they found glycol in the oil allright......why do you think it looked like
chocolate milk?

lucky the head didn't crack between the valves



> wrote in message
ups.com...
> > >My 1991 Plymouth Sundance RS 2.5 TBI w/ 198,000 miles on it had a
> blown
> > >head gasket since this past summer. After it was comfirmed that it
> was
> > >blown, I continued to drive the car.
> >
> >Not wise.
>
> I couldn't afford to fix it at the time. At times, it was the only car
> I had available to drive.
>
> >> A few months later, the oil started to look a bit funny.
> >
> >A few *months* you drove it like this? Were you *trying* to kill your
> car?
>
> Actually, I was thinking about getting another car at the time, so I
> basically planned to drive it until it went out.
>
> I don't know exactly the length of time I drove it like this. During
> that period before the head gasket replacement, I was only using the
> car like once or twice a week. I drove my parents' cars much of the
> time, but I had to use my car when no other car was available.
>
> > >Thinking that my oil was dirty (it was in there for over six months)
> >
> >This kind of abuse and neglect is a large part of how certain kinds of
> >cars get a reputation for being "unreliable".
>
> Anyway, I've had my car for about 4 years. It's actually been a very
> dependable car. I go on a lot of long trips with it still. I really
> like the car overall.
>
> I usually keep up with maintenance and do a lot of work on the car
> myself. However, at the time of the head gasket failure, I was pretty
> sick at the time, had to go to the hospital in the summer, and couldn't
> really do anything about it.
>
> >> The oil resembled the appearance of chocolate milk !!! There were
> also
> >> white splotches inside the valve cover. Due to liability reasons,
> they
> >> wouldn't change the oil. They told me that the head gasket was
> beyond
> >> gone and said that I needed to get it Fixed ASAP!!! (why it needed
> to be
> >>done ASAP possible is beyond me).
> >
> >Because when the head gasket fails, lots of bad things happen. Coolant
> in
> >the oil. Oil in the coolant. Coolant in the combustion chamber (bye
> bye,
> >O2 sensor and catalyst!) Combustion heat where it's not supposed to
> be.
> >This is not an optional, "When I get around to it" fix.
>
> The head gasket failed at the water jacket behind #1 cylinder. The shop
> had told me that #1 cylinder was full of water when they disassembled
> the head.
>
> Fortunately, in my case, it appeared that pretty much all of the
> ethylene glycol antifreeze had already leaked out through the exhaust
> pipe. After this happened, I started to use pure tap water in the
> cooling system. Apparently, the water I was putting in started to leak
> into the oil. The mechanics told me that they didn't find glycol stuff
> in the oil; just water. That's probably one of the reasons why I got
> lucky and the engine is still running fine.
>
> Also, after my car was fixed, I had to replace the O2 sensor. The one I
> took out had white flakes all over it (possibly from the antifreeze
> coolant).
>
> >> Well, I took my car to the shop and got the gasket replaced and some
> >> head work done as well. Since I've had the car back, it seems to run
> >> fine as far as I know.
> >
> >...which appears not to be very far beyond the tip of your nose...
>
> When the head was off, the shop did a valve job and milled/shaved the
> head since it was warped. I was surprised that the head was not even
> cracked. Overall, the mechanics told me that the engine is still rock
> solid.
>
> >> What do you think happened when I drove with coolant in the oil? I
> >> think I drove it like that for about 20-30 miles before I got it
> fixed.
> >
> >You drove it like that for *months* before you got it fixed. Coolant
> is a
> >rotten engine lubricant when cold, even worse when baked and whipped
> with
> >hot oil. Your main bearings, cam bearings, big and small end rod
> bearings
> >will have suffered.
> >
> >But that's OK, 'cause you obviously don't care.
>
> I didn't really care that much at the time because I was going towards
> getting another car, but I had later changed my mind and decided to get
> this one fixed since my friend told me that it was cheaper in the long
> run to fix what you have.
>