This has had me stumped for years - Every time I flush out the cooling system (every year), it is nasty and oily, there is no sign of coolant in the oil just oil in the coolant. It has not been a problem yet - Truck still goes down the road fine. I don't have an engine oil loss problem, It's just weird - Someone else has had to have this happen.

- Also I have been kicking around the idea of bypassing the trans cooler IN the radiator - Possible source of coolant goobery ?

 

I suspect intake gasket. On overhead cam engines it could be head gasket but more likely the intake.

 

I'm having the same problem but at idle I can smell coolant from the exhaust did you figure out the problem? My truck still has alot of power but once in a a while it will stutter and I'm getting the lean code for bank 2 it's a 97 4.6l

 

After I flushed it I haven't noticed it getting all nasty yet - My truck runs fine so far. I'm going to leave well enough alone for now.

 

Well I replaced my heater core a few weeks ago and I flushed all the coolant out but I'm thinking it's the intake gasket that's bad

 

Maybe trans fluid...from the cooler

 

I know that if you have a dealer in your area that handles BG Products, they have a sealer that works with both antifreezes, and does a wonderful job of keeping engines from leaking thru the cooling systems into the oil and vise versa. Lucas sells a good sealer that won't mess up your heater system also.

Bars Leak, Alumiseal and any of the other that have the multi pellets or aluminum flakes, tend to clog up the cooling systems, besides fixing the leaks. The BG or Lucas brands have no agents that clog. This is extremely important. Ford sells a pellet, as does GM, that is specifically designed to keep the cooling system from leaking. (My dealership wouldn't use the Ford pellet and we used the BG w/Ford's approval for warranty).

I had a few cans of the BG and when I bought my 98 added it. I had a small seepage, from the rt side head gasket, that the BG sealed up. I have no leak down now, and hold 15# constant. I couldn't say that when I first bought my truck. I had a 2-3# leak down per hour, prior to adding the BG. Just throwing this out there for information from past and prior use and results. Good luck