oil meets water in a 3G!

Space1999 · Post by **Space1999** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 8:31 pm

Hi guys - I am a bit puzzled with something going on with my 1989 3G 2.0 auto...

There is a *very* fine film of oil on the top of the coolant, when I take the rad cap off and peer down inside. And I can also spot a few small 'globules' of oil floating around sometimes.

BTW, It is definitely oil, not any other type of gunge, and it seems to be getting slowly worse (I've checked several times over the past week)...

I would normally think 'head gasket failure', but...

- there's no misfire
- no steam
- no overheating
- no loss of coolant
- no mayonaise on engine oil cap
- engine runs beautifully and has only done 26,000 miles!
- it's a Honda!

So my question is, is there anything else that would be depositing very small amounts of oil into my coolant? Any kinds of seals or any other place where oil and water come close to one another, except the head gasket?

It may be the early stages of a head gasket failure but I've had this before with other cars and it's been a bit more sudden, with larger quantities of oil in coolant, and more coolant loss, and more steam...

Any thoughts? Should I expect the worst or is there something obvious I haven't thought of?

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 8:48 pm

only to know for sure is a leakdown test buddy

Post by **Vtecmec** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:39 pm

If 3rd gens cool the auto fluid with the rad like 4ths and 5ths, it could be mixing auto fluid with the coolant.

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:40 pm

for that to be the case there would have to be a hole in the rad

Post by **Vtecmec** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:44 pm

Yes, internally. Just throwing out a possibility.

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:27 pm

Does the 3g have an oil cooler?

Post by **4thgenphil** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 8:06 pm

wurlycorner wrote:Does the 3g have an oil cooler?

my thoughts

Space1999 · Post by **Space1999** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:07 am

I don't know, I'll have a look. It's an auto, so it may well do...

Presumably if the oil cooler is jiggered then it could be leaking internally into the engine coolant - is that what you're saying?

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:29 pm

Yep, that's what I was suggesting.