Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Hi, I just acquired a 1935 Packard Eight. Today was the first opportunity to really get it on the road and drive it. The car ran at 175 degrees with the outside temperature at about 68. When I parked the car I noticed a puddle of sludge, it had drained from the radiator overflow tube. The water in the radiator was an oily brown mix of oil and water. I drained the coolant, flushed it and filled it up again, more sludgy stuff. The car runs very smooth, no excess smoke from exhaust and no water in the oil. Any ideas? Thank you.
I have tried to search for the answer and all that I can find refers to a 1934 iol cooler leak, but my research tells me '35 was new and improved.
Andy

New and improved doesn't mean it can't be the cause, and though the post-34 design was much superior, it's the most likely culprit.

AJS,does your 35 eight happen to be a coupe with orange wheels?

G'day Andy(AJS),
to PackardInfo.

And, whether your '35 Eight is a "Coupe with orange wheels" or not, I invite you to include it in the Packard Owner's Registry

Thank you, I will be taking the cooler out asap.

It is a Phaeton. Yellow, Red Wheels. Picture added to registry.

That's a beautiful packard! And quiet rare!

If oil is getting into the coolant, is coolant getting into the oil?

(o{}o)

Of course as JW suggests, if the oil cooler core perforates and oil enters the cooling system, it's possible for the reverse to happen as well. In my own experience with several oil cooler failures, coolant in the oil was not observed though it may have been so minute as to pass detection. Remember the cooling system is a gravity pressure only system, whereas the oil pressure on these engines is fairly high and should be capped by pressure relief valve at something like 60 psi which these engines typically produce, especially on cold start-up. So, the driving force for exchange of fluids is primarily one-way, oil into the coolant. Nevertheless, once the leak has been repaired and the cooling system purged of the oil residue, the crankcase oil should be changed regardless of a negative observation of coolant in the oil.

JW, oil in the Coolant.