Intermittent missing

[Toby]

The sludge is oil leaking into the cooling system. If it is a 1.5 there is a good chance you have a cracked block through the oil passage leading up to the head. Or it could be leaking from that passage into the cooling system at the head gasket. Did the head gasket you put on have the "O" ring in it? If you had an oil/water oil cooler I would look their first, but I did not see one in the video clip. Its not coming from the crack between the valves. That is totally harmless 99% of the time.

[brownni]

The engine is an early 1.6 with the 11mm head bolts. I don't recall the head gasket having an "O" ring - do the early 1.6's have the same oil galley crack problem? I just purchased a fresh head from someone here on the forum so ill make sure to take some pictures and make sure I am doing everything properly.

I did a flush today where I removed the lower radiator hose from the radiator and the water pump. Also removed the thermostat. Connected some flexible tubing from the thermostat inlet to a garden hose and then ran another piece of tubing from the lower radiator hose mount to a bucket. Then, ran the engine and cycled a total of 15 gallons of water through. The third bucket of water came out nice and clear with just a few straggling blobs of oil.

I am desperately hoping that I don't have a cracked block. Last time I had the head gasket off it was because I found oil in the coolant - just a lot less. When I finished the head gasket job, I still had some oil in the coolant after refilling the system but I never seemed to get more than what was there from that initial fill up - and I just assumed it was residual oil from the first time I had a leak. Now I am looking at replacing the head and head gasket because I know the head is pretty worn out. I am still just stumped on the oil ingress situation.

I heard somewhere once that mixing incompatible coolants can cause a sludge build up like I had. That is what I am hoping happened and that I have a good block and maybe just the residual oil in the coolant mixed with two incompatible coolants and created the nasty stuff. I guess I will see soon enough.

As an aside, Toby, I read your nicely documented driveway re-ringing process and I am planning on using it when I do the head gasket - Thanks for the guidance.

[TylerDurden]

Well, I suppose it could be the oval oil hole in the HG, but judging from the outlined crack and the other damage on the head, I wouldn't be surprised if there were another crack somewhere by the oil supply for the valves. 

I'm guessing at least #4 and #3 intake valves were replaced. Clearly, there were pieces of something getting smashed into the head and if it were a valve the damage might be much worse. Maybe debris got sucked in? (Not a turbo, so not likely an exploded impeller.) But if a yahoo ran it without an air cleaner, who knows what mighta got sucked in there.

[brownni]

TylerDurden - That is what I am thinking. I have to leave the engine together for at least another week while I wait for parts to come in and because I need to drive in that time, so I will keep an eye on everything and try not to blow it up until I can crack it open and have a look.

On another diagnostic note, I changed the oil and aside from it being sooty, it seems clean. As in no water seems to have gotten in to it. So, at least I am probably only dealing with a one way leak with oil going into the cooling system somewhere.

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

Well, I suppose it could be the oval oil hole in the HG, but judging from the outlined crack and the other damage on the head, I wouldn't be surprised if there were another crack somewhere by the oil supply for the valves. 

I'm guessing at least #4 and #3 intake valves were replaced. Clearly, there were pieces of something getting smashed into the head and if it were a valve the damage might be much worse. Maybe debris got sucked in? (Not a turbo, so not likely an exploded impeller.) But if a yahoo ran it without an air cleaner, who knows what mighta got sucked in there.

Are those marks cracks, dings or merely corrosion?

[TylerDurden]

Have you seen similar? I've seen a bit of pitting around the water pump boss, but not by the valves like that.

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

Have you seen similar? I've seen a bit of pitting around the water pump boss, but not by the valves like that.

Me neither.
My GTD has corrosion like that behind the plastic upper rad hose connection, and I've seen corrosion right on the edges of the water passages on  heads under the gasket.

But this is in the exposed area of the combustion chamber...

Unless there was a period of time where the engine was left in the damp I suppose.

[brownni]

I have no idea how those marks got there. It was like that when I opened it up shortly after buying it. I am cracking it back open tomorrow afternoon so I will make sure to take more pictures to document everything.

[brownni]

oh and they are more than just marks - they were full on dings in the head. Like hunks of metal removed from the metal.

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

The image isn't working - I am attaching it to the post this time.

If the image doesn't show up this time, here is a link to see it:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByfxKCNwCdupRGxURC1XTk05T2s/edit?usp=sharing

Very strange! If you look at the  mark at about 2 o clock that is right next to the valve. If it is impact damage why has the displaced metal not buckled the machined bit next to the valve insert?
 In the picture the holes look quite jagged, and almost like crystalline casting defects.
Have you previously seen this head without the damage?

[brownni]

Mark, if I am understanding you correctly, you are looking at the right-most valve and two o'clock is on the top right side (or the crack between the valves is at 9 o'clock). If that is the case, I think that mark is just a bit of carbon buildup. Its the marks below the valves that are the major damage areas.

That said, I am surprised that the head has held up as well. The holes are definitely jagged, but wouldn't you think that crystalline defects would be much more...geometric? Flat edges allover would be more characteristic of that sort of failure right? These marks look more random...like gouging from something getting into the cylinder...I think?

I am definitely looking forward to re-examining the head.

[745 turbogreasel]

I'm thinking sloppy weld repair of  previous foreign object damage, harder to see because the high spots have been milled.

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

Mark, if I am understanding you correctly, you are looking at the right-most valve and two o'clock is on the top right side (or the crack between the valves is at 9 o'clock). If that is the case, I think that mark is just a bit of carbon buildup. Its the marks below the valves that are the major damage areas.

That said, I am surprised that the head has held up as well. The holes are definitely jagged, but wouldn't you think that crystalline defects would be much more...geometric? Flat edges allover would be more characteristic of that sort of failure right? These marks look more random...like gouging from something getting into the cylinder...I think?


I am definitely looking forward to re-examining the head.

LOL

Sorry about that. Every time I clicked on the picture it enlarged and focused on the Left valve. I couldn't even see the other two valves, and as the pic wouldn't scroll, I focused on the smear of carbon . Opening in a new window has changed my perspective somewhat!Major historic ding.

Crack between the valves is normal and insignificant. The gouging probably more cosmetic than anything that leaks. I'd check valve operation by pouring kerosine into the ports behind the valves to see if they seal.

The 'crack' that you have outlined for everyone but me to see, does seem very straight and looks like it could be a scratch, from the milling/grinding process as it appears to be in exact parallel with some of the milling marks nearby. Does it leak? Well maybe although a fiber gasket will probably fill it.

I might be inclined to get some strands of annealed copper wire and gently hammer them into the length of the groove

[TylerDurden]

While the scarring on the head above the piston may be superficial, I'm wondering if the cause of the scarring also caused serious damage. The sludge in the rez is coming from somewhere, and the outlined crack (if it is a crack) is not near an oil passage, if I recall the design of the head properly.

[theman53]

I don't have enough to go on, but would suspect just a botched head gasket job. The outlined crack goes to a coolant passage and there should be no oil pressure anywhere near it. I would guess someone putting a head on that looked like that one was either in a really bad spot, or would be the type of person that could have a bad install of the head gasket and cause it to leak.