Coolant and oil joys. Whats the most likely culprit.

[jon volk]

Explorer in question is a 2000 OHV 4.0L sport with a whopping 90k on it. One day it started running a little on the hot side. Never fully overheated or even threw a light. Checked coolant. Filled coolant. Coolant dissappeared again a pretty short time later less than 20 miles of driving. It ran fine but of course the oil looks like chocolate milk. Right before I parked it, I noticed coolant was starting to make its way into the intake as well. Hasnt been driven since.

After some searching it seems the usual causes are the obvious head gasket or cracked head. Possibly intake gasket?

Based on that info is there any likely hood that its one or the other? I have a headgasket/bolt set on the way but any other input would be great.

 

[wood1]

Welcome to the site, sorry to hear of your troubles...

Hope it's just a gasket.

 

[Willard]

Once you start tearing into it, you'll figure out along the way if it's the intake gasket, or head gasket. I don't think you have a head failure (although probable) simply because it just happened all the sudden. Usually it happens after a motor gets overheated. Yours might have a little bit, but it sounds like it was a result of the problem at hand.

Good luck.

 

[jon volk]

Finally got a chance to start taking it apart. When the lower intake came off I found the intake gasket had a 3/8"-1/2" spot that had been pushed out at the water jacket. The area was much cleaner then the rest of the water jackets so quite a bit of coolant had flowed past. Going to throw a new gasket on and button it back up.

 

[wood1]

Most excellent dude!!!