trogers
07-09-2000, 03:03 AM
I was to pick up a 88 GW this weekend that was given to me because it had been sitting at the mechanics home for over 2 years and my Father in law had given up on it. Here is a copy of the email that was sent to me before I had a chance to leave to pick it up.
A side note here is that the mech. had installed a new Edelbrock 4bbl carb., MSD inginition module and coil,replaced the radiator, and power steering pump.I was quite pleased once I got all the transmission fluid out of the upper
cylinders, reinstalled the spark plugs and she fired intermittently.
After pulling half the spark plugs again and cleaning them, I was able to get
the engine started. It ran quite well, but seemed to be dumping a lot of
water out the exhaust.
I let it run, checked the oil pressure gauge and temp gauge and all looked
fine.
As I continued to fill the radiator with more and more water, I became
suspicious that the engine and radiator should have been full, and finally it
leveled off and I capped the system as it is what is called a "closed" system.
Once the radiator cap was on and the pressure started to build in the cooling
system, I noticed a stream of oil spurting out the bottom of the engine at
the rear main seal. I also rechecked the oil pressure gauge and found it to
be pegged above 80 psi, thus explaining the rear main leakage as the oil was
being forced passed the rear main oil seal and out the back out engine at the
rear of the oil pan.
Upon further investigation after the eb=ngine began to bog down and then quit
altogether I found the alternator was frozen and the belts had been thrown
off the pulleys, and were twisted and broken as they wrapped around the
viscous fan drive and fan pulley.
I then checked the oil level and coolant level after shutting off the
ignition switch only to find the oil level extremely overfull and very gummy
and white. The coolant level was very low as determined by pouring in two
more gallons of water to get it back to the top of the radiator neck.
I then raised the truck back up on the lift to drop the frozen alternator and
to pull the oil drain plug. The fluid in the oil pan which had just been put
in as 6 quarts of fresh 10W30 oil was now 12+ quarts of white slime caused by
a mixture of oil and water.
The engine now runs quite well, but there is a significant leak between the
cooling system and the oiling system. I don't have a scope to check and see
if there are any dead cylinders, but it runs so smoothly that I don't believe
the engine coolant is getting into the oil pan via a cracked head or cracked
block.
If there is a head gasket that failed from rusting out over the time the
engine sat, it failed right at the coolant passage and is draining coolant
directly into the oil galley, or directly into the top of the engine area or
"valley" where the push rods, cam shaft, and lifters are located at the top
of the engine.
Needless to say it isn't drivable, and some in-depth diagnostic work would
have to be performed to determine where the coolant is leaking from and
ultimately getting into the oil pan.
I have left the truck up on the lift with the oil drain receptacle under the
oil pan, and the oil drain plug removed, the radiator cap removed, and it
appears the water in the cooling system is slowly draining right out of the
radiator and upper cylinder head areas. I have disposed of the first 12+
quarts of contaminated oil, and am now just letting the balance of the
coolant drain out through the oil drain hole in the oil pan.
So what am In for? I would like to fix this myself and I have several friends who can help me.
------------------
Tom
'88 Grand Wagoneer
"Family Truckster"
A side note here is that the mech. had installed a new Edelbrock 4bbl carb., MSD inginition module and coil,replaced the radiator, and power steering pump.I was quite pleased once I got all the transmission fluid out of the upper
cylinders, reinstalled the spark plugs and she fired intermittently.
After pulling half the spark plugs again and cleaning them, I was able to get
the engine started. It ran quite well, but seemed to be dumping a lot of
water out the exhaust.
I let it run, checked the oil pressure gauge and temp gauge and all looked
fine.
As I continued to fill the radiator with more and more water, I became
suspicious that the engine and radiator should have been full, and finally it
leveled off and I capped the system as it is what is called a "closed" system.
Once the radiator cap was on and the pressure started to build in the cooling
system, I noticed a stream of oil spurting out the bottom of the engine at
the rear main seal. I also rechecked the oil pressure gauge and found it to
be pegged above 80 psi, thus explaining the rear main leakage as the oil was
being forced passed the rear main oil seal and out the back out engine at the
rear of the oil pan.
Upon further investigation after the eb=ngine began to bog down and then quit
altogether I found the alternator was frozen and the belts had been thrown
off the pulleys, and were twisted and broken as they wrapped around the
viscous fan drive and fan pulley.
I then checked the oil level and coolant level after shutting off the
ignition switch only to find the oil level extremely overfull and very gummy
and white. The coolant level was very low as determined by pouring in two
more gallons of water to get it back to the top of the radiator neck.
I then raised the truck back up on the lift to drop the frozen alternator and
to pull the oil drain plug. The fluid in the oil pan which had just been put
in as 6 quarts of fresh 10W30 oil was now 12+ quarts of white slime caused by
a mixture of oil and water.
The engine now runs quite well, but there is a significant leak between the
cooling system and the oiling system. I don't have a scope to check and see
if there are any dead cylinders, but it runs so smoothly that I don't believe
the engine coolant is getting into the oil pan via a cracked head or cracked
block.
If there is a head gasket that failed from rusting out over the time the
engine sat, it failed right at the coolant passage and is draining coolant
directly into the oil galley, or directly into the top of the engine area or
"valley" where the push rods, cam shaft, and lifters are located at the top
of the engine.
Needless to say it isn't drivable, and some in-depth diagnostic work would
have to be performed to determine where the coolant is leaking from and
ultimately getting into the oil pan.
I have left the truck up on the lift with the oil drain receptacle under the
oil pan, and the oil drain plug removed, the radiator cap removed, and it
appears the water in the cooling system is slowly draining right out of the
radiator and upper cylinder head areas. I have disposed of the first 12+
quarts of contaminated oil, and am now just letting the balance of the
coolant drain out through the oil drain hole in the oil pan.
So what am In for? I would like to fix this myself and I have several friends who can help me.
------------------
Tom
'88 Grand Wagoneer
"Family Truckster"