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[stevo61r]

Hi, guys.
I had the cambelt and waterpump changed on my Omega a couple of weeks ago.
The mechanic (young kid who has not long left college)  fitted them said there was oil in the water when he changed the water pump?
He told me to get rid of the car as the head gasket was going.
I have a friend who has mechanical experience and he said there was no signs of head gasket failure?
I noticed there is oil on 3 of the sparkplugs when I took the coil pack off - don't know if this is related?
Any ideas as I really don't have a clue about mechanics?

[cruisetopoland]

Hi, guys.
I had the cambelt and waterpump changed on my Omega a couple of weeks ago.
The mechanic (young kid who has not long left college)  fitted them said there was oil in the water when he changed the water pump?
He told me to get rid of the car as the head gasket was going.
I have a friend who has mechanical experience and he said there was no signs of head gasket failure?
I noticed there is oil on 3 of the sparkplugs when I took the coil pack off - don't know if this is related?Any ideas as I really don't have a clue about mechanics?

Sounds like the cam cover gasket to me; did mine three times... but oil in the water will be something different 

[humbucker]

as a rule of thumb, i think usual symptoms are:
oil in water = oil cooler (on v6)
water in oil = head gasket
oil in spark plug cavities = cam covers

[PhilRich]

4 pot head gasket symptoms (from recent bitter experience!)are:
1) Constant coolant loss, not necessarily great amounts, & no signs of where it's coming from.
2) Reluctant morning starting/ rough running until engine warms up (burning off water contamination in the cylinders)
3)Smell of combustion gasses in the coolant tank & signs of contamination of the coolant. Also air/gas bubbling into the expansion bottle, usually most apparent from the small diameter hoses.

To check: With the engine cold (ideally after an overnight stand) remove the dis pack & spark plugs, & shine a small powerful torch into the bores to check for fluid (petrol would have evaporated overnight). Dip a long thin stick (satay stick or kebab stick?) with a piece of kitchen towel or clean dry rag or cotton bud (favorite) firmly fixed to it until it touches the piston head & gently circle it across the surface to soak up any liquid. Carefully remove the stick & examine the cotton bud etc. by sight/smell & taste to ascertain exactly what the liquid (if any) is. If it is coolant (assuming you actually have antifreeze coolant in the water?) then you can be reasonably certain you have HG failure. Another indicator is a steamy exhaust, although this can be misdiagnosed since the Omega is rather steamy on cold/damp mornings anyway!

[stevo61r]

OK thanks for your advice, I will check these signs and see if I get any?
My friend has an experienced mechanic (30yrs +) who I'm hoping can have a look this weekend.
The chap that fiited it said that oil was in water when he took the water when he took the water pump off, it was evident in the puddle on the floor?

[Marks DTM Calib]

What an idiot he is, I would avoid him in the future!.

There will be traces of oil, the coolant will have just sloshed down the front of the engine, over the under tray and picked some oil and filth up.

It takes next to no oil on top of water to make it look like a slick.

If there really was oil in the water it would be like mayo as the water pump works as a blender to mix it with the water.

Plus, ask him to explain exactly how on a head gasket failure low pressure oil can get into a pressurised coolant setup?

[aaronjb]

Plus, ask him to explain exactly how on a head gasket failure low pressure oil can get into a pressurised coolant setup?

I was about to say that isn't oil pressure normally higher than coolant pressure (I know on the Toyota the oil pressure can reach some 80psi while the coolant system is ~28psi) ..

But it doesn't look like the TIS tells me the nominal 'maximum' oil pressure (or relief valve pressure) .. just that the 2.0 has a minimum of 27psi and the v6 of 14psi.

Wouldn't the maximum oil pressure still be significantly higher than the maximum coolant pressure in most engines, though (assuming ~2.2bar is the likely highest coolant pressure before venting)?

[stevo61r]

Thanks Marks.
I've been driving it round for 3 weeks nearly and there is no signs of mayo on the oil cap or dipstick.
There are signs of oil leaking out of the engine somewhere?
Could be the rocker cover gasket causing that though if there's oil on top of the plugs.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Plus, ask him to explain exactly how on a head gasket failure low pressure oil can get into a pressurised coolant setup?

I was about to say that isn't oil pressure normally higher than coolant pressure (I know on the Toyota the oil pressure can reach some 80psi while the coolant system is ~28psi) ..

But it doesn't look like the TIS tells me the nominal 'maximum' oil pressure (or relief valve pressure) .. just that the 2.0 has a minimum of 27psi and the v6 of 14psi.

Wouldn't the maximum oil pressure still be significantly higher than the maximum coolant pressure in most engines, though (assuming ~2.2bar is the likely highest coolant pressure before venting)?

Yes, on the oil feed side the oil pressure is higher BUT

It passes through the head via a single small feed hole which has a copper washer around it and supporting headgasket material.

Its alo closer to the outside world than a coolant passage.

All the other oil ways are at less than atmospheric pressure  as they are oil returnsand the engine block and head is maintained at a vaccum by the breathers.   

[aaronjb]

Ahh good point.. I hadn't thought about the relative positions of feed & return (and the fact that there's a lot more of the latter)

I'll go put my pointed Dunces cap on now and sit in the corner

[Marks DTM Calib]

Thanks Marks.
I've been driving it round for 3 weeks nearly and there is no signs of mayo on the oil cap or dipstick.
There are signs of oil leaking out of the engine somewhere?
Could be the rocker cover gasket causing that though if there's oil on top of the plugs.

Cam cover gaskets

VERY easy to sort so change them and clean the breathers and throttle body as per the guides on here 

Do it soon or it will goose your coil pack

[Marks DTM Calib]

Ahh good point.. I hadn't thought about the relative positions of feed & return (and the fact that there's a lot more of the latter)

I'll go put my pointed Dunces cap on now and sit in the corner

Lol, consider it something learn't 

We are all about education here

But it highlights one of the big problems with modern day mechanics who SHOULD know these basics! 

[aaronjb]

But it highlights one of the big problems with modern day mechanics who SHOULD know these basics! 

True - but I suspect a great deal of modern mechanics don't know much more than how to plug the diagnostic computer in and say "X needs replacing" when it tells them to..

(Cue "When I were a lad.." etc etc  )