Oil in coolant

Have an '87 4 cyl auto. Was checking the coolant overflow bottle & the
thermostat which is stuck in tight & noticed a brown foamy oily substance in
the water. Don't know how long it has been since a coolant flush since I
just got it with 95,000 miles & was told it sat for 2 years without
starting. Is the brown stuff real bad???

Stephen Rabinowitz
>
> Have an '87 4 cyl auto. Was checking the coolant overflow bottle & the
> thermostat which is stuck in tight & noticed a brown foamy oily substance in
> the water. Don't know how long it has been since a coolant flush since I
> just got it with 95,000 miles & was told it sat for 2 years without
> starting. Is the brown stuff real bad???


Hi there, saw your post in Pennock's. If the brown foam is
oil, you can smell that right off, then yes, that's a bad
thing. What's bad depends on what kind of oil it is, engine
oil or tranny fluid. Pull your dipsticks and look at them,
is the fluid or oil clean, or does it look like chocolate
mousse?

JazzMan
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Thanks will check the dipsticks today but the water in the coolant looks
like chocolate moose. Motor does not run hot, gauge stays in the 1/4 & in
heavy traffic goes to the middle.
"JazzMan" <No_Spam@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:41983C07.264F@airmail.net...
> Stephen Rabinowitz
>>
>> Have an '87 4 cyl auto. Was checking the coolant overflow bottle & the
>> thermostat which is stuck in tight & noticed a brown foamy oily substance
>> in
>> the water. Don't know how long it has been since a coolant flush since I
>> just got it with 95,000 miles & was told it sat for 2 years without
>> starting. Is the brown stuff real bad???
>
>
> Hi there, saw your post in Pennock's. If the brown foam is
> oil, you can smell that right off, then yes, that's a bad
> thing. What's bad depends on what kind of oil it is, engine
> oil or tranny fluid. Pull your dipsticks and look at them,
> is the fluid or oil clean, or does it look like chocolate
> mousse?
>
> JazzMan
> --
> ************************************************** ********
> Please reply to jsavage"at"airmail.net.
> Curse those darned bulk e-mailers!
> ************************************************** ********
> "Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of
> supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to
> live under the laws of justice and mercy." - Wendell Berry
> ************************************************** ********

There are two ways for oil-like substances to get into the
coolant. Most commonly it is tranny fluid leaking in via
the tranny cooler in the side tank of the radiator. The other
way is a cracked cylinder head or block, or possibly blown
head gasket. That's why it's imperetive to check the oil
and the tranny fluid for coolant contamination. If there is
none, then you're sorta lucky because there's a good chance
you can save the tranny or major parts of the engine. Once
coolant gets into either the engine oil or tranny fluid the
engine or tranny is ruined right away.

JazzMan

Stephen Rabinowitz
>
> Thanks will check the dipsticks today but the water in the coolant looks
> like chocolate moose. Motor does not run hot, gauge stays in the 1/4 & in
> heavy traffic goes to the middle.
> "JazzMan" <No_Spam@airmail.net> wrote in message
> news:41983C07.264F@airmail.net...
> > Stephen Rabinowitz
> >>
> >> Have an '87 4 cyl auto. Was checking the coolant overflow bottle & the
> >> thermostat which is stuck in tight & noticed a brown foamy oily substance
> >> in
> >> the water. Don't know how long it has been since a coolant flush since I
> >> just got it with 95,000 miles & was told it sat for 2 years without
> >> starting. Is the brown stuff real bad???
> >
> >
> > Hi there, saw your post in Pennock's. If the brown foam is
> > oil, you can smell that right off, then yes, that's a bad
> > thing. What's bad depends on what kind of oil it is, engine
> > oil or tranny fluid. Pull your dipsticks and look at them,
> > is the fluid or oil clean, or does it look like chocolate
> > mousse?
> >

--
************************************************** ********
Please reply to jsavage"at"airmail.net.
Curse those darned bulk e-mailers!
************************************************** ********
"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of
supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to
live under the laws of justice and mercy." - Wendell Berry
************************************************** ********