Cracked head gasket or cracked head or what?

[GTPsurvivor]

I have coolant/water overflowing in the crankcase. Looks like light chocolate milk, started out at normal levels but now the dipstick is full of it, it's also seeping out of the front valve cover. 

I'm afraid to even drive it anywhere now. Does anyone know the most likely case or the best way to diagnose and fix?  

[RPE1992GPSE]

Are you familiar with a combustion leak test?  It's a procedure designed to detect combustion gases in the cooling system, indicative of head gasket failure *or* a cracked engine block.  Head gaskets typically fail before the block itself cracks, and the latter is caused by the engine severely overheating.  You can buy combustion leak testers at Harbor Freight or any auto parts store.

Depending on the severity of the leak, cranking the car with the radiator cap off is a quick way to determine if engine compression is being pushed into the water jacket.  If someone cranks the engine and fluid gets pushed out of the radiator, you likely have a head gasket leak at a minimum.  Just make sure the radiator is filled for that test.  Water will do.

By the way, which engine are we talking about?  Lower intake manifold failures are common among W-bodies too.

[GTPsurvivor]

I am not familiar with that. Hopefully I can rent one at the auto parts store. It's an Series 3 L32 supercharged. I should be lucky if it's the intake manifold because I could actually do that in one day. If I have to replace the head gasket that's at least 2 days for me. 

I read an article for a temporary fix involving "steel sealant" but I'm unclear on which sealant that I could use for that. 

[55trucker]

If you've got water in the oilpan & the engine has been running then it's also in the oil passages & around the bearing shells, do NOT fire the engine at all. If there is a cracked cylinder wall then coolant would flow into that cylinder as the piston is moving up & down. If the head gasket has failed then there will a loss of compression in the cyl that is affected ( if not more than one). Pull all the plugs & look for the one(s) that are soaking wet, get a compression tester & test all cyls for proper compression. You do not want to start the engine now so there's no point in looking for a bubbling situation in the rad beneath the rad cap when it's off.

If the intake manifold gasket has failed & coolant is being pumped into the engine valley area & down into the oilpan a compression test will not reveal this & the plugs would appear as normal. 

[walterdude]

3 hours ago, GTPsurvivor said:

I'm afraid to even drive it anywhere now

SORRY,,, STEVE ALREADY POSTED... OH, WELL!!!

BE VERY AFRAID!!! WATER MAKES FOR A POOR LUBRICANT!!! VERY BAD FOR CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS AND EVERY BEARING THAT USES OIL FROM THE CRANKCASE!!! INCLUDING YOUR SUPERCHARGER!!!

TOM B...

[GTPsurvivor]

I know water is a poor lubricant.   Is it OK to drive it 10 minutes to get it to a garage where I can work on it, long as it doesn't overheat?  Or should I just tow and try to get a ride?

[Schurkey]

Tow it.

[Schurkey]

5 hours ago, walterdude said:

WATER MAKES FOR A POOR LUBRICANT!!! VERY BAD FOR CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS AND EVERY BEARING THAT USES OIL FROM THE CRANKCASE!!! INCLUDING YOUR SUPERCHARGER!!!

 

The supercharger is lubed with oil from the crankcase?  I thought they had a separate oil reservoir, with instructions from GM to not change oil...ever.  When folks do change oil, they say the old stuff was very putrid.

[walterdude]

OH, WELL!!! WRONG AGAIN!!! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SCs (APART FROM THE OBVIOUS)... I JUST REMEMBER READING BOUT TURBO-CHARGERS SOURCING OIL FROM THE CC... I'LL STAND BY EVERYTHING ELSE I SAID, THO!!! THE POINT BEING: WATER IN THE OIL IS A VERY BAD THING!!! I WOULDN'T RUN IT THAT WAY!!! MY CAR HASN'T RUN IN  IN OVER 2 MONTHS WITH A SUSPECTED HEAD GASKET AND TIMING BELT ISSUE... I TRY TO ALWAYS HAVE AAA,,, SO I GOT IT FLAT-BEDDED HOME....

SORRY FOR ANY MISINFORMATION,,,

TOM B...

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by walterdude

[94 olds vert]

11 hours ago, Schurkey said:

The supercharger is lubed with oil from the crankcase?  I thought they had a separate oil reservoir, with instructions from GM to not change oil...ever.  When folks do change oil, they say the old stuff was very putrid.

The Eaton M90 which is on the L67 has its own oil reservoir. While GM doesn't not have a specific interval to change the fluid it is recommended to check it once every 3 years or 30,000 miles. It does have a smell. 

[GTPsurvivor]

Sparks are all dry. Signs pointing to intake manifold gasket. Just drained 2.5 gallons of oil coolant sludge. 

[55trucker]

Do a compression test 1st before you definitely condemn the intake gaskets.

[GTPsurvivor]

Coolant is clear by the way. Has to be intake manifold right? 

Compression test all are OK. 

[GTP091]

Compression test indicates your head gaskets are good or so you hope but doesn’t mean your really any farther ahead. You’ll still need to tear into the engine to find out where the leak is coming from, just not as far.  I’d be surprised if it was simply the intake manifold gaskets. You’ll probably need to go deeper. 

[RPE1992GPSE]

Does the Series 3 L32 have a plastic upper intake manifold?

[GTPsurvivor]

Upper and lower are both plastic, upper was in good shape. Replace lower and still got chocolate milk on first run.