Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT

Posted By: scatpacktom

Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 12:15 AM

A friend of mine called and said that his Hemi is pumping 2 qts of oil into the cooling system by the time he gets around the block.

Engine is a fresh build with high comp, big stroke, roller cam bearings ect ect. The block is a Mopar piece from say the 90s.

Any experience with something like that? I have my own ideas on where to look but I wanted to see if this lit up any light bulbs.

Posted By: Hemi_Joel

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 12:37 AM

That really stinks when something like that happens on a new build. Could be a head gasket.(hopefully)Did he use copper gaskets? Knowing the lack of qc on those early blocks, it's probably a flaw in the block.

Posted By: dvw

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 02:22 AM

A freind had an aftermarket block recently that the oil feed passage to the head was into the coolant passage. Easy to diagnose. Remove the oil pressure fitting at the back of the block and plumb shop air to it. Ours blew coolant all over. Ended up pulling the heads and watching for bubbles. Just below the deck on the right side the passageway broke through into the coolant passage.
Doug

Posted By: Sammy

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 02:25 AM

Quote:

A freind had an aftermarket block recently that the oil feed passage to the head was into the coolant passage. Easy to diagnose. Remove the oil pressure fitting at the back of the block and plumb shop air to it. Ours blew coolant all over. Ended up pulling the heads and watching for bubbles. Just below the deck on the right side the passageway broke through into the coolant passage.
Doug

Head gasket issue

Posted By: Mopar_Rich

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 02:46 AM

Quote:

A freind had an aftermarket block recently that the oil feed passage to the head was into the coolant passage. Easy to diagnose. Remove the oil pressure fitting at the back of the block and plumb shop air to it. Ours blew coolant all over. Ended up pulling the heads and watching for bubbles. Just below the deck on the right side the passageway broke through into the coolant passage.
Doug

I have seen this several times with the later blocks that feed head oil directly from the galleys. I even had a KB block do this because the gun drilling drifted slightly. Fixing it however took some work because we had to epoxy in a tube.

Posted By: Cudajon

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 03:05 AM

2 qts is a lot of oil. Could be a head gasket, but that big of a leak it ought to run like do-do. You say the block is from the 90's. Has it been run before? Is there water in the oil pan? If not then oil pressure is pushing it into the coolant. The suggestion to used air to test the block sounds good. That is really a bummer. Pull the plugs and look for signs of water in the cylinder that would be a pretty good indication of a head gasket, but not a 100% check.

Posted By: scatpacktom

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 03:14 PM

The trick here is to "be inside the cooling system" to see where the oil is blowing through. I'm pretty sure testing each passage individually will be the way to find the issue.

I have some ideas about pressure testing the cooling system first though. Trying to get the coolant to leak into the oil would be easier to find.

Odd thing is coolant doesn't leak into the engine when it isn't running.

Could it be just a head gasket?

I'm thinking it has to be between the cam and the rockers.

Posted By: Hemi_Joel

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 05:41 PM

Big Shooter, It could be a head gasket if it leaked between the oil feed for the head and the water hole in the deck. See picture:

Attached picture 8341555-oilhole.jpg

Posted By: Hemi_Joel

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 05:46 PM

I would pull the heads and look for a gasket problem there. If that looks good, I would blow compressed air in the oil hole and see if it bubbles in the radiator. Same thing on the head once it's off. That would indicate a crack or mis-drilled hole into the water jacket. There will be some air leakage past the #4 cam journal, but it you rotate the motor till the hole in the cam is not lined up with the oil port, it should hold air good enuff.

Posted By: Clanton

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/25/14 06:08 PM

I would think if you pumped up the cooling system it would leak into the oil where you could actually see where the leak is.

Posted By: superwrench

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 11/26/14 08:15 AM

This might be a stupid question....but IS there any possibility that the head gaskets are upside down???
The head bolt holes appear they would line up, but maybe the oil/water holes wouldn't.

I say this because I had a 5.7 Hemi that I rebuilt and stupidly didn't check the gasket thoroughly when I installed one head. I had water and oil mixed REAL good !!!

Posted By: Hemi_Joel

Re: Hemi Help OIL IN COOLANT - 12/06/14 03:48 AM

Tom, Did it ever get figured out?

Enquiring minds what to know.