Shoutout to the guy who told me to check the oil cooler seals on that 6.7 Powerstroke

I had a customer's truck dump coolant into the oil pan last week, and after pulling the valve covers and seeing the milkshake, his advice saved me from a full teardown before finding the real $40 problem.

3 comments

3 Comments

lily5113mo ago

Honestly, how common is that failure? I've seen a few of those engines with milkshake and it's almost always something worse, like a cracked block or head gasket. Feels like finding a simple fix is the exception, not the rule.

parker_foster533mo ago

Right, it's almost always something worse. You hit the nail on the head saying a simple fix is the exception. Every time I've seen that milkshake sludge in the oil, it's been a major repair. I had a buddy who thought it was just a cooler, but nope, cracked head. Feels like you get your hopes up for the cheap fix and then the real bill hits.

paul3308d ago

Start by pulling the dipstick and smelling it for fuel or coolant before you do anything else. @lily511 mentioned it, and I've learned that checking the oil filler cap for that milkshake residue right away saves you from chasing a cooler that ain't the problem. Been there enough times to know you're better off preparing for the worst and hoping for a minor miracle.