"Greyjaei" <greyjaei@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158896558.507323.78160@e3g2000cwe.googlegrou ps.com...
>
> Michael Pardee wrote:
>> "Greyjaei" <greyjaei@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1158893919.785977.61770@i42g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>> > Car info:
>> > 92 Honda Civic DX
>> > 340k(engine rebuilt at 300k)
>> >
>> > About a week ago my engine troubles started.
>> > Was driving home when the engine temperature shot up, checked the
>> > coolant and there was none there.
>> > Refilled it, took it to a mechanic friend, he said the Thermostat
>> > wasn't working, which was resulting in the coolant being boiled off.
>> > Seemed reasonable, changed that, coolant hasn't been dissappearing much
>> > or at all since then. (timing belt is going, can't drive it around much
>> > to check)
>> > WAS going to get the belt changed, but the mechanic at the place I took
>> > it to was pretty convinced I had a blown head gasket or cracked head.
>> > All he did was take off the valve cover, didn't do any compression
>> > tests etc.
>> >
>> > There seems to be no coolant in the oil pan, and no oil in the coolant.
>> > But the inside of the valve cover is covered in this brown sludge.
>> >
>> > I'm not sure what to do.
>> > Is it definitally a blown head gasket/cracked head?
>> > Could that brown sludge have formed inside the valve cover any other
>> > way?
>> >
>> > Not really willing to dish out the 1500 to repair the head gasket right
>> > now, or the 3000 to repair the head. Want to be sure of where I go from
>> > here and would appreciate any opinons. The car is a really nice ride
>> > and I'll be sorry to see it go.
>> >
>> > Here are a couple pictures of the valve cover and lifters etc
>> > http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/Greyjaei/2.jpg
>> > http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/Greyjaei/1.jpg
>> >
>>
>> See my response to Hendersauce's post, "Need some DIY input to replace a
>> headgasket on my 93' Civic DX" earlier today.
>>
>> The sludge is mostly the result of too much time between oil changes -
>> see
>> http://tegger.com/hondafaq/sludge/index.html
>>
>> I'm not sure I understand why the mechanic removed the valve cover if he
>> suspected a head gasket or head problem.
>>
>> Mike
>
> Sorry, the Mechanic was removing the valve cover while going to change
> the timing belt, but he stopped because of the sludge, he was pretty
> sure it was coolant mixed with oil.
> Is there anyway for coolant to get into the valves without it being a
> blown head gasket or cracked head?
>
More often coolant in the oil makes it milky looking, because the leak is
not often small. Sludge normally comes from condensation of the water vapor
from combustion blow-by; every gallon of gasoline produces approximately a
gallon of water in the form of vapor when it burns. A little of it always
mixes with the oil, and if the car isn't driven long enough at a time the
"oil" can actually become up to a third water. Sludge time!

If there is coolant in the oil you will probably also see oil in the coolant
(oil is forced into the coolant when the engine is running, and coolant is
forced into the oil when the engine is cooling off). That is easy enough to
see, even in tiny quantities - it floats on the top of the coolant in the
radiator and the reservoir.

Mike