What have you done to your wagon lately? (Let's keep the thread going!)

Nice setup

 

If you found antifreeze in your oil, you have trouble. Sounds like a gasket/seal failure from your intake manifold or a cracked block. If you're lucky its the intake manifold but if it's been leaking for a while, your bearings might have gone bad. Running the engine will only make things worse. Find the problem now.

 

Hopefully a Ford engine guy will chime in. I've never heard of having two oil drain plugs except on a Model T.
Perhaps you loosened a water drain plug on the side of the engine.???????????
As usual, I'm confused. As noted above don't drive the wagon until, you figure this out.
There is a possiblity that there was condensation from not driving it much.
Also since you are loosing antifreeeze a bad head gasket or worse is possible.
As for the thermostat, I'm confused even more. Just put in the recommended size. The heater heats when the water gets warm.

You didn't mention if you saw water in the oil when you drained it. You would see small rainbow colored drops floating around. That's not good!

 

Well, that would make sense given information of the junk antifreeze I found in the radiator last year. The old stuff was all brown. The slightly brown water did smell like antifreeze, but I didn't see any green in it. After replacing the fluid I did make sure to put enough new coolant in.

I do have two books about this car so I'll read about the intake manifold gasket; I never worked on one before, no better time to learn though and it's a whole load cheaper than replacing the engine from neglect.

 

It wasn't a water valve or anything like that, I looked in one of my books about the car and it showed an oil pan with two drain holes and oil did come out of this second hole shortly after loosening it.

My Dad did say it could be condensation from storing it over the winter. Again, when I flushed the radiator last year you could say I super-flushed it because I kept on doing it until I got clear water out of it consistently then I ran it for a while before ultimately adding the coolant. I only drove the car yesterday for the first time this year after going clear from November storing it, though I did idle it in the winter just to keep things flowing.

I didn't notice rainbow drops. I did run the car for about five minutes before I started to change the oil, but by the time I got to opening it the oil wasn't warm nor was the engine. And, the water only came out of the sub-drain hole - I doubt it was as much as half an ounce but it was certainly more than ten drops. But, a person may think that cars just shouldn't have any water in the crankcase. I can't go measure the water now as I cleaned the pan.

You know what, the funny thing is when I flushed the radiator (fewer than 290 miles ago) I did see water coming out of the tailpipes as I had a garden hose attached to the flushing system and every time I start the car I see water come out of the drive'r side tailpipe, but it does have a fairly new exhaust system and maybe a catalytic converter too. Ironically, if a head-gasket is leaky (I'm not saying it is) then I may have steam-cleaned the pistons.

As for the thermostat, When I was in Autozone I thought a failsafe one would be nice but it wasn't set for the right temperature. If it was set to stay permanently open about thirty or forty degrees higher, then it would be fine. But with staying open at 192 degrees when the heater opens at 193, it's just a disaster waiting to happen if I don't change it.

Oh and another thing: It appeared as if this sub-drain hole hadn't been opened for quite some time, if ever. But thinking twice, the pan looked a lot cleaner than other parts of the car so I wonder if it's even the original pan. When I opened the sub hole there was also sludgy oil coming out, so it's possible that the previous owner just took it to a shop that never opened that plug and that may have gone on for 20k miles' worth of oil changes. However, the sub pan hole is higher up than the primary one and holds much less oil. Here's a photo of what mine looks like:



It's upside down, but you get the idea; Primary oil drain on the left, secondary on the right.

 

I've had brown looking old antifreeze. Sounds good that you saw no water drops or floating bubbles in the oil.
I'm guessing condensation. You admitted you only ran it a short time a few times during winter and it wasn't warmed up when you drained it.
The only real question is where is the antifreeze going?
I would drive the wagon gently and keep checking the radiator and oil.
I also had a Ford Escort that ran too cool. It got foamy stuff inside the valve cover that I could see inside the oil fill plug that looked like rootbeer foam. The engine started to clatter. I drained it and used a better oil. Everything was fine after that for many years. Got 50 MPG. I only sold it to buy a van.
Yes Tedy, an honest 50 MPG. The only good thing I can say about that car!

 

Wait, bubbles? That I did notice.

When I put the thermostat on I didn't attach it very well as I kept getting antifreeze leaks there for a while. I did seal up the gasket with a sealant, but it may have not been thick enough. I used to see antifreeze on the floor, but that stopped and I guess the coolant plugged up the leaky seal.

By the way, I updated my earlier reply as you wrote your reply.

 

Stuff Happens

I just reread the part about water coming out the tailpipes. That also can be condensation. Or head gaskets leaking. OMG.
My truck had water coming out the tail pipes six months ago after son replaced the fan clutch and water pump on the Hemi. 73,300 miles on it. Ran great.
He replaced the head gaskets after removing much carbon from the valves and pistons. Now ran like crap. He trailered my truck 50 miles to have his boss help redo it. He quit his job! After six months it now has rebuilt heads but I still don't have it back. Stuff happens!
If I have it hauled to the dealership 60 miles away it could cost more than the truck is worth. :confused:
:rant:

 

Yes, I notice. As I write you rewrite. Sometimes I do other things between reading and writting. I do that too to save extra posts.
I also said I'm not a Ford guy. I do like Fords but mine are older.
Now that I see the oil pan I realize some Fords had an extra front sump to clear steering. That is your second drain plug.
I'd guess the previous owner went to those QUICKIE LUBES. Most of those young guys don't know an oil drain plug from a bathtub drain!
In my 1987 Chevy van we were 500 miles from home on a 1000 mile trip when the U_joints went out. Lucky I limped to a repair shop. The center carrier bearing and carrier were rusty and dry. They said they hadn't been greased in many years. I had recently gotten an oil change and grease job at my friendly local Wally World.
Returning home later I asked the head dude in auto parts part of Wally World about why my van was never fully lubed. He just grinned and said "probably cause the grease fittings were aimed up and we couldn't git to em y'all."
It wasn't like that was the first time I'd taken the van there for service. Apparently the driveshaft U-joint was always in the up position!
So yes, I'd guess there was old goopy oil sludge in the front of the pan from years ago, also with moisture from condensation.
That's why quickie lubes are quick. Also keep in mind there were/are some who just stick a suction tube down the oil dipstick and suck the oil out. Like that really does much good!

 

Ah, quick-lube jobs. I tried taking a Suburban in for an oil change at a Walmart in late February, the employees thought the oil drain plug was welded on so they wouldn't touch it due to protocol. The pan came like that from the factory and no, the plug wasn't welded. I got the oil changed at another place.

 

Unstorage question

We will be taking Lil Sis out of storage on Saturday, is there anything we need to do? We did put Sta-Bil in her full tank when we parked her.


:confused:

 

Yup...bring shovels, snow blower, mukluks, snow shoes, and don't forget the toque .............

You should be fine, fannie. Check the oil, rad etc and you should be ready to go. Let it warm up on it's own the best it can then just drive it easy for a bit, you will be fine

after a couple days...drive it like you stole it

 

Tedy, Tedy, Tedy


thank you. We get her out on Saturday. On Monday she is going in to have her axels and brakes put on... I'm hoping to have her ready for my 4 day weekend starting April 30(my b-day) cool present.

Oh yeah I really hope we won't need shovels etc...

 

You will be fine, fannie...happy for you

.....sure hope you have some "new" milk crates to hold up the car for these repairs


All in fun, fannie......

 

no new milk crates. On this coast we recycle.