I removed my valve cover gasket today to replace the gasket, and noted water mixed in the oil. I used a head sealer years ago which worked for a long time. But maybe it's leaking again. Questions: Will the vehicle run this way so I can take it to a mechanic without making things worse? Can I use the sealer again and expect that it will/might work? What is the next step, do a compression check to confirm the head leak? David

 

This is what it looks like now

 

In a word, NO! No, no, no, a thousand times NO!

That truck is sidelined. Do NOT run the engine! Oil with water in it doesn't lubricate. Especially where it is extremely thin, like the main piston bearings on the crankshaft, or the cylinder walls. You run the engine, chances are it will seize on you, probably before you get anywhere at all, like out of the driveway, and then the engine is ruined. It would need a complete rebuild, at the very least, not to mention possibility of a complete engine replacement.

Stop running it, before it get's worse. If you're not going to work on it yourself, you need, NEED, to have it towed to where it will be worked on. Put the keys in your pocket and leave them there. Don't even put them in the truck.

Second question, NO! It's too late. Besides, and I don't know what "head sealer" is, but after it's failed, it's all over. That truck needs a new head gasket, at the very least, presuming you shut it down before the water/oil mix did any damage to the engine, YET. It will, I promise you.

Third question: Get the head gasket replaced. Probably the head, as well. There's a very good chance the main bearings are shot, too, not to mention the piston rings. Let a mechanic strip the engine down and inspect it thoroughly. That engine needs help.

I wish you the very best of luck, I really do,
Pat☺

 

I agree with 2ToyGuy for the most part but I'll offer a slightly dialed back version.

The yellow foamy stuff looks more like what is caused by condensation build up. Water/coolant in the oil looks much grayer and more like a milkshake. The yellow foam is caused by short trips where the engine doesn't warm up and is exacerbated by low temps and high humidity. This is not likely though in the US this time of year. That being said, I've never seen that much yellow foam and you did say that the engine had a previous internal water leak which was fixed by head gasket sealer. That stuff is a mess and I would never recommend it. You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes, but really that stuff is terrible and a bandaid at best.

I'd agree the engine the engine needs to be torn down and the source of the leak found. Most likely the head gasket. If the timing chain age isn't known, probably should replace that too. When the guides fail it can wear through into a water passage in the timing cover and cause the coolant to drain into the oil pan.

The truck can be driven. Drain the oil and look at it. The condensation I talked about earlier usually won't make the oil look milky, so if the oil looks normal you might actually be okay. If it's gray and looks like a milkshake, that's bad. That would indicate a significant amount of water got into the oil. If this is the case, you really shouldn't drive the truck. You could put fresh oil in it, and drain all the coolant so there is nothing to mix. This would allow you to move the truck around your driveway, or drive it onto a tow truck, but nothing else. The engine can be run for a minute or maybe two without coolant but obviously you can't drive to the store and expect anything good to happen.

 

Hey David,

id agree with condensation rather than a blown gasket. Head sealer is ALMOST never a good idea. I might consider using a block sealer if many many miles from a tow. Great advice I was given once... “there’s no chemical solution to a mechanical problem”. Good luck