Is ANY amount of water/coolant to be expected in the oil?

[SpookyDad]

I did an oil change yesterday. Actually it looked more like unrefined crude oil coming out. It was very black. As it was finishing draining, I noticed some water or possibly coolant in the waste oil pan. FYI, the covered waste oil pans, with the hole in the top to let the oil drain inside, won't allow enough oil in fast enough to prevent overflow on to the driveway. Use an open topped one. (Put that in the CCKW for Dummies book)

I know water in the oil and/or oil in the coolant is, at best, a blown head gasket and worst, a cracked head. I did notice a tiny bit of oil in the coolant when I drained the radiator. How bad does it have to get before it is time to pull the head? I used to do this years ago but it is amazing how much we forget.

Neil

[John V Cliche]

You could also have a cracked block
NO amount of coolant is tolerable in the oil, period.

John

[SpookyDad]

Are blocks repairable or is it strictly replacement?

Neil

[awg]

normally if water and oil are mixed, your oil will be slightly milky

especially obvious around the filler cap.

odd if u have straight coolant in the freshly drained oil.

i agree not a good sign.

check radiator with the cap off and totally full of water, to see if it is bubbling

u can also do compression and leakdown tests if u have access to the equipment.

the final thing u can try, is a special chemical available from auto stores that u pour into your coolant, the purpose is to seal failed head gaskets and cracked blocks.

it does work, I have used it several times over the years, but usually only lasts a while.

repeat, milky oil and rising "oil level" is a sign of head gasket failure

not sure exact symptoms of block failure, it depends where it is.

I believe I recall reading that there is somewhere near the water pump that can fail, leading to water leaking into oil, but not highly presuurised, cant remeber if CCKW forum , or some other car forum