So regarding the situation described here
well- first a little background before I describe this wack idea:

1. I recently discovered my oil contains coolant, my coolant contains oil- the almost unanimous conclusion reached is that this indicates a failing headgasket and/or gap between the engine and head.

2. It's unseasonably warm here in Charlotte.. so I'm still getting to commute via motorcycle to work this week, however I'm poor- and in any inclement weather or authentic winter I'd be commuting the 8 minutes to/from work via corvette. In spite of the described trouble, it continues to run/drive fine, but I realize that continuing to drive it with the coolant/oil issue is bound to destroy the engine, probably sooner than later.

3. I'm a career design/engineer/inventor and I work with a buch of similar crazy people who sit around and dream up crazy ideas all day.

Now, I plan to offload this car somehow (ebay?) as soon as I can line up a replacement. In the interim- here's today's thought:
Say the contents of the oil system and the coolant system were one in the same... that is- we just fill the coolant system with a light grade oil and use it as a cooling medium? So if one system leaks to the other- who cares? My two biggest concerns are the load on the water pump (aka 'oil pump') due to the viscosity change, and then the cooling effectiveness- need to check on the specific heat capacity of synthetic motor oil...
Anyway, I guess the final question becomes: Which is the lesser of two evils- driving a car with a mixing oil/coolant system or driving one with cooling problems due to the described temporary fix?

Another coworker thinks that the oil will combust in those circumstances, and blow up the state of north carolina.... I'm not buying that theory- yet, but reading up on the topic.
Thoughts?

 

Youll regret it down the road. Have it PROFESSIONALLY repaired.

 

Try it on a mustang first. No one will miss a mustang

 

Just a reminder that people should search websites like this one before purchasing a car.

 

The only roadblock to you using an engine oil for the coolant....that I see.... is that eventually the engine will either be depleted of lubricant, or the engine will eventually be overfilled with oil. (since your engine seems to have a free exchange of the fluids in those two systems...)
Plus, I know that oil will not absorb, nor release, heat as quickly as will water.

Glad to see you thinking, though!!

Larry
code5coupe

 

Ok, couple quickies:
1. to captain obvious: Yes, I realize that coolant is damaging to the bearings, yes I realize that running it this way will ruin the motor, cleverly hidden in the text "I realize that continuing to drive it with the coolant/oil issue is bound to destroy the engine, probably sooner than later."

2. Yes, I would love to have it PROFESSIONALLY repaired- but as also noted: I'm POOR. So I can't.

I'm just throwing this out there as food for thought. I wonder if anyone's ever tried that and with what result.

BTW- The above posted text is meant as more silly than sarcastic... I'm in that kinda mood today.

ps. One final note: Honest guy that I am, I'll be happy to direct buyers to my forum posts here- I'm not planning to hide any of the described facts.

 

Hey man. I would say that your being a liar, but I believe you. I am poor also. About to head out to college. Im from concord. Basically try to squeeze by best you can and since YOU KNOW the consequnences and you believe you can temporairly fix it. I say go for it. You really have nothing to loose. Its going to go one way or the other. Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

 

Amusing thought processes going on with that idea.
Oil lubricates; that's its primary function and one for which it is very good at. The thermal permeability of a viscous hydrocarbon such as motor oil would not give off the stored heat nearly as quickly as a less viscous medium.
Let's continue to let oil lubricate and we'll let anti-freeze perform the thermal transfer function.
Damned interesting thinking though.
But, if ya could come up with a lubricating coolant, you would totally be the man!!

 

[QUOTE=kevin-design

ps. One final note: Honest guy that I am, I'll be happy to direct buyers to my forum posts here- I'm not planning to hide any of the described facts.[/QUOTE]

Okay, honest guy that you are, here is my feelings. I would be way more liable to buy your car as is than after you do something like you describe.

 

Change the fluids replacing the proper fluids in their respective locations and see if it continues to transfer from engine to rad or visa versa. I believe you will promptly burn up your engine trying to use oil as a coolant. It isn't being done and with good reason, it doesn't work. Take an oil sample of your engine oil and have it checked for antifreeze and water contamination. Your local Caterpillar dealer will process it for approx $35.00. If there is no antifreeze or water in the engine you could drive it that way sparingly until you sold it. And I believe most people would rather buy the car in its present condition than with the rad filled with oil. Hope it works out for you.
Bernie

 

There are products available that you can use to actually repair the leak without taking the motor apart. And believe it or not, they actually work! (sometimes). One that comes to mind is called "steel seal". I have used them in the past and they normally hold for a while, then they blow. I have a buddy who used it on an old bronco II and drove the thing for a year after he sealed it. Finally sold it and it was still going strong. Worth a try if you are looking for a half assed fix job.
Roy

 

This sounds like the same cutting edge engineering theory that developed the Opti-spark.

 

Hey....You don't mention what year your vette is ....but seems to me that some of these sewing machines came with oil coolers typically sandwiched 'tween the filter and the block....that would be a more likely cause of both areas of contamination...(oil in coolant particularly ) mainly 'cause theres no other logical path for oil to flow to the radiator. If , in fact , your vette is thusly equipped it would require a gasket and O-ring or two to fix , saving the world from yet another way to deplete the world's supply of hydro-carbons.....Bob

 

or the tornado and don't forget...some of that coolant is probably getting into the cylinders and squeezing by your rings..just wait til a cylinder fills with oil.

 

Good advise

 

If you fill the cooling system with oil, you can get rid of the head gaskets. Heeey! Kopbet (of, if I have trouble with it, I'll eliminate it, fame), didn't suggest this remedy, did he?

RACE ON!!!

 

Kopbet will like this idea...



sh**, CFI beat me to it.

 

I hope this will not happen because there are two probable posibilities:
1. If the cylinders fill up with coolant the engine will suddenly stop because water ( coolant ) can not compress and then you will propably loose control of the car and destroy whatever was left of the engine or car.

2. If you are lucky the water will enter the chamber and mix with gas that will not burn, so the engine will stop and probably that will be all.

Changing a head gasket could be done in a weekend with the aid of friends, but the heads should be checked for warping/ deformation, before they are instaled again.

I know that by now you feel frustrated because of the extra expense needed to repair that car, after all it is a Vette and nobody sees them as a conmuting car. So it really hurts, but I agree with other members that you will regret it sooner or later. Maybe sooner.

 

As we said in the military, YGTBSM!!

 

WADR, this is not a good idea. You may brainstorm for a living, but it needs to be "in context" and with some knowledge base. If you know little about oil, coolant, engines, etc., you are operating in the dark.

Of course, that's the same thing as the first person who tried to make friends with a dinosaur did...............