Elktrekker

Hi, all. First post here. I wish it were for something fun.

I've been nursing a heater core leak, keeping coolant in the reservoir, driving it only short distances (2 miles to work and back, mainly) during the winter. Never saw it overheat. I don't see any fluid anywhere, but I can smell coolant in my cab. I noticed recently that my reservoir tank has the brownish foam. My daughter is using my truck while I'm fixing her Explorer (whole different nightmare). She was a little low on oil, so I added high mileage oil for the first time. Now she tells me the oil light came on... oil level is fine, but I noticed the pressure gauge is closer to high pressure. The oil light was not on when I drove it to check (after checking the oil). So, to recap.
1) Heater Core leak
2) brown/orangish foam in resevoir
3) low oil (but high mileage engine)
4) high pressure reading

So, could I get lucky and just have some breakdown in the coolant due to old/mixed with the wrong kind of coolant, high pressure due to thick oil, a leaky heater core adding air into the coolant system, or do you think I have a blown head gasket?

Thanks, all.

dopewaffle

iTrader: (-1)

You may be right, but we do need more information on the oil situation. How often do you put oil in it? When was the last time the filter was changed? Have you checked around the filter for leaks? I would go ahead and change the PCV valve (on the valve cover, looks like a L) and that may help. I've seen users have to put 1qt of oil in their engines, but that's every oil change and they do fine.

About the heater core, that's a nasty job. There are a few videos on YouTube that will help you out though. I wouldn't replace the heater core lines with the stock fittings, I would cut them and attach new fittings. You don't have to take the whole dash out, but out just enough to get the "the big black box" the heater core sits in.

GMW468

Unscrew your oil fill cap and look inside, is there a white milky substance inside the cap? A lot of times that's a tell tale sign that your head gasket has gone south.

As for the brownish/orange foam, how long ago did you flush the coolant? Are you sure its not just very old coolant?

JCR 56

Even a normal engine can have condensation on and around the oil cap in cold weather and short drive cycles.

Ford Fan#1

that wouldn't work as he said he only drives it like 2 miles so it wouldn't be up to temperature completely. So it would be condensation on the oil cap JCR beat me to it

Frank_Ford

like the others who have responded, it is hard to tell because we do not know how well the maintenance has been performed on your truck. I would generally say that if you have not overheated your truck, you would not have blown a head gasket. That being said, if you have not flushed your cooling system at least every 5 years, you could have a lot of problem.

MCpllabelle

True...its not a true indicator of a bad head gasket or intake gasket.

02_Black_On_White

now if its on the dip stick thats a better indicator.

MCpllabelle

Yup...that I agree. If you have milky looking oil that definitly means there is coolant contamination coming from a ruptured head gasket.

Which is..by the way..horrible for you cam shaft bearings as it dries them off and accelerates wear.

Elktrekker

I have to admit I have not changed the coolant in the three years that I've owned it. The oil doesn't look milky, it was just low. I've about got my daughter's explorer fixed (waterpump, then broken bolts) and I'm going to start on the heater core/evaporator core/blend door replacement, then I'll flush the system.

Thanks for the discussion.