Foam in oil 98 Camry

I changed the oil in my 98 Camry 4Cyl 70k mi yesterday and found foam
in the drain pan. I realize that this may be an indication of cracked
block. Is there a test to determine if the foam is caused by coolant.
The oil has been changed consistantly every 3000 mi with the
recommended 10w30

I would also like to get opinions on the following...a possible cause
to the above.

I brought the vehicle into a quick lube place to get the coolant
replaced (the only thing I let these guys do) I was watching them as
they hooked up the drain and fill machine. The draining part was
happening nicely. Suddenly one of the Bozos realized that the "Fill"
part was not happening. As you know the vehicle is running during this
process. I suspect the vehicle ran a few minutes without any coolant.
Meanwhile one of the "automotive experts" noticed the temp gauge and
proclaimed "this thing is gettin' reel hot" at that point they figured
out that you have to turn the valve on to let coolant back into the
engine. Coolant then was introduced into hot engine. great. What do
you think? This happend about 4 months ago.

Unrelated to the coolant issue one of the Bozos decided to check my oil
filter while he was wating for the coolant to pass into my engine (with
the valve closed). He didnt feel it was tight enough (there was NO oil
leaking out of it) before I could stop him he reached down an cranked
it down as hard as he could. That was a joy to take off!

This is a perfect example of why I prefer to do my own oil and coolant
changes even when it would be easier/almost as cheap to take it to the
dealer or to a "quick lube" place. It only takes a few minutes to ruin
a perfectly good engine.

"Dino" <dean1646@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1144662553.579613.272620@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>I changed the oil in my 98 Camry 4Cyl 70k mi yesterday and found foam
> in the drain pan. I realize that this may be an indication of cracked
> block. Is there a test to determine if the foam is caused by coolant.
> The oil has been changed consistantly every 3000 mi with the
> recommended 10w30
>
> I would also like to get opinions on the following...a possible cause
> to the above.
>
> I brought the vehicle into a quick lube place to get the coolant
> replaced (the only thing I let these guys do) I was watching them as
> they hooked up the drain and fill machine. The draining part was
> happening nicely. Suddenly one of the Bozos realized that the "Fill"
> part was not happening. As you know the vehicle is running during this
> process. I suspect the vehicle ran a few minutes without any coolant.
> Meanwhile one of the "automotive experts" noticed the temp gauge and
> proclaimed "this thing is gettin' reel hot" at that point they figured
> out that you have to turn the valve on to let coolant back into the
> engine. Coolant then was introduced into hot engine. great. What do
> you think? This happend about 4 months ago.
>
> Unrelated to the coolant issue one of the Bozos decided to check my oil
> filter while he was wating for the coolant to pass into my engine (with
> the valve closed). He didnt feel it was tight enough (there was NO oil
> leaking out of it) before I could stop him he reached down an cranked
> it down as hard as he could. That was a joy to take off![/color]

It is possible that running the engine without coolant and then suddenly
introducing cold coolant cracked the block or head, it is also possible that
the head was warped in the process or that no harm was done.

Coolant mixed with the oil generally results in the oil having the
appearance of a milkshake, not just foam on top.

Check the coolant level to see if it is at the proper level. If it is at
the correct level, then you can just monitor the oil and coolant level for a
while.

Check the exterior or the engine for visible signs of leaks.

Does the car start without any problem, i.e., excessive smoke out the
tailpipe or rough running at startup?
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Thanks for the input! I noticed the foam in the oil I drained out
yesterday...(the reason for my post) It was not excessive or milkshake
like. Just a thin layer of foam. ( the engine was cool when it was
drained) My wife drove the car about 50 miles and I drained the oil
with no foam present (Engine was at operating temp) and refilled it.
Have I over reacted? As stated, I change the oil every 3K miles
religiously without ever noticing any foam.
The car starts like a champ doesn't appear to have any blue
smoke...coolant level seems consistant. I can hardly tell when its
running because it idles so nicely.
How long would it take to ruin an engine in the manner I described
above? (running with no coolant)Thanks again!

"Dino" <dean1646@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1144702452.326625.218360@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Thanks for the input! I noticed the foam in the oil I drained out
> yesterday...(the reason for my post) It was not excessive or milkshake
> like. Just a thin layer of foam. ( the engine was cool when it was
> drained) My wife drove the car about 50 miles and I drained the oil
> with no foam present (Engine was at operating temp) and refilled it.
> Have I over reacted? As stated, I change the oil every 3K miles
> religiously without ever noticing any foam.
> The car starts like a champ doesn't appear to have any blue
> smoke...coolant level seems consistant. I can hardly tell when its
> running because it idles so nicely.
> How long would it take to ruin an engine in the manner I described
> above? (running with no coolant)Thanks again!
>[/color]

If coolant was getting into the oil, 50 miles is probably not enough for it
to be detectable.

If there are no other symptoms, you're probably OK. Just keep an eye on the
oil and coolant levels and appearance.

It would not take very long to ruin an engine without coolant, probably
under 5 minutes.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

It sounds as though you need a new head gasket. You should get it
looked at immediately.


On Mon, 10 Apr 2006 23:30:50 -0500, "Ray O"
<rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcomn> wrote:
[color=blue]
>
>"Dino" <dean1646@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:1144702452.326625.218360@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> Thanks for the input! I noticed the foam in the oil I drained out
>> yesterday...(the reason for my post) It was not excessive or milkshake
>> like. Just a thin layer of foam. ( the engine was cool when it was
>> drained) My wife drove the car about 50 miles and I drained the oil
>> with no foam present (Engine was at operating temp) and refilled it.
>> Have I over reacted? As stated, I change the oil every 3K miles
>> religiously without ever noticing any foam.
>> The car starts like a champ doesn't appear to have any blue
>> smoke...coolant level seems consistant. I can hardly tell when its
>> running because it idles so nicely.
>> How long would it take to ruin an engine in the manner I described
>> above? (running with no coolant)Thanks again!
>>[/color]
>
>If coolant was getting into the oil, 50 miles is probably not enough for it
>to be detectable.
>
>If there are no other symptoms, you're probably OK. Just keep an eye on the
>oil and coolant levels and appearance.
>
>It would not take very long to ruin an engine without coolant, probably
>under 5 minutes.[/color]