[MR2] '95 Toyota PU -high oil level - low water level

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/5/09 8:59:31 AM, kinggail at sbcglobal.net writes:
snip.....
> What is the most cost effective way to determine what this problem is, to 
> help make the decision of repairing it or buying a different truck?
> 
First, do you trust your mechanic? The simplest way is to pull the dipstick 
and tap a few drops of what clings to it onto a paper napkin. The appearance of 
water & oil (which will be under the lighter oil) is quite different from 
that of oil. A mechanic will spot the difference. Additionally, if you've been 
running the poor thing this way very long, the mixture of oil and water will 
look like thick, tan mousse' in the dipstick tube, under the rocker cover and in 
the pan. Water in the oil can come from a blown head gasket or a crack in the 
head or block. A TINY bit of water in oil can come from normal condensation 
and simply means you don't drive it enough or hard-enough to get it hot so water 
can boil off as it was designed to do. 

A popped head gasket or even a cracked casting is not necessarily the end of 
the line for this engine. But driving it that way in Winter with anti-freeze 
in the coolant will destroy whats left in short order. FWIW, hot ethylene 
glycol will dissolve the lead in your crank and rod bearings and soldered-together 
radiator- including the heater core. With the bearings gone, oil pressure will 
drop, the crank will wear rapidly and the game will soon be over. 

Bluntly, the best thing is to find someone knowlegable you trust to not screw 
you for all you're worth, and price out a top-end overhaul contingent on your 
block being reuseable. Second, a whole rebuilt engine can be swapped in with 
your old one as a semi-valuable 'core'. And third, a whole new/used truck. 
Prices in your local area will dictate which's most economical. Good luck- J 
DeRyke


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