Nasty Coolant

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Rusty Nail

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Posts
9,777
Reaction score
9,642
Location
the other side of the internet
First Name
Rusty
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
350sbc
Look to me like you've lost an oil ring.
Or two lol.
I Stab at #8 or #2
I have problems with 6 though.


The black on the cap is motor oil.
Burnt motor oil.

Cant fix without teardown I wager. Wouldnt spend a dime on it until then.
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
10,118
Reaction score
14,382
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981, 1965
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s; 65-C20 with 4:57 gears and Borg Warner Overdrive
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350; 1972 L48 350
Who knew you could run grease in a cooling system

I know I neglect my rigs, but you blow my neglect out of the water...lol...
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,206
Reaction score
6,186
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
Ive seen 4 different coolants mix before and do just that once. Really old opened green stuff,. a modern toyota pink, and dex cool, and some yellow stuff that looked like it was watered down. It didnt smell right.
 

Rusty Nail

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Posts
9,777
Reaction score
9,642
Location
the other side of the internet
First Name
Rusty
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
350sbc
Flipped an oil ring or maybe you got a bad lifters?

Maybe a case for MMO? You could pull em out (the lifters) and soak em in gas or somethin but meh.
Still be a piece of **** with fancy lifters..lol?.

Y nobody says cracked head?
Between 5 and 7.

Let's bet!
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
29,087
Reaction score
23,880
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
I've seriously considered swapping on a good set of Vortec heads I have, just too see how much it improves, if at all. I think it would take care of the cooling system, the rough running and maybe half of the oil consumption issue too. There's a good amount of blow-by, I would think that most of that has to be caused by worn or broken rings and not much from shot valve guides and seals.

I don't remember if it's cylinders 1 and 3, or if it's 3 and 5. But it was two neighboring cylinders for sure.
 

80BrownK10

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Posts
1,878
Reaction score
1,240
Location
Greenwood, SC
First Name
Nate
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
The truck has actually never had leak sealer put in it since I've had it. The cooling system was perfect when purchased. It hasn't been overheated technically more than once, just ran hot several times. And I've got other engines I can put in, but this one runs better than the truck looks, lol.
Yikes! That thing must look like utter Hell!o_O:anitoof:
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
29,087
Reaction score
23,880
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
Yikes! That thing must look like utter Hell!o_O:anitoof:

I basically pulled it from it's grave when I put the transmission in. It's still got one foot in the grave though, lol.

There's a lot of good memories with the truck and the whole family likes the truck too. So we keep it around just for sentimental reasons, and it's fun to beat around in it from time to time.
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
29,087
Reaction score
23,880
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
It must have been cylinders #1 and #3. I know this because evidently I had put an anti-fouler on the #1 plug when I cleaned them last time. #1 was wet with an oil/gas mixture and #3 actually looked great. When running, the passenger side exhaust has a nice smooth flow. The driver side however has a noticeable pulse. When the engine is revved, that's the side that smokes too. It's a white/gray color, but smells mostly like oil burning. That's more diagnostic effort than I put into it several years ago. I guess now I'm at the point where I just want to see how much I can improve a dead engine. Oil pressure is great, btw :rofl:

I halfass flushed the radiator while the truck was running. I'll see what it looks like tomorrow. It had to have been oil in the coolant too because when I hosed down the driveway, the mixture that had come out turned a light milky tan color, lol.
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,206
Reaction score
6,186
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
It must have been cylinders #1 and #3. I know this because evidently I had put an anti-fouler on the #1 plug when I cleaned them last time. #1 was wet with an oil/gas mixture and #3 actually looked great. When running, the passenger side exhaust has a nice smooth flow. The driver side however has a noticeable pulse. When the engine is revved, that's the side that smokes too. It's a white/gray color, but smells mostly like oil burning. That's more diagnostic effort than I put into it several years ago. I guess now I'm at the point where I just want to see how much I can improve a dead engine. Oil pressure is great, btw :rofl:

I halfass flushed the radiator while the truck was running. I'll see what it looks like tomorrow. It had to have been oil in the coolant too because when I hosed down the driveway, the mixture that had come out turned a light milky tan color, lol.

I have an idea, but it requires an obscene amount of chemical that will not long term solve any issue while possibly causing more issues. And would be the price of headgaskets.
 

gotyourgoat

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Posts
2,117
Reaction score
3,418
Location
NRV Virginia
First Name
gotyourgoat
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
c10
Engine Size
smokin' 305
It must have been cylinders #1 and #3. I know this because evidently I had put an anti-fouler on the #1 plug when I cleaned them last time. #1 was wet with an oil/gas mixture and #3 actually looked great. When running, the passenger side exhaust has a nice smooth flow. The driver side however has a noticeable pulse. When the engine is revved, that's the side that smokes too. It's a white/gray color, but smells mostly like oil burning. That's more diagnostic effort than I put into it several years ago. I guess now I'm at the point where I just want to see how much I can improve a dead engine. Oil pressure is great, btw :rofl:

I halfass flushed the radiator while the truck was running. I'll see what it looks like tomorrow. It had to have been oil in the coolant too because when I hosed down the driveway, the mixture that had come out turned a light milky tan color, lol.
Anti-fouler? Sounds like something ol brown would be interested in..
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
29,087
Reaction score
23,880
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
Anti-fouler? Sounds like something ol brown would be interested in..

Dorman #42002
You must be registered for see images attach

That's AutoZone's website
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
29,087
Reaction score
23,880
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
I have an idea, but it requires an obscene amount of chemical that will not long term solve any issue while possibly causing more issues. And would be the price of headgaskets.

Obscene amounts of chemical sounds fun.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
42,065
Posts
908,290
Members
33,542
Latest member
willyg
Top