Oil slick in the radiator

[Big Rectangular Car]

Another quandary... something I can't figure out as it's beyond my level of knowledge on these engines.
I flushed the radiator a few days ago, and noticed there was a few tiny globs of black oily stuff floating at the top. Stuck my finger in there, and it came out covered in a thin layer of black oil. I checked all the hoses, and the heater hoses have a bit of crud in them. I flushed them out, and put them back.
Where would this oily stuff be coming from?
If it was the head gaskets, wouldn't the oil dipstick show something before there was oil in the radiator, being that antifreeze is a lot thinner?
Maybe it was from an old radiator hose that was since replaced?
I'm feeling rather because I'm supposed to be taking this car on a longish road trip next week.

[85crownHPP]

thats not a good sign...

You wont see antifreese on the dipstick becuase it goes to the bottom... if its oil the only thing it can be is a blown head or intake gasket...
possibly the transmission lines could be leaking into the radiator coolant passage, but I would thing that would look brown then. Maybe the transmission oil looks black after being cooked by the coolant?

[DuceAnAHalf]

thats not a good sign...

You wont see antifreese on the dipstick becuase it goes to the bottom... if its oil the only thing it can be is a blown head or intake gasket...
possibly the transmission lines could be leaking into the radiator coolant passage, but I would thing that would look brown then. Maybe the transmission oil looks black after being cooked by the coolant?

coolant should only be around 200deg. tranny fluid is okay at that temp, i dont think it would cook.

[Big Rectangular Car]

Hmm. It's too tarry looking to be transmission fluid. It's also in miniscule amounts. Only noticable when I changed the coolant and flushed it.
I thought coolant can show on the dipstick, it looks milky. Also it would show up as milkshake like deposits on the inside of the rocker covers, wouldn't it?

[Big Rectangular Car]

THis is really frustrating... I'll have to call a garage tomorrow, I can't deal with this crap.
Maybe I'll just call off this trip.

[85crownHPP]

it will milk shake depending on where in the engine the leak is... Ive seen both ways

[Big Rectangular Car]

So, in other words, not a good idea to go anywhere far until it's fixed, then? Or will it just be something I need to keep an eye on every time I stop?

[85crownHPP]

If there's not much of it, i wouldnt worry too much... yet.

Also check for antifreese next time you drain the oil.

[p71towny]

I wouldn't worry too much. Hell, the previous owner could have been like my friend who never rinses his funnels out before he uses them. He changes the oil then will use the same funnel before rinsing it out to fill coolant or whatever else. Im a freak for clean funnels.

[Big Rectangular Car]

Ahh. Yes, I use the same funnel, but I clean it. THe PO had his car stuff done consistently by the Ford dealership. He had the $ to do that, I guess. I've seen the service records, he paid big bucks to keep this car up, and it shows.
I called and left a message to ask him about when, if ever, he's had the gaskets done.
Also I noticed old oil pooled at the front of the block, just above the water pump and timing chain cover, I've been cleaning it up, so if there's new seepage, then I might be able to see where it's coming from. It looked to me like it was from the rocker arm covers, and so I didn't think much about it. But it could be from the heads, too. The oil level takes a long time to go down, the PO said it needs a quart about every thousand miles. That's better than any other car I've dealt with.

[Big Rectangular Car]

Update on this mysterious stuff, it's leftover Bar-Leak from a few years back. PO said he'd used it to seal some pinholes, and didn't like how it gunked up the radiator, so he had the thing serviced and cleaned out. He said some of the residue left over would likely still be in there... which explains the tiny bits of stuff.
So relieved to find it's not the head gaskets... he had those checked out, and they were in good shape.
The oil on the front of the engine is from then a power steering pressure hose leaked, he had that fixed a year ago.

But the trip is stll postponed because it's bloody hot in the valley, 115 as I speak. I'd be insane to camp in that weather. :P

And I was wrong, it uses a quart of oil every 4000 miles. This car is unreal...

Geezums, I feel silly, sorry to bother you guys... I"m being a fussbudget...

[gabegt90]

yeah the only way to get rid of it competly is to use a t fiting on the heater house and back flush everything my car does run hot in summer coolent is and 210-220 range but doesn t run hoter than that it just goes to show these 302 can take the heat

[Big Rectangular Car]

Have to say, these are awesome cars... of all the older vehicles still on the road, the panthers are the most common, outnumbereing even the Cadillacs. I get looks and grins from drivers of newer GMs. Yesterday I parked next to a woman with a 1990 Ford ex-police car, who was just leaving. We glanced at each other's cars and just grinned.

[Lincolnmania]

your oil puddle on top of the timing cover is mostlikely the distributor o-ring.......they get haqrd as a rock and leak......the o-ring is like a buck
scott

[Big Rectangular Car]

That's a thought... thanks. I'll check it out tomorrow.