Oil milkshake in coolant bottle. Oil cooler false alarm?

RedBrickCollector · Post by **RedBrickCollector** » 19 Oct 2024, 13:10

Edit: Title has been updated in light of new information, which is in a comment below

Summary: Is this oil cooler failure, and if yes what parts do I need to block the hole where the oil cooler goes?

I'm coming from an 850, but my friend, the guy who came along and gave me a ride when I purchased my 850 T-5, was bitten by the Volvo bug on that day, and brought home a P2 S60 R. Looking into the engine bay felt a litle uncanny valley.

Well, he got halfway home when he called me for help. He was losing coolant alarmingly quick, and the hood cable snapped on him.

I'm fairly sure this is sludge.

Shockingly the engine passed the glove test, no pressure on the reservior opening. No smoke.

Oil cooler cracked? I feel cautiously sure that it isn't the head gasket because of the above.

I've never dealt with sludge before, what would be the proper way to clean everything?

Currently I'm thinking if we're sure it's the oil cooler, we can delete it much the same way the P80 cars are fine with it.

Water: Connecting the inlet hose to the outlet hose seems to be the go-to. Maybe plugs?

Cooler: This is what I'm not sure about. Plugging the holes might work, but I haven't met a rubber cap that can hold up to oil for long periods. Is there a blanking plate available from the N/A cars? Is it a different oil pan?

If this is more common than I thought, It's 3am, I tried search for an hour but there are too many other things that come up.

Post by **MoVolvos** » 19 Oct 2024, 14:14

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Check your transmission and oil dipstick for any sign of coolant incursion. Also, get a tester.
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BT-500 Head Gasket Combustion Leak Test Kit - Made in USA
https://www.amazon.com/Block-Tester-BT- ... 152&sr=8-5
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RedBrickCollector · Post by **RedBrickCollector** » 19 Oct 2024, 14:29

MoVolvos wrote: 19 Oct 2024, 14:14 Check your transmission and oil dipstick for any sign of coolant incursion. Also, get a tester.

Tester is on his list but no ETA. Dipsticks are clean and so is the oil fill area, forgot to include that detail

dikidera · Post by **dikidera** » 19 Oct 2024, 14:45

Do remember that P2 S60r crack blocks. So one should always have that in mind.

It could be the oil cooler but just buy a new one. If the Color of the antifreeze is more brownish or cherry looking milkshake then it could be a cracked ATF cooler. If it is yellowish going white then it's engine oil.

RedBrickCollector · Post by **RedBrickCollector** » 19 Oct 2024, 22:07

This does seem like it would last longer than the P80 cooler, especially if proper coolant+distilled water is used.

I don't think I can get the exhaust gas detector in time for the agreed on return window for the car so what I can do instead is a compression test? Are there block or head gasket failure modes that will not show up on the compression test?

Post by **MoVolvos** » 19 Oct 2024, 22:32

RedBrickCollector wrote: 19 Oct 2024, 22:07 This does seem like it would last longer than the P80 cooler, especially if proper coolant+distilled water is used.

I don't think I can get the exhaust gas detector in time for the agreed on return window for the car so what I can do instead is a compression test? Are there block or head gasket failure modes that will not show up on the compression test?

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The last time I did a head gasket was in the late 70 or early 80’s. Here is info from the expert.

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RedBrickCollector · Post by **RedBrickCollector** » 22 Oct 2024, 08:08

Assuming the mixed oil was from the oil cooler, we pulled it off and...

Someone had very helpfully marked that it was replaced in 2019.

Looking more closely at the bottle, we're now cautiously optimistic that it's possibly that it was just never cleaned. We're holding our breath unti the exhaust gas leak detector arrives.

This is preventing us from doing a proper coolant system flush however.

A heater bypass is as simple as using a hose to connect that outlet to the other end yes? If someone knows the proper diameter that would also save us a trip to the shop.

EngineeringBloke · Post by **EngineeringBloke** » 06 Nov 2024, 14:07

Don't bypass the coolant tank. As coolant heats, it expands. Tank has air at top which is compressible but without that, the fluid will blow off a hose at best. Pressure also raises the boiling point. You can't run the car at normal engine temps with impaired cooling.

I see you are referring to an oil cooler. Not sure what that is. My s60 has a coolant radiator, and a transmission fluid radiator. The oil is cooled by coolant cooling the engine and thereby the engine oil.

So what's an oil cooler?

Post by **erikv11** » 06 Nov 2024, 22:07

Yes, a heater bypass is that simple. You may need to make a loop with the hose to get it situated in there without kinking.

I don't know the hose diameter offhand, though.

B ut a leak in that hose does kind of fit with a head gasket issue, just saying ... hope not!

lrock · Post by **lrock** » 08 Nov 2024, 17:07

EngineeringBloke wrote: 06 Nov 2024, 14:07 Don't bypass the coolant tank. As coolant heats, it expands. Tank has air at top which is compressible but without that, the fluid will blow off a hose at best. Pressure also raises the boiling point. You can't run the car at normal engine temps with impaired cooling.

I see you are referring to an oil cooler. Not sure what that is. My s60 has a coolant radiator, and a transmission fluid radiator. The oil is cooled by coolant cooling the engine and thereby the engine oil.

So what's an oil cooler?

#1 in the diagram, rear of the engine, lower right. attached to oil pan

: oilcooler.JPG (60.33 KiB) Viewed 656 times