JUST BOUGHT 3200 GT, OIL IN COOLANT.

Hi guys, just thought I’d give a quick update on this situation. Basically there has been no progress since I last posted. I have been away on holiday in Europe for the last 4 weeks, and also I am in dispute with the previous owner over the purchase of the car. I can’t really commence repairs until this matter is settled, hopefully this will be sometime soon.
In the meantime I have had some satisfaction from the car getting the A/C working (relay) and sorting out the radiator fans (blown resistor and damaged electrical connectors).
Will update once I have further info.
 
I know this is a long shot but recently I was servicing a BMW & found what looked like oil sludge in the coolant tank. After questioning the owner he admitted adding some goop bought at a auto shop to the coolant because he imagined the engine had a cracked block & this goop would seal the crack ! I'd recommend flushing & cleaning the water jacket & refilling to see whether the problem re-appears.
 
Everyone is bang on; on this post.
Only consumable location for oil into coolant to mix are the headgaskets.
Otherwise a crack in the valve-boxes or aluminium block in various points.
Oil pressure > coolant pressure whilst running, I'd expect some mixing to happen when cold/not running, so I would:
Drain the oil if you haven't as lowest point in entire fluid mix.

I'm surprised after 25 years that most people aren't talking about these types of failures because they're all imminent.
I've done 3x engines by now where the composite material fails from improper coolant and maintenance.

Last one was a 147GTA Alfa. Had the sump off to re-seal as was heavily leaking oil. Draining fluid didn't pick up any mixing.
Didn't re-fit right away until next day as had an event that day.
Noticed coolant on the floor next morning in an unusual spot. Pressurized coolant circuit and had coolant pissing straight down one oil return port...
Talk to anyone with a 3.2 Alfa and they will tell you these all tend to fail around the head-studs.

Other one was one of my 3200's that the forum hasn't seen because I haven't had the time to post about it.
I was re-sealing the camboxes and had emptied the entire coolant system(to re-fill fresh).
Last owner mentioned headgaskets have failed, but I wasn't certain until I performed a smoke test on each cylinder @ TDC valves closed.
Had smoke coming out of the coolant manifold at the front of the motor... Game over, everything off.

And first one being my long-time fire-build. They mightn't have failed(yet), but I needed the crank out to spark erode seized waterpump bolts. Full engine rebuild.

If you paid top dollar for the car. Argue hard, especially if through a dealer.
Private sale is extremely tricky because unless written, it's an "As-Is" at time of sale.

If you need parts. I have spare set of OE gaskets on the shelf in SE Melbourne. Not replicas like you might find everywhere else. Not cheap either. But neither is any of the cylinder head work that's recommended before reinstalling(I would not want to ever have to remove them again).

Hope all the best!
 
Not the 4200 - Ferrari block with combined water-oil cooler off the side of the block. These have filters and seals. Bit more delicate.

3200GT bedplate construction with open-deck block style(super fancy in comparison to lots of other engines)

Separate cylinder liners with fine o-rings separating coolant entering the sump.
Oil pump - driven right off the crank. Housing entirely separate and cooled via external radiator mounted under the radiator.
Waterpump - separate entity above the oil cooler in the upper block to drag cold radiator coolant through the block first.
 
JTop said:
Everyone is bang on; on this post.
Only consumable location for oil into coolant to mix are the headgaskets.
Otherwise a crack in the valve-boxes or aluminium block in various points.
Oil pressure > coolant pressure whilst running, I'd expect some mixing to happen when cold/not running, so I would:
Drain the oil if you haven't as lowest point in entire fluid mix.

I'm surprised after 25 years that most people aren't talking about these types of failures because they're all imminent.
I've done 3x engines by now where the composite material fails from improper coolant and maintenance.

Last one was a 147GTA Alfa. Had the sump off to re-seal as was heavily leaking oil. Draining fluid didn't pick up any mixing.
Didn't re-fit right away until next day as had an event that day.
Noticed coolant on the floor next morning in an unusual spot. Pressurized coolant circuit and had coolant pissing straight down one oil return port...
Talk to anyone with a 3.2 Alfa and they will tell you these all tend to fail around the head-studs.

Other one was one of my 3200's that the forum hasn't seen because I haven't had the time to post about it.
I was re-sealing the camboxes and had emptied the entire coolant system(to re-fill fresh).
Last owner mentioned headgaskets have failed, but I wasn't certain until I performed a smoke test on each cylinder @ TDC valves closed.
Had smoke coming out of the coolant manifold at the front of the motor... Game over, everything off.

And first one being my long-time fire-build. They mightn't have failed(yet), but I needed the crank out to spark erode seized waterpump bolts. Full engine rebuild.

If you paid top dollar for the car. Argue hard, especially if through a dealer.
Private sale is extremely tricky because unless written, it's an "As-Is" at time of sale.

If you need parts. I have spare set of OE gaskets on the shelf in SE Melbourne. Not replicas like you might find everywhere else. Not cheap either. But neither is any of the cylinder head work that's recommended before reinstalling(I would not want to ever have to remove them again).

Hope all the best!
Click to expand...
Thanks for your input. Having read your posts about your fire rebuild I really value your input. I have lots of questions but will stick to one big for now: Do I have to, or should I, remove the engine to replace the head gaskets? Understand the heads may be able to be removed in-site with the exhaust manifold and turbo still attached, but that access is very tight and it may be better to just remove the engine.
 
NZRossi said:
Thanks for your input. Having read your posts about your fire rebuild I really value your input. I have lots of questions but will stick to one big for now: Do I have to, or should I, remove the engine to replace the head gaskets? Understand the heads may be able to be removed in-site with the exhaust manifold and turbo still attached, but that access is very tight and it may be better to just remove the engine.
Click to expand...
Fire build required it.

Second build -> Which hasn't been documented on the forum. I left the block in situ. Vehicle just on jack stands. And done the entire job lot leaning into the bay.
These are photos I took of this 3200GT:
PXL_20230701_064954029.jpgPXL_20230701_064957440.jpg
PXL_20230701_093028790.jpg
PXL_20231001_043952464.jpg
PXL_20231007_102149912.jpg
PXL_20231105_084006282.jpg
Prussian blue with a Grade A flat block run over it. It was not even close to perfect when removed. And I aimed for 99.99% perfection when doing this(took a while)

PXL_20231107_014051467.jpgPXL_20231107_053013963.jpgPXL_20231111_103824307.jpg
Turbos are a bit tight to pull up and drop back down. but disconnecting the engine mounts does allow the block to shift over and provide adequate room to do so.
 
Wow, this is great stuff, thanks very much. That sure is pretty nasty around the old head gasket. Are the small holes outside of cylinders 3 and 7 the high pressure oil feed to the head? The assuming the at least one of the three big ones in the corners is an oil return to the sump?
 
NZRossi said:
Wow, this is great stuff, thanks very much. That sure is pretty nasty around the old head gasket. Are the small holes outside of cylinders 3 and 7 the high pressure oil feed to the head? The assuming the at least one of the three big ones in the corners is an oil return to the sump?
Click to expand...
Bingo. The remainders with anaerobic loops are head studs.
PXL_20231111_084543862.jpgPXL_20220921_013839325.MP.jpg
 
boomerang said:
Seeing the pollution in the water ports, did they maybe use just water as coolant?
Click to expand...
My one above had proper yellow-green solution in it when I got it.
Albeit. Might have at some earlier point concluding this finish.

I just took a head off a 1jz due to no compression -> oversized sparkplug threads... don't ask
Also. Just water having been used causing loads of corrosion in all ports. left a mess everywhere!

All the Coupes ->
4th heater core I've seen leak was due to red generic coolant being used. No idea why this stuff is all over the AC units. I'd say it's an accessory to their demise.
3200GT. Yellow-Green - Cuna NC 956-16 rating. I use Ravenol.
4200GT. Paraflu UP. Which is a light pink.
 
Did a first time timing belt change on our Doblo 1.6 Multijet this weekend, changed the water pump also.
After 250.000kms, belt looked as if it could last another 100k, the back side of the water pump looked like a new one; no signs of corrosion whatsoever!
Only a little play on its bearing, but despite that, no leaking still
Never exchanged the coolant ever, still the original factory stuff.
Must have been góód stuff!
Doblo= Fiat= Italian = Very solid indeed= a secret fact.
Same goes for the Ducato.
Who says Italian cars are all rubbish?!
 
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