So I busted the timing chain, and had to pull the engine apart again.

I got the head off, and discovered some small pools of coolant in the cyclinders. Not much, but more than I can acredit to spilling into them taking the head off. I also notcied when I pulled the pan that there was coolant in the oil.

Now the usual suspect would be a blown headgasket, but seeing that I just replaced it(and it only ran for mabey 3min before getting pulled apart) and it looked pretty, I'm ruling it out.

What I'm suspecting is that I didn't seal a coolant passage in the block. When I pulled my head studs out, there were some holes that had oil in them some empty and one(pass side between #1 & #2 cyl) was filled with coolant. And I know I didn't use any thread sealer on the threads, I just used the supplied moly lube.

So does anyone have any ideas as to what(other than the HG) would allow coolant into the oil. And which(if any) threads into the block enter coolant jackets.

Thanks

 

how does the chain cover look? ive seen the chain rub threw the cover into the coolant passages.

 

Cover was fine, some slight scuff marks, but not eaten through. Plus I installed steel guides on the build up. There was no coolant in the oil when I drained it before the tear down, so it had to have been something I missed on rebuild.

I did all my gasket scrapeing this evening and they all looked good. So more and more I'm wondering about a coolant jacket in the block.

 

I'm thinking the pools of coolant in the cylinders wouldnt be there if the coolant was leaking into your combustion chambers while running... it would burn out, or lock up the engine, both of which you would notice. I recently pulled the head off my turbo 22re and I had a good amount of coolant pooled up in the cylinders, just from running out of the head as I pulled it.

As for the coolant in the oil, was it mixed in, like milkshake style? Or was it just sort of there, not mixed. Because you will get some coolant in your oil passages when you pull the head, which may be what you're seeing.

Did you drain the coolant from the radiator before pulling the head? Either way you'll still get some out of the head, but more so if you didnt drain the radiator first.

Just some ideas...

 

I drained the rad, but some did spill into the pan when I pulled the timing cover. The coolant in the cylinder was very very clean, and the coolant I found in the pan was still distinctly green(not mixed).

I figured that some could be accounted for that way as all my gaskets were good. I just really want to be sure I cover all my bases.

 

From the way you describe it, I would definately lean towards just spilt coolant.