please help ASAP!! (cooling/oil problem)

[SynSyx]

I got my car back exactly 2 weeks ago after a new cylinder head, water pump, timing belt, etc etc

The head has been very noisy since it was on, but the shop told me it would eventually go away

So on my way home from work, my coolant light goes on. I watch the coolant temp gauge very carefully until after a few minutes it hits the right tick mark (before red). I pull into someones house and they hook me up with some water, and the coolant tank (which was empty) takes about a gallon of water, and the level was still dropping. A tiny bit was leaking out onto their driveway, but not nearly as much as i was putting in.

I successfully make it home without overheating, although on the way i was loosing power significantly. I was going up a hill and i had to floor it just to stay at a consistent speed. The tank took a whole gallon of 50/50, and the level still dropped to the bottom of the coolant tank.

Thats when I noticed this weird yellowy liquid leaking from the engine (pic in next post). It was also coming out of a hose that leads into the head. I take out my dipstick and it is COVERED in this shit, like halfway up the stick, not just at the bottom.

WTF is going on? Based on the dipstick I feel like the coolant/water is leaking straight into my oil pan.

Thanks in advance, pics in my next post after I upload them

[SynSyx]

here are the pics










sorry about the dipstick pic, i can take more pics if need be

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

whatever shop that did your engine work hella fucked up.

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

They fucked up somewhere, probably when installing the head gasket, or didn't torque down the head bolts properly, or REUSED a used head gasket, something and someone REALLY fucked up.

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

A tiny bit was leaking out onto their driveway, but not nearly as much as i was putting in.

I guarantee you it was coming out the exhaust in smoke form.

[wodcutr]

That is not good. Nothing like stating the obvious! You should bring that motor back in and have it redone ASAP before something worse happens!

[SynSyx]

They fucked up somewhere, probably when installing the head gasket, or didn't torque down the head bolts properly, or REUSED a used head gasket, something and someone REALLY fucked up.

I supplied a new gasket set (from metrix motorsport, same place the head is from)


I dont think any significant damage has been done (I hope)

Oh and i forgot to mention, all this liquid is going somewhere, since my driveway is bone dry under my car

[Roberte]

I supplied a new gasket set (from metrix motorsport, same place the head is from)


I dont think any significant damage has been done (I hope)

Oh and i forgot to mention, all this liquid is going somewhere, since my driveway is bone dry under my car

I hate to state the obvious, but that "somewhere" is your crank case. Take the advise posted above and return this car to where you had the work done. (I would recommend having it towed at the shop's expense). Hopefully your cyl walls and bearings are undamaged. This engine is going to have to have a complete tear down and cleaning to get all of the crap out of it.

[SynSyx]

I talked to the guy who did my work and he said the bottpm end is most likely ruined.

I am thinking of either finding a remanufactured bottom end, or a whole running motor and swapping the new stuff like the head water pump spark plugs etc, or maybe even finding an e engine and building a stroker

Either way the motor is gonna have to come out and the bottom end replaced

I guess its time to do some m20 shopping

[EightiesBaby]

so did you guys figure out what exactly happened?

[FredK]

Yikes dude. Sorry to hear the shop did a bad repair job.

[3bvert]

depending on how long it ran with water in the crank, I have seen many cars that water got in, turned it all to sludge, provided it ws not run long with sludge, brought back to full service

from years back working at a dealrship (1970's, at one of the largest triumph/jag dealerships in southern fla, charlie kolbs auto city, miami )

1 fix the problem/cause while doing it

drop the pan rince it out, and the engine with mineral spirts under pressure, shoot mineral spirts through the oil passages, especially easy if the head is off change filter, put atf in the cylinder bores

put in 5 weight oil or atf, high speed crank engine ( no plugs) , drain , repeat, chagne filter, clean everything out the best you can, put in 30 weight, fire it up, run until hot, drain change filter , add oil of choice, and go

we did this to several cars tht had come in with blown headgaskets, and I have done it to one of my own, I did all the steps, and changed oil and filter agin with in a few hundered miles ( monitor close after first heat up)

while this may not be the "best" cure it worked for us , and saved some customers from popping the engine out adn rebuilding, as a side beneift, this also decarboned the rings some ( atf in cylinder bores)

[Naplm00]

thats yellow milky shit is your engine oil with baked in coolant/water

looks like you have a HG with a opening inbetween the oil and water passages llowing your coolant to drain into your crankcase.

This will cause the leaking all over becuse you crankcase will overfill and squeeze everything out from the oil pressure of the running car.


I would reuse the bottom end, flush it well, put it through some 50 mile oil changes after the head is put back on correctly and you may be ok.


We used to do this all the time with BMW motorycle riders at my old shop, they would run the bikes while tryign to ford a fucking river with it...they would hydrolock the engine from water in the intake and blow the top end seals...they would fit the lock then get this milky oil from the water in the oil passages. We would reseat the heads with new gaskets and fush the moteor with fresh oil..then run it and do 3 consecutive oil changes at 50 miles with new filters


We saved 3 bottom ends that i know of in this fashion. Mind you these were 2cly air/oil coolled motors so the tolerances are a bit larger than that in your m20.

good luck


and in ANY case make sure the shop pays for everything...thy fucked it up in the first place


ninja edit: Dont forget aboiut junkyards for bottom ends...one can be had for cheap monies!

[SynSyx]

there may be a problem with getting the shop to be cooperative on this. i opted to supply the cylinder head and head gasket, water pump, etc, everything they replaced i supplied. they said they would help me out on the labor for fixing this new problem, but i have a feeling they are not gonna take the blame on this one

should i get the car towed back to them? how would i go about getting them to pay for the tow/labor/etc? i literally spent over 2/3rds of all the money i had on the head and the labor to put it on. i cant eat another grand, ill be broke. the guys at the shop are good guys and they like me and they know im not car-retarded, but since they were my parts i dont think theyre gonna be cooperative on this job

im kind of tempted to find a 2.7 e/es block and build a stroker using my new head... how hard would that be and would it be terribly more expensive?

[thedeal]

As much as these guys may "like" you. I'm sure they are pulling a fast one on you. A decent mechanic will know how to properly install the parts you gave them or know if the parts you supplied were wrong/inadequate. If these guys don't pay for a total fix (including tow) then I would threaten and possibly follow through with going to the better business bureau. Then find a new shop/mechanic.