We Have a Breach...and it really, REALLY sucks

[Jonnyuma]

I installed new FelPro intake (and valve cover) gaskets yesterday and followed thier admonishments to install them dry w just a little hi-tack adhesive on the cork end-rails and a 1/4" bead of rtv in the corners. This is the first time I've actually used the cork end pieces, and the first time I've had a massive failure....

After letting everything set up for 20 or so hours I went to start the car, warm it up, set the timing and adjust the carb so I can get to work tomorrow morning.

Instead I got coolant POURING out of the front intake/block mating surface and, as I suspected, into the lifter valley and subsequently the oil pan. Not good. My oil now looks like a chocolate milkshake.

Okay, so...now I blow it all apart again, diagnose the failure, find a ride(s) to work for the week, and, hopefully, fix it next weekend (all of this still needs to be done. I better get busy!). Now that water/coolant has been introduced to my oil, my main question is: How Do I Make it Go Away?! Multiple oil changes? Wipe out the Goo in the lifter valley? Hose down the cylinders with some WD40? This is my daily driver, not a hobby or race car. I'm sure a full teardown and rebuild would be optimal, but I can't pull that off right now.

 

[MoparMitch]

Pull the oil pan plug and the valve covers after you have the intake off of it, and pour some kerosene or deisel fuel through the heads and intake , out of the open drain in the crankcase. After that , and after you fix the issue, change the motor oil twice or three times. You'll be fine.

 

[65 Plymouth Satellite 426]

That's Why I Changed Over From Fel-Pro To Cometic Gaskets!

 

[Jonnyuma]

That's Why I Changed Over From Fel-Pro To Cometic Gaskets!

I've heard good things about Cometic, but this is just a stock-ish '76 360...not much compression or HP really. The FelPros should've been sufficient for this job. I've done a couple dozen of these and never had a failure like this....it really sucks.

 

[Chilsam]

Had the same thing happen with my 460 ford in my my 79 sno fighter I fixed it and filled it with diesel fuel and new filter started it & let it idle till temp gauge started to rise turned it off drained crankcase refilled with oil changed filter n that was 5 + years ago n it still runn strong hope this helps

 

[Jonnyuma]

Do you mean you ran diesel in place of oil?

 

[MoparMitch]

I don't think you need to run it with diesel fuel in the crankcase . I'm sure if you just pour it through the heads and intake, you'll be ok. I would change the motor oil a few times after you get it all wrapped up though. Hope that helps.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Yeah, it does help, thank you. I only ran it for a couple of seconds so I don't think I did any permanent damage. Unfortunately its gonna have to sit like it is for a couple days til I can make time to work on it.

 

[kb67mopar]

I installed new FelPro intake (and valve cover) gaskets yesterday and followed thier admonishments to install them dry w just a little hi-tack adhesive on the cork end-rails and a 1/4" bead of rtv in the corners. This is the first time I've actually used the cork end pieces, and the first time I've had a massive failure....

After letting everything set up for 20 or so hours I went to start the car, warm it up, set the timing and adjust the carb so I can get to work tomorrow morning.

Instead I got coolant POURING out of the front intake/block mating surface and, as I suspected, into the lifter valley and subsequently the oil pan. Not good. My oil now looks like a chocolate milkshake.

Okay, so...now I blow it all apart again, diagnose the failure, find a ride(s) to work for the week, and, hopefully, fix it next weekend (all of this still needs to be done. I better get busy!). Now that water/coolant has been introduced to my oil, my main question is: How Do I Make it Go Away?! Multiple oil changes? Wipe out the Goo in the lifter valley? Hose down the cylinders with some WD40? This is my daily driver, not a hobby or race car. I'm sure a full teardown and rebuild would be optimal, but I can't pull that off right now.

I recently went though this with a Stratus with a 2.7 with the notorious water pump failure. Took 2.5 gallons of that milkshake sludge out of that engine. Basically i let it drip with the plug removed for 24 hours, then took some fresh oil and dumped it in and let it run out (use cheap stuff for this). Then filled it with fresh oil and a filter, ran it for a while, drained and refilled with another fresh filter. After that the oil stayed perfectly clean and the car is still runnin today.

 

[Michael789]

You can clean it all up with Marvell Mystery oil and you can get it @ wolly world,great stuff.

 

[Jonnyuma]

You can clean it all up with Marvell Mystery oil and you can get it @ wolly world,great stuff.

Straight Marvel's? Or just add some to the new oil and do like KB67 said?

 

[daredevil]

All i,ve ever done is drain it and put some cheap 30 wt in and run it till its good and hot. Water will evaporate thru the breathers or pcv. Drain it again and add good oil and a filter.All that other stuff is overkill unless its some numbers matching hemi.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Here's the post-mortem: the cork end-rail gaskets were the problem. Even though the bolts lined-up using the cork, they sat the intake up too high off the heads for any kind of seal to take place. I guess I'm lucky that I didn't warp or crack my manifold tightening it down. A straightedge across all mating surfaces confirms that they are, well...straight. I just now put new gaskets in and used Permatex UltraBlack in place of the cork.
Before buttoning it all up I drained the oil/water/goo and dumped about 3/4 gal of diesel over the heads and lifter valley...just til it started running clear-ish out of the oil pan....new oil and filter, got an extra 5 qts and filter standing by. This thing is gonna smoke like a bastard once I start it up. The diesel was a good tip, not something that I would have ever thought of on my own. I am quite stinky and slippery, but the dirty/stanky part is over (I hope).


Gonna give it a little more time to set up, but Ima gonna start it TONITE.

Again, thanx for the advice on this.

 

[kb67mopar]

Here's the post-mortem: the cork end-rail gaskets were the problem. Even though the bolts lined-up using the cork, they sat the intake up too high off the heads for any kind of seal to take place. I guess I'm lucky that I didn't warp or crack my manifold tightening it down. A straightedge across all mating surfaces confirms that they are, well...straight. I just now put new gaskets in and used Permatex UltraBlack in place of the cork.
Before buttoning it all up I drained the oil/water/goo and dumped about 3/4 gal of diesel over the heads and lifter valley...just til it started running clear-ish out of the oil pan....new oil and filter, got an extra 5 qts and filter standing by. This thing is gonna smoke like a bastard once I start it up. The diesel was a good tip, not something that I would have ever thought of on my own. I am quite stinky and slippery, but the dirty/stanky part is over (I hope).


Gonna give it a little more time to set up, but Ima gonna start it TONITE.

Again, thanx for the advice on this.

I've heard of the diesel thing before and hear its a pretty safe thing but it can free up all sorts of deposits at one time and potentially cause problems if the engine wasn't super clean inside. I have heard of putting a quart in with the oil and idling for a long time to clean out deposits.

I believe GM took a duramax diesel and drove it from coast to coast after replacing all the engine oil with diesel. This was the only way they got out of a bunch of law suits related to fuel pump failures filling the sumps with diesel...after proving that it caused 0 wear all of the suits were pretty much irrelevant since it could not cause damage. Diesel is actually a pretty decent lubricant which is half the reason diesel engines run so long....

 

[Jonnyuma]

Started 'er up last night. No leaks, and my smoke-show prediction was correct...pretty funny, really. I'm just glad no one called the fire department.

 

[Chilsam]

Do you mean you ran diesel in place of oil?

Yes that's what I did that way I knew the KRAP was cleaned from the lifters pushrods and the oil passages in the block.It still runs GREAT for a FORD, LOL