Losing coolant

[Redyota]

I live in Idaho, but work in the oilfield in ND. I was getting ready to head home and noticed a coolant smell. Reservoir was low. Looked all over, couldn't find a leak. Checked the oil and guess what, I got a chocolate milkshake. Car was running fine and isn't making any noise. Obviously I'm looking for ways to get it home 1k miles away. Car is a 2011 pp with 89k. Waterpump? Or is there something else I should be looking for?

If it is the waterpump, can it be changed out with the engine in, or do i have to drop it?

 

[sperold]

Do you have a trusted repair place in Idaho that would be better than where you are now?

Sounds like a water pump, but it is odd that you can both smell it and find it in the oil, I always thought it was one or the other depending on how it failed.

Change the oil using something not expensive, get some plastic containers and drain all your antifreeze and replace with water. Water will not **** the engine nearly as fast as antifreeze.

Then you decide if you want to snoop around where you are, to find a service spot, or just start your journey home.

I would count on 5 oil changes, so buy your ramps, oil and filters in advance and lots of water bottles; you will know after 4 hours if you bought too much. A lot depends on the level of damage you unit has already experienced. Maybe you got it soon enough.

This sounds crazy, but changing the water pump in a shop or swapping motors at your place will be similar in price, so consider that in your decision.

First step is to get the antifreeze out of there, and new oil in there, to see what your leak rate is, and see if any noises develop in your general driving in ND.

 

[Redyota]

I work with a guy that's gonna put it in a trailer and get me and the car 70% the way home and I'll have my wife meet me with my car hauler. I have a shop, but no car lift yet to drop the k-frame.

As soon as I discovered the coolant in the oil, it hasnt been run and I dont plan in it. Just trying to get a plan on how I wanna attack it...

 

[sperold]

The engine can come out the top, or more accurately, the front as the rad support unbolts.

There is a thread on this forum describing how one person accomplished this, complete with pictures.

You have to determine the engine's condition sometime, so swap the fluids now, as it will make loading and unloading easier and you can rule out the engine swap and concentrate on the water pump parts.

 

[Wsho]

Usually if you find chocolate milk in your oil it's most likely a head gasket

 

[Johnbigdog]

If it's a performance package there is an oil to coolant cooler