MR2 Owners Club

This is a substantial amount of pure non-emulsified oil ie not creamy and therefore not coming through the engine/head, observed at the top of the radiator above the coolant. We thought it must have been coming from a hole in the oil cooler so we disconnected this but the problem is as bad as ever. with the oil level in the engine dropping pro-rata with the amount in the rad.
Ideas please because otherwise car is running well.

What Mk and model is the car?

moved from ICE

Sounds like the oil cooler is dead. Oil is under a higher pressure than the coolant, so if the gasket or internal seal goes in the cooler, your engine oil will get pumped into the coolant system.

Have you checked the expansion bottle, or noticed it leaking?

Ah, just seen you've bypassed it.

Could be a cracked block, between an oil and coolant gallery

Unlikely really Gaz as the oil gallery to the head runs up the front side of No4 cyl and I've never heard of one cracking there. (Normally between cyl 2&3)
Again clarification of mk and engine needed.
How have you bypassed the oil cooler?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's a Mk1 1989 1600 in standard, but rebuilt spec, and we have disconnected the cooler by looping the oil feed to it straight back to the engine.
Are there any other oil pipes or breathers that could been inadvertently connected back into the cooling system. The head was thoroughly checked recently in boiling oil for problems but there were none???

Mm interesting. I can only suggest it's passing the head gasket somehow.
Might have to pull the head and check head and block for warping. Also surface condition especially if you're using a metal head gasket.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, I was clutching at straws really Lee. If it's been tested, and the head and oil cooler have both come back good, then I have no idea?

Thanks guys, will advise when get solution..