First -- I did a search about this, but I have some very specific questions. There are MANY posts on the topic, but still couldn't find something specific.
I have a 1997 4.0L with msyterious disappearing coolant.
Reasons it IS a cracked head or head gasket:
1. I can not find a leak anywhere and I looked hard. Checked the hoses and they were old, but did not seem to be leaking. Water pump is about 4-5 years old and was hard to check, but I saw no evidence of stuff coming out of the weep hole. Again, however, it was hard to check.
2. Removed the radiator cap and there was some brown swirly stuff in it. Fluid was not, however, very thick.
Reasons it is NOT a cracked head or head gasket:
1. My year (1997) isn't famous for cracked heads.
2. Runs fine, never overheated, well cared for, and the motor has a reputation for going well over 200k miles.
3. No low oil pressure. Goes a little (not much) over 40 on startup, warmup, and acceleration. Drops to about 20 sitting at a stoplight after warm --- a little low, but I have read on here that this is within normal operating parameters.
4. After removing the undercarriage splash guard, there was some greenish, yellowish dried stuff toward the very front of the engine on the passenger side.
5. Oil looks good on the dipstick and doesn't seem strange looking through the fill cap. I just recently dropped in Royal Purple and did not notic anything odd about the stuff coming out. At that time, I was not really looking either. However, RP is expensive and I don't want to drain it unless this is the only way to check.
Other odd things:
I can hear water gurgling, everytime I shut the motor off.
I can smell very slightly coolant and only sometimes under the hood. I am afraid I am just hoping too hard to smell it and it may be my imagination.
What do you guys think? I just did the valve cover gasket about 6 months ago. I bought the expensive gasket and am not excited about removing the valve cover. Isn't there some chemical test for oil in the coolant so I could see what the brown swirly stuff was?
Sorry for the long post, but I am more and more convinced I will be replacing the head soon. If so, I may replace the whole engine. It would bug me to no end to now that the lower end had received extra wear from coolant contaminated oil.
I have a 1997 4.0L with msyterious disappearing coolant.
Reasons it IS a cracked head or head gasket:
1. I can not find a leak anywhere and I looked hard. Checked the hoses and they were old, but did not seem to be leaking. Water pump is about 4-5 years old and was hard to check, but I saw no evidence of stuff coming out of the weep hole. Again, however, it was hard to check.
2. Removed the radiator cap and there was some brown swirly stuff in it. Fluid was not, however, very thick.
Reasons it is NOT a cracked head or head gasket:
1. My year (1997) isn't famous for cracked heads.
2. Runs fine, never overheated, well cared for, and the motor has a reputation for going well over 200k miles.
3. No low oil pressure. Goes a little (not much) over 40 on startup, warmup, and acceleration. Drops to about 20 sitting at a stoplight after warm --- a little low, but I have read on here that this is within normal operating parameters.
4. After removing the undercarriage splash guard, there was some greenish, yellowish dried stuff toward the very front of the engine on the passenger side.
5. Oil looks good on the dipstick and doesn't seem strange looking through the fill cap. I just recently dropped in Royal Purple and did not notic anything odd about the stuff coming out. At that time, I was not really looking either. However, RP is expensive and I don't want to drain it unless this is the only way to check.
Other odd things:
I can hear water gurgling, everytime I shut the motor off.
I can smell very slightly coolant and only sometimes under the hood. I am afraid I am just hoping too hard to smell it and it may be my imagination.
What do you guys think? I just did the valve cover gasket about 6 months ago. I bought the expensive gasket and am not excited about removing the valve cover. Isn't there some chemical test for oil in the coolant so I could see what the brown swirly stuff was?
Sorry for the long post, but I am more and more convinced I will be replacing the head soon. If so, I may replace the whole engine. It would bug me to no end to now that the lower end had received extra wear from coolant contaminated oil.