Oil in coolant

[briwy]

Putting a new bleed tube on as the old one is all cracked and manky and it's using a very slight amount of coolant so I suspect the bleed hose is letting it out. It was actually a bit of blue Oxygen hose so I don't know where that got put on.
I decided to renew the coolant while I am at it so drained it off from the bottom hose.
A small amount of oil came out, it looks a lot but it's just a slick on the surface so not really all that much.



Opinions please, is this something to be concerned about?
There's no sign of emulsion in the oil or on the oil filler cap so I'm assuming it's nothing to worry about.
It's got what appears to be green antifreeze in so I'm flushing it through and using red.
We're going up to the Scottish Bash this weekend so I want to get it sorted in the next couple of days.

[Northern Bongolow]

is it gearbox oil brian or engine oil. radiator gearbox oil cooler perhaps. or if its engine oil, that lump of scrap bolted to the side of your engine that you were on about removing, or the turbo seals.

[briwy]

Don't know what oil it is Ady, it's not using engine oil or losing and AT fluid so I'm at a loss to know where it's come from.
Lump of scrap is off, (found out it's actually a cooler for the EGR gases) that's when I noticed the manky bleed hose as got to bleed it after removing the scrap. Hoping it'll go faster now with all that weight gone.
No more oil come out so I reckon it was just a bit that had gathered in the rad. All the rest of the coolant was very clean so its had a couple of flushes and I'll bleed it tomorrow.

[teenmal]

Hi briwy,

It would be worthwhile having a pressure test done on the ATF oil cooler,this might be the start of a Bigger leak.

Better safe than sorry.

PS how long have you had this vehicle and have you previously changed the coolant.

Cheers.

[briwy]

Thanks teenmal, I'll see if I can find someone locally to check it.

Had it just over year, fresh from Japan, no not changed the coolant before.

[teenmal]

Thanks teenmal, I'll see if I can find someone locally to check it.

Had it just over year, fresh from Japan, no not changed the coolant before.

If you dont know the history of the coolant, it could be that someone previouse to your ownership has put an additive in the system.Best to get it checked anyway.(what colour of oil would you say it is)

Cheers.

[Northern Bongolow]

just drop the gearbox oil pipes off and very gently blow clear with an air line on a very low setting then put your finger over one pipe and suck on the other, then put your tongue over it to hold the vac . or take it to the garage mate.
the oil cooler is an 18 inch (ish) copper tube, twin very thin walled, with a honeycomb layer to get rid of the heat in between where the oil flows through. i dont know if the pump pulls it through, or if its pumped in, but in theory if one pipe is partially blocked you could get a high pressure or a vac in one leg.

yours has the later turbo on though doesnt it.??.

[rita]

Hi briwy,

It might also be worth getting a cold sample from the bottom of the box,and checking it for water.

If you cant take a sample you could put some water finding paste on the dip stick.

[Muzorewa]

I hope you get it sorted soonest Brian, I need to know how many pallets of sausages to take to Edinburgh

[rita]

I hope you get it sorted soonest Brian, I need to know how many pallets of sausages to take to Edinburgh

Give yourself a treat.

http://www.sausages.co.uk/

[helen&tony]

Hi
AAAAAaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh.....there's mention of HAGGIS there....MUST have haggis....I'll really have to get some sheeps innards next time someone is slaughtering
Cheers
Helen

[briwy]

I hope you get it sorted soonest Brian, I need to know how many pallets of sausages to take to Edinburgh

Yep, got to get the oatcakes as well Paul.

[briwy]

just drop the gearbox oil pipes off and very gently blow clear with an air line on a very low setting then put your finger over one pipe and suck on the other, then put your tongue over it to hold the vac . or take it to the garage mate.
the oil cooler is an 18 inch (ish) copper tube, twin very thin walled, with a honeycomb layer to get rid of the heat in between where the oil flows through. i dont know if the pump pulls it through, or if its pumped in, but in theory if one pipe is partially blocked you could get a high pressure or a vac in one leg.

yours has the later turbo on though doesnt it.??.

Hells bells Ady, I've mouthfuls of petrol and diesel over the years but I don't fancy gearbox fluid, Why would a leak in gearbox cooler end up with oil in the coolant? Does it have a water cooling jacket? Just reading what you put about fins it sounds like its just air cooled?

Bit busy at work at the mo so I think I'll get the new coolant in, get it bled and then drop it again after the run to Scotland and back. If there's a leak somewhere it should have shown up by then in the coolant I reckon.

Just had a a thought. I did top it up with red antifreeze before the winter so perhaps that has left a residue. I was told it had red in but obviously not.

Yes, turbo is the later type.

[Northern Bongolow]

the cooler is a double skinned tube with a fine mesh in the cavity, the gearbox oil flows through the mesh cavity while the water is outside, this is mounted inside the bottom of the rad in the coolant.

the red coolant works by coating/isolating dissimilar metals, this coating may have been stripped or not even formed if its been added to blue or jap coolant etc.

enjoy scotland mate, see what happens later.

[briwy]

cheers Ady, thanks for that