The Dreaded Milky Oil

[thebikefiend]

I have a 95 (1.0) 5 speed metro with 135k on it. I bought it with 120k on it. It‘s been a great car -when it works, but it's given me nothing but problems. Something went wrong on almost every commute I made. Hoses popped, radiator died, clutch died, transmission needed rebuild, etc. Well, I guess it finally got overheated one too many times (a hose burst on me yesterday) and I'm getting rough starts, tiny bit of milky color in the oil, and upon pulling the platinum spark plugs, I noticed that the white material around the tip of the plug had heat bubbles on it. Anyways, to spare the readers from a page long post, I want to know if: A. It appears as if only two of the cylinders are toast, so if she starts, can I drive ‘er? B. I know a few mechanics who would help me replace the engine, so should I buy a JDM on Ebay? C. Where can I find a step-by-step guide on pulling the engine? D. I’ve had a lot of trouble with this car, and I’m worried that it will turn into a money pit, so is it worth replacing the engine? E. How much does it cost to have a throw-out bearing replaced, and where is it located?

[stamar]

wow,
well before I spend the calories answering any of your questions.

No, I dont think it would be worth it to replace the engine.

I would junk it based on what you described.

sounds like a loser to me. not in the grey area.

[geozukigti]

Well, if hoses were popping, that means you
A: Had a blown headgasket already(adds tons of excess pressure)
B: Have a bad radiator cap(it blows off all the excess pressure)

The constant overheating could have lead to a warped head too. I'd remove the head, have it rebuilt shaved .015", clean up the engine block surface, get some new headbolts, put a new headgasket on, replace the radiator cap, and I bet it works just fine.

If you decide to replace the engine.. Do you plan on using a cherry picker?

[rdonohoe1]

Milky oil happens when water gets in it. Not good for the motor - and it may well be from a bad head gasket. What geozukigti says rings true to me, if you're quite handy with the tools to do it yourself, otherwise - run! If you pay people to do the work you may wind up putting $2k into a car that isn't worth that much. If you're not paying for labor, it likely will be worth the money...

[rdonohoe1]

The throwout bearing rides on the input shaft of the Trans. You need to seperate the motor from the trans to replace it. If you ever do get them seperated, do it then. Should have been replaced when you did the clutch. The part is cheap, but it's a lot of work.

[theragtopguy]

I'd go for the JDM engine if the rest of the car is worth it. Mine leaks oil I think it the cam seal and crank seal, has 155K on it and I'm considering the JDM engine next spring if It lasts. It misses at idle sometimes also, I think from a valve.

[thebikefiend]

Thanks for the heads up GeoZuk. I'm confused about the head gasket. I replaced a rubber seal (gasket), commonely known as a head gasket, but maybe I'm confusing that with an actual metallic gasket that outlines my heads. If I just replaced that metal piece (head gasket?), without having my cylinders rebored, and got a new radiator, would I be ok?

[geozukigti]

yes, you'd be fine. But because it was overheating, don't forget to have the head "skimmed" at least .010", but .015" to be safe. While it's out, have a valve job done to make sure they're all seating properly. Clean the engine block deck off REALLY good, but never scrape it with anything metal. You'll render your engine block useless. Use a gasket dissolver(comes in a spray can) and use a plastic putty knife. And take a scouring pad and a solvent to the rest of the material that won't come off. It has to be absolutely clean and dry to properly seal. Any oil, water, or other material will cause it to leak. Also, run a thread tap through the holes in the block where the headbolts go, just to clean them up. If the threads are dirty or stretched, you'll get an improper torque reading when torquing the headbolts down. ALWAYS replace headbolts too. Partsdinosaur.com is a good source for them, and a headgasket kit. Also, get a manual. It will go step by step on how to remove the head, and put it back on properly, as well as tell you how to properly torque down the headbolts.

[stanno]

I have to echo Geozukigti's comments. I just finished doing my head because of bad valves and it is relatively easy to do... just takes a fair amount of time to do it. If you have the time, do it yourself... it cost me roughly $700 cdn to do the head and replace the timing belt... and that included me having to get a mechanic in for a half an hour to help me ensure that the engine was timed correctly. However, I would not bother sending it into a shop. Another place you could consider sending it to, if you have it, is a school which is training new mechanics. They do the job under supervision, and it will cost about half what it costs in a normal garage.

Stan

[carpenter_jai]

Another place you could consider sending it to, if you have it, is a school which is training new mechanics.

Be forwarned that technical schools may have very long wait lists and only do very basic work. I doubt that you will find one that will do your head, as it would be very expensive for the school to replace this part when one of their dimmer light bulbs drops it and puts it back on hoping no one noticed. However, things may be very different where you live, so any possibility is worth considering.

Jai