water/coolant in oil engine runs rough

[cruzn]

I have bought a VR V6 as a project. Now if you flush the oil, refill with new oil the oil will be filled with water within about 10 minutes. Furthermore the engine runs very rough like only 4 or 3 cylinders are working and keeps stalling and afterfiring though the exhaust(even with clean oil). I have checked the spark plugs and they are all black. The coolant itself appears to be clean.

Now i am suspecting either the inlet manifold gaskets, cylinder heads or head gaskets. Any way i can confirm what the problem is.

[GetToDaChopa]

So sounds like you need to do the head gaskets.

[shanhsv]

My thoughts would be head gasket too,water in the engine will cause a lot of trouble if you keep running the car before getting it fixed

[cruzn]

I forgot to add that there are no bubbles in the radiator when the engine is running.

[hako]

Probably the inlet manifold gasket gone which is fairly common if correct coolant has not been used.
Inlet manifold has to come off before the heads so if you discover the gasket is gone you won't need to pull the heads.

[cruzn]

Just an update. I did a compression test when the engine was cold. The results are as follows.

1. 205psi
2. 165psi
3. 180psi
4. 207psi
5. 180psi
6. 175psi

Although there is a large variation in compression in cylinders 4 and 2, there are no cylinders that are low in compression. Does this mean the head gaskets are good as there is no compression leak?

[aceventura]

According to the Gregory's manual:

Minimum allowable pressure = 100psi

Minimum reading must be greater than 70% of the maximum reading.

So I think you are technically ok.

[hako]

Try one when the engine is hot...or reasonably cooled down but as warm as possible - to properly measure compression you need to have the engine as near to working temperature as possible. Take 3 readings and use the highest. But in reality unless you have a serious head gasket problem you will not pick it up with a compression test. Also if it's a serious head gasket problem you will see coolant being ejected. Plugs should not be black....I'd still think inlet manifold....and you are going to have to pull it anyway.