engine oil in radiator

[nuked]

Hi.I have seen similiar posts refering to trans oil in water but this is engine oil.VTII V6 auto commodore app 190,000K.Blew top rad hose and when replacing coolant noticed small oil globules rising to surface when running motor.Checked cap and found deposit there.Checked res dipstick and found clump of oil on it.(btw engine didnt overheat with failed hose as it blew instantly).Removed and cleaned res container and ran car.Small smear of oil on cap after running.
Do I need to panic at this stage or is there an explanation for oil getting into the coolant.Have owned the car 8 years and havent seen this before.Would the catastrophic failure of the top hose created a shock to the coolant system that may have sucked oil from somewhere?I am told head gasket probs arent common with these?(hoping)

[sxc_sound]

head gasket you would have coolant in the oil, so i would be checking under the oil cap.

But the way you describe it, sounds like an inlet manifold gasket to me. Mine does the exact same thing, you probably found the thread i made when i thought it was tranny fluid. Around a $300 fix from a mechanic. Not too hard for the DIY man either

[BoNeZ-01]

I don't really know VT V6's, but I'm guessing they about the same as VS Ecotec's, but it's 'possible' it's the manifold gasket which has blown, and where the oil is possibly getting in to the cooling system, could also be getting some coolant in your oil too, check your engine oil after the engine has been running, see if it's got any light milky, coffee kind of colour in it.

[nuked]

Sorry, forgot to say that I drained the engine oil to check and found no sign of water.So sounds like the valley gasket.Any damage done if left awhile?
Thanks!

[BoNeZ-01]

Well, if oil is getting in to your cooling system, then it's possible air could too, and that's not good.
Plus the oil would be changing the properties of the coolant, so that it might not work as good as it should.
'May' be ok to drive for a few more days, short drives, but I'd be getting it fixed as soon as you can, just in case.

[ch1mp]

as far as i know the VS engines are virtually the same as the VT engines so following these instructions should be fine

[showbags]

if you haven't got any coolant in your sump, i would add some radiator sealer(some thing like silver seal or cargo seal) to your radiator. this will seal up any minor leaks. had the same problem with mine and it seems to have fixed it.

[nuked]

Thanks guys.