V1 Coolant leak between engine and trans!?!?

[comegetjoe]

Not happy news there but mystery is solved. It’s all over but the cryin’.

I mean... we've got mixture, but what was the actual issue?

 

[ah.b.normal]

I mean... we've got mixture, but what was the actual issue?

Water in the oil getting past the rear main seal is my guess. Not really sure we will ever be told. BUT water in the oil is likely a head gasket or block porosity problem. I’m sure there are other ways to get them mixed but those are the two likely problems. Either is likely a death sentence.

 

[escapepilot]

Is porosity an issue with the LSJ? I thought that was mainly an LNF issue.

 

[Gtstorey]

More common on LNF, but I'm sure can happen on others. I've looked back through the OP's other post and I think this is supposed to be a fully rebuilt motor as when he listed it for sale in March of this year and maybe with only a little idle time on it, so makes it a little harder to figure out what might have happened. Unless new parts were thrown on an old engine with out a thorough inspection of the cylinders or maybe improper head gasket installation.

 

[ah.b.normal]

Still, it would be good to know how the water was getting out of the block. Obviously water was getting into the oil. Oil cooler? Head gasket? Water pump? Cracked head, Ruptured cylinder wall? Bad Valve seat/crack? But how was it getting out in the rear under the bellhousing?

 

[PHENDERSON]

The saga continues. Slowly taking the engine apart as I get free time. Supercharger is off...it's clean. Oil filter....full of coolant. I'm at a point where I can see the outside of the block/trans/head clearly and I don't see any major leaks (coolant dye) on the outside. I'm hoping it's just a head gasket. What I can't figure out is how the coolant is making it into the bell housing. Could it be squirting through the main seal? Ugh I hope not, really don't want to have to drop the subframe and rear suspension and take the trans off. I wish I had a really smart engine that could just tell me what is wrong. Wouldn't that be nice.

 

[Ross]

I thought the rear seal keeps the oil out of the bell housing. Don't remember any water jacket at that location. Thru the block is the only way I know of for coolant to get into the bell housing.

 

[Gtstorey]

If you tan it for more than a few seconds with that much water in the oil, I don’t know that.the crank bearings will have survived, But then again I’ve never heard of a head gasket leaking that much coolant into the oil and still run. It would probably have to go through the cylinder to leak that much from a head gasket.

 

[Scott #321]

I would highly recommend pulling the engine with a complete tear down and inspection at this point. As said there is no obvious place for coolant to get in the bell housing except from above so even if it was flooding the crankcase to run out the main seal the seal would almost definitely need replaced. Would be terribly disheartening to reassemble and find out there was something wrong in the lower end and time/parts were wasted on reassembly.

 

[PHENDERSON]

For those wondering the leaking starts as soon as I turn the engine on so I'm guessing as soon as there is pressure in the system.

I wish I would have taken a video of this but I finally drained the oil fully today. I'm guessing a half gallon or more of just coolant shot out first before any oil. Either they didn't mix or they settled out from each other. Either way it was a LOT of coolant! Next is to take the head off and see what it looks like under there.

 

[comegetjoe]

Poor bearings

 

[PHENDERSON]

I know right. Longest period of time it ever ran was probably 5 min. Those brand new bearings I put in may be ruined though. Starting to think about rebuilding a new engine and trashing this one.

 

[comegetjoe]

I know right. Longest period of time it ever ran was probably 5 min. Those brand new bearings I put in may be ruined though. Starting to think about rebuilding a new engine and trashing this one.

You can salvage some things. It wont be a total loss.

 

[PHENDERSON]

Possible culprit? I was comparing head gaskets and noticed the cometic one I got from ZZP does not have any holes near the cylinders. The original GM version has these long open slots around the cylinder i assuume for coolant passage. Maybe this could be the reason for the coolant leakage? I'm going to find out.

 

[jirwin]

Possible culprit? I was comparing head gaskets and noticed the cometic one I got from ZZP does not have any holes near the cylinders. The original GM version has these long open slots around the cylinder i assuume for coolant passage. Maybe this could be the reason for the coolant leakage? I'm going to find out.

Pic?

 

[Gtstorey]

Head Gasket probably has other differences that allow the oil and coolant to mix. Head Gaskets should always be carefully studied to make sure they match before install.

 

[PHENDERSON]

Below you can see the open slots on the gold gasket (gm original).

 

[Gtstorey]

Definitely looks like a problem, I'm just struggling to come up with a failure mechanism to mix the coolant into the oil from it. Maybe the oil "cooler" failed from higher pressure and it mixed there? I wouldn't think it would push past the gasket interface at the head, but maybe?

 

[escapepilot]

I'm with GT on this. I can see it causing a problem but enough to get fluid pouring out from the bellhousing area???

 

[PHENDERSON]

Last time around I hope with this one. So I changed my head gasket again for the second time since I wasn't able to find any leaking externally. I know coolant was making its way into the oil pan and into the bell housing.

Reassembled the engine and started filling with coolant...I kept the oil drain plug out just in case. I filled the reservoir until it stopped dropping and then started filling the passenger side hose. I put a T fitting with radiator cap right off the engine for easy air purge and filling. Once I started filling here and I was making its way into the engine wouldn't you know it...it slowly started leaking out of the oil drain plug.

It has to be a cracked block, right? I feel like I have checked everything else. Assuming it is a cracked block what is the easiest way to get the engine out? I'm thinking about disassembling it in place so I don't have to take off all the rear suspension and subframe but I fear that isn't an option.