Oil in water but no water in oil?

[kenblock]

Just picked up a 1988 1.0 pre face lift k10 that I absolutely love but have a few questions about it.

I have only driven it home which was just about 5 miles from me and it drove great apart from once it had warmed up it would just die when I stopped. It started straight back up again without missing a beat?

Just been giving it a bit of needed love with a good service and noticed oil in the expansion tank?

I've changed the oil and didn't get any sign of water mix in with it so now I'm confused? Plugs looked there normal light brown colour to.

Any ideas, could it still be the head gasket?

 

[Enuo]

I'd say it was the head gasket yes. Can you see moisture in the exhaust, or bubbling in the expansion tank when revving?

 

[frank]

how much oil ken ? any pic,s ?

 

[kenblock]

Will take some pics tomo. Just ordered a complete head gasket set for £8, I just hope the heads ok

 

[frank]

Just ordered a complete head gasket set for £8,

a K10 one ?

 

[kenblock]

Yeah, from eBay. The bloke bought it for his k11 only to find out its for a k10

 

[frank]

Yeah, from eBay. The bloke bought it for his k11 only to find out its for a k10

and yours is a 98 ?

 

[kenblock]

Oops, should of been 1988

 

[mas12555]

I had this with my k10 mate. The head gasket wasnt gone. Turned out the gasket on the distributor and inlet gasket was gone.

 

[kenblock]

I took the thermostat housing off today only to find no traces of oil just green coolant. It seems there's only oil in the expansion bottle and I can see traces of oil around the radiator cap.

Are you sure you had the same symptoms as me mas?

 

[mas12555]

Mine never had an expansion bottle or my rad cap. I only had slight amounts of oil in my water when I drained it.

I would just change the gaskets and head gasket mate. Its really not that hard to do.

 

[kenblock]

yeah your right, as its gonna be my daily driver may as well get it done now while the weathers good.

Looks pretty straight forward, just hope no nuts or bolts are seized

 

[MicrAde]

just hope no nuts or bolts are seized

Iirc the front 3(?) headbolts are open and exposed to the elements so do suffer from corrosion and can be a pita to remove and then torque back up. Either make sure that these bolts are cleaned up thoroughly, plus the boltholes they screw into, or replace the bolts.


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[kenblock]

Not to bad, just a snapped dizzy cap screw after taking the head of ready for when the gaskets turn up. Worse part of the whole job was removing the old gaskets that didn't wanna come off without a fight. Gonna fit a new timing belt while it's all apart and stick a new thermostat in there as well.


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[frank]

bear in mind that the shape the teeth on the belts changed on the facelifts ken

 

[kenblock]

My head gasket arrived today, not very happy as the inlet and exhaust gaskets are wrong and there's no dizzy or thermostat gaskets.

The head gasket was fine so are there different manifolds for the facelift model or is this set for a different Micra all together?

 

[Tuningdrew]

Was the oil in the expansion tank dirty or clean. If clean oil then maybe someone put it in th expansion tank by mistake when topping up?

 

[kenblock]

bear in mind that the shape the teeth on the belts changed on the facelifts ken

Thanks frank, I have made sure its for a pre face lift. Any tips on getting the crank pulley off?

 

[kenblock]

Was the oil in the expansion tank dirty or clean. If clean oil then maybe someone put it in th expansion tank by mistake when topping up?

yeah it was dirty and the radiator cap had signs of dirty oil around the rubber seal.

 

[davidb]

Oil runs at a higher pressure than water.
In time, the water will eventually mix with the oil, and you'll get it in the expansion tank, and when it does go (a proper HGF), it'll be everywhere.

 

[kenblock]

Yeah chances are I've replaced the head gasket for nothing but its all good fun. Just waiting for the right inlet/exhaust gaskets and the I can try and work out why the engine dies once its warm.

 

[davidb]

If it dies once it's warm, it may be the carburettor - the choke mechanism is operated by a coiled heater which opens the top 'choke' throttle flap/plate. Try spraying a load of carb cleaner in there and leave it for a few days. Then spray some more in and start the car.
There is a bit of vacuum operation there as well, which operate diaphragms - it's not as complicated as it sounds once you look at it, but I'd really advise changing all the vacuum lines - they are all solid apart from the rubber connectors. I checked on mine today and one had come loose right at the bottom. If there's a single split or hole in one of the pipes or has one disconnected, it will never run right as it disturbs the air/fuel mixture.

 

[kenblock]

Thanks David, finished putting everything back together today and used your trick of spraying carb cleaner in the choke mech and she now idles sweet hot and cold.

Only problem now is i have coolant leaking from the water pump area, hope its just a loose bolt otherwise im taking the belt off again tomorrow haha

 

[kenblock]

yeah for some reason i had taken a bolt out of the water pump, that was the problem. Bolt now replaced and no more leaky leaky.