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oil instead of coolant


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hemibarricuda
New User

Mar 13, 2010, 2:52 PM

Post #1 of 11 (4708 views)
oil instead of coolant Sign In

I have a rusty old 1992 Ford F-150 straight 6 300 4.9l engine. It has a small leak in the intake or head gasket. It is mixing the oil and the water, but, very slowly. The truck simply is not worth fixing correctly. I know there are oil cooled high performance cars. What will happen to the truck if I drain the coolant and fill it with a thinner oil? Will this work? I only drive the truck about 3-5000 miles a year anyway. It is the second motor in the truck. This motor was free, but, it had 350,000 miles on it. Now the engine has
375,000.
Crazy


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Mar 13, 2010, 7:12 PM

Post #2 of 11 (4699 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In

It's not going to be an intake problem with a straight 6. It's a lot more likely a cracked head. Forget the oil idea. Your only option is to remove the head and fix it right. Just make sure it's not trans fluid in the coolant from the radiator.



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re-tired
Veteran / Moderator
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Mar 13, 2010, 11:30 PM

Post #3 of 11 (4694 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In

I agree on the head HT . What are the odds of it having a eng oil cooler in the rad tank ? I've had several chevy's but cant recall a ford.


LIFE'S SHORT GO FISH


hemibarricuda
New User

Mar 14, 2010, 10:43 AM

Post #4 of 11 (4684 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In

It does not have an oil cooler. If the trans fluid is leaking from the radiator into the coolant that would be an easy fix. It is not worth repairing the head if that is the problem. I think it is the head or the head gasket. I could just change the oil every 1000-1500 miles. This would only be 4-5 oil changes a year. I do not drive it that much. I was just thinking that if I replaced the coolant with oil that if the oil leaked it would be leaking into oil so it would not be as big of a deal. Would oil being pumped through the radiator not dissipate the heat as fast? Would the water pump not pump the oil? Why or why not. I know that it is not the correct way to fix the problem. I am willing to experiment a little with it. I will just drive her till the engine finally blows and buy another truck. How do I make it last the longest without the "HEAD" ache?Mad


re-tired
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Mar 14, 2010, 12:16 PM

Post #5 of 11 (4682 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In

Try a produdct called BARS LEAK and get a lower pressure rad cap say in the 6 - 8 lb range . i dont think the oil thing will work , Cant say why , it just don't feel right.


LIFE'S SHORT GO FISH


Loren Champlain Sr
Veteran / Moderator
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Mar 15, 2010, 7:01 PM

Post #6 of 11 (4611 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In

Engine oil doesn't dissipate heat, like water/coolant. Just keeps getting hotter. Can you imagine dumping four gallons (or more) of oil into your radiator? Not to mention the viscosity of oil. Don't think the water pump would much like it, either. Fix the head or dump the vehicle. Yeah, if it was trans fluid, you could just fill the cooling system with trans fluid, huh? NOT. Come to think of it, WD40 is quite 'thin'. You could buy a couple of hundred cans of WD40....
Loren
SW Washington


Sidom
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Mar 15, 2010, 9:31 PM

Post #7 of 11 (4606 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In


In Reply To
Come to think of it, WD40 is quite 'thin'. You could buy a couple of hundred cans of WD40....



Come on Loren!!! That's just crazy.....Who's gonna go & do that when everyone knows you can buy WD-40 in the 1 gallon cans..................Wink


Loren Champlain Sr
Veteran / Moderator
Loren Champlain Sr profile image

Mar 16, 2010, 3:10 PM

Post #8 of 11 (4597 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In

>>everyone knows you can buy WD-40 in the 1 gallon cans<< Really? I didn't know that! Unsure
Loren
SW Washington


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Mar 17, 2010, 5:26 PM

Post #9 of 11 (4570 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In


Loren - you can even get it in 55 gallon drums! "For those that everything they have sticks!"

Tom



Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
Sidom profile image

Mar 17, 2010, 9:59 PM

Post #10 of 11 (4565 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In



Tom wins..........don't think I can 1up that one.........


Loren Champlain Sr
Veteran / Moderator
Loren Champlain Sr profile image

Mar 19, 2010, 5:08 PM

Post #11 of 11 (4549 views)
Re: oil instead of coolant Sign In

Must be an 'East Coast' thing? SmileSmileSmileSmileSmileLaughLaughLaugh
The only thing we need lubricant for, out here, is for reproduction. Pirate
Loren
SW Washington

(This post was edited by Loren Champlain Sr on Mar 19, 2010, 5:09 PM)






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