you'll have to bore it.

But 1st things 1st. I'd get a compression tester, and make sure the HG is bad. The oil is the 1st indication, but it could be something else (not sure what, but I'm just praying for you).