Leaking coolant and oil in coolant
Hello,
I have a 1989 F-350 7.3 IDI. About 180,000 miles. I have owned it for about 6 months. Runs well and seems to have been taken care of, though I don't know its entire history.
It has just recently started spitting coolant out when the engine is first started. The leak appears to slow down and maybe stop as the engine warms. I looked at the coolant and there appears to be some oil in it as well. It has turned from a bright green to a brownish color and there is some oil on the radiator cap.
I drained some oil from the pan and it does not appear to have coolant in it, so my thought, or maybe just my hope, is that it isn't the head gasket.
Also, when the engine is started, there is an intermittent and barely audible "sucking" sound, like a vacume or pressure leak. It's not loud and generally goes away after the engine warms up. I noticed the sound a few days before I noticed the leak. This may or may not be related I suppose.
The leaking coolant is coming from the front of the engine/engine compartent, appears to be toward the driver side, though it is difficult to tell. It comes out in a steady drip when first started and then slows after warm up (5-10 min).
Oil pressure has dropped to the lower side on the gauge, but is still in the normal range, not sure of the exact psi though. Engine runs fine -- no overheating and no starting or running issues.
Any ideas? Could this be a failing oil cooler or even just failed oil cooler gaskets?
Thank you.
|
