oil in water

[daimlerman]

Now I can understand water in oil.You get a mayo like coating under the rocker cover and the water level falls.Sometimes you see steam from the tailpipe.Both are classic signs of a blown head gasket.But I have dirty oil in the header tank,any hope it is not a head gasket?Can anyone think of an other way engine oil could wriggle its way in there?

[fuzzy]

in a word,no

[kidsinister]

Cylinder head's knackered, probably. Metal between water channels and oily bits is thin in places, and corrodes through.

Which is worse than a bust head gasket, of course. Sorry.

[Brianmoooore]

Common on M20 - and is usually a cracked head, I'm afraid.

[daimlerman]

Thanks for your help,looks like the head will be changed for I think the 4th time!!I will get this thing right(one day..)This was an ebay bargain... 320SE with cracked head...bought a head off ebay that took 6 weeks to arrive,by that time I had bought a 325 head and fitted it.This smoked so much the rest of the street threatened to call the fire brigade...the 1st head arrived so I tried that,not alot better,so I bought a short 525e motor and had new valve guides and a skim to the 325 head.Result,great torque, reasonable fuel consumption but a ? on oil.Now I have found where the oil is going(I think)I will remove the oil from the header tank and see what happens next.I will strip the spare head(looks like a 320 small valve one)to see what the guides are like,with a view to using this one on the 2.7 block.I can perhaps live with out the top end power for a while.

[Dave_M3]

I didnt think there was 1 on those engines but Im just wondering hav u got an oil cooler???

[daimlerman]

Good thinking dave,but no oil cooler!!

[Dave_M3]

Ahh well, guess it has 2 be the head so , thats bad luck mate

[Andy335Touring]

Have a good look at the block face, check for cracks around the bolt holes