Is it my oil cooler, or something else?

[Camarogenius]

I posted this in another thread, but it hasn't gotten any attention, so I'm giving it it's own post.

My oil is a milky grey, there's no unusual pressure in the radiator, and no white smoke, so I don't think my head gaskets are blown, and I don't think it's a cracked block or head.

Anything else I should look at before I fight with the oil cooler?

Thanks in advance.

 

[icanfixall]

The answer depends on wether you run an antifreeze or not. On some 6.9 motors there isn't any freeze plugs on the intake side of the heads under the valley pan. Others there is. You may have a coolant leak there. Try tightening all the intake manifold bolts. Its difficult to know one way or the other is the plugs are installed or not. Also have the oil cooler o-rings ever been replaced... If not and if you have over 150,000 miles on the motor they may have turned hard and are leaking. Hope this is an easy fix. Oil coolers can be easy but they can be tuff too. Just don't support the motor from the bottom of the oil pan if you need to lift the motor to change the cooler o-rings. That will dent to pan into the oil pump pickup. Its only about 1/8 inch away from the pan bottom...

 

[Camarogenius]

Well, this is a 7.3. I'm trying to get rid of it, and am trying to fix it, rather than driving it across the scales for scrap. Next time I'm home, I'll check the intake bolts.

Can I use a jack on the pan rail to raise the engine? I don't have a hoist, or a tree strong enough.

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

Has it been sitting for a bit? Maybe if it was just sitting around water somehow got into the motor. Have you recently washed the motor off?

Try changing the oil in it and go from there. Do you see any bubbling in your radiator?

If it happens to be your oil cooler. If you dont have means to pull the motor out or up, do how I did it. I took out the inner and outer fender and the cooler is right there. not as hard of a job as you may think.