I may have blown a head gasket. the radiator fluid went into the oil, but their is no oil in the radiator.....

Question

does that indicate my engine could still be repairable.

the car is a 4 cylinder Dodge Shadow, fuel injected. either a 2.2 or 2.5 liter.

Answer 1

yes...but the cost is probably more than the car is worth

Answer 2

When we blew the head gasket on our bus, we had water in the oil, but not oil in the radiator.
If the engine got too hot some of the cylinders could have become scored from the heat. Then you would have to have the cylinders bored out and sleeves put in, or rebuild the engine entirely, or need a new engine.
It is repairable, just costly and time consuming.

Answer 3

Oil in the radiator is not as serious as coolant in the oil. You could have damaged the engine bearings. There usually is not any oil in the cooling system when you blow a gasket, because the coolant is under a lot more pressure than the oil in the cylinder head.
I would have the oil pan removed and the bearings inspected while the head gasket is being repaired.

Answer 4

there are some additives for the radiator that are designed to repair small leaks...Chemi weld, Bars leak....

you could try running some of this in the system to stop the leak....

you will know its working if the car stops overheating...

if it works the car is repairable.....if not you will have to pull it apart to have a look...( if the head is cracked it may be an expensive fix)

Answer 5

if it runs now, it is still repairable. It might be totalled, but you can try to fix it. I would have a local garage check it out and give you an estimate.

Answer 6

It means there was more pressure in the cooling system than was in the crankcase. You won't know till it is torn down.

Answer 7

Unless you have a strong love for this Shadow, it's time to bury her.