Howdy yall,

I recently had my F20C built (after it dropped a valve) with sleeved block, forged rods/pistons, and new stronger valvetrain $$$$. The engine is stock compression and stock HP output. I checked the fluids after it would not start randomly and the radiator was half a gallon low and the reservoir was empty. I then checked the oil and it seemed to be very full and silver/white in color. Please see the attached dipsticks photo for reference this is engine cold.

I only put 35 miles on the car since the rebuild, breaking it in/dricing according to the shops instructions. After contacting the shop about my findings, they had me send the referenced photos said this is all normal the cooling system needed to be burped more(even though they burped it 3 times and it was 50oz short) and the oil "looks normal" to them even though they changed it before delivering the car to me. They said they slightly overfill the oil pan on new engines but it looks to be WAY overfull.




Please let me know if this all looks/sounds normal or how I should proceed. I don't want to jump to conclusions. I dont want to drive the car it seems like there is coolant inside the block/mixed with oil and I dont want to be driving when it pops. Also with the intermittent non-starting issue I don't want to be left stranded. The shop said the starting issue can be from before I purchased it (I daily drove the car everyday for several months before it went to them with no issues).

 

Hard for me to see in the pic, but is that oil milky? Cause it never ever should be and is a sign of coolant or water in the oil. Was that from after you wiped the dipstick off and rechecked it? Cause if so that is WAY overfilled. And that is not a good thing as that causes issues. A little over is one thing but that is a ton from the way the picture looks.

If that oil has a milky look to it and coolant is disappearing, drain the oil into something you see into and post a picture of it.

 

^ everything that engifineer said. Oil should never look milky like that.

 

You should drain the oil (nice to have a Fumoto valve in this case) to have the proper oil level. Check both sides of the stick; it is possible to have a variance. In addition, there is a proper way to "burp" this car for coolant. If it is not done properly, it is very possible to suddenly overheat the engine causing damage.

Here is a link to that part.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...bleed-1067218/

 

I would not drive it. I would tow it to the shop that did the work.

 

Also, if standing behind the car when running, have you noticed a sweet smell? If so, that is a classic sign of burning coolant.

 

would do as suggested ,do not drive it,looks milky, could be head gasket..get shop to investigate with sniffer test,or diy to prove its HG then tell them your concerns!

 

Grasping at straws: If the crankcase is severely overfilled the crankshaft can cause the oil to froth and look milky. Check the oil level after the car has set cold overnight.

If you have a couple of weeks a Blackstone Laboratories oil analysis will show the metals and adulterants (like coolant and fuel) in the oil. You can pull a sample out of the dipstick hole if you can create some suction (they offer a little extraction pump). This information will be useful to document what the engine builder did or didn't do.

-- Chuck

 

Prediction, sadly this will not end well.

Countless stories of people trying to rebuild these engines, only to have it die again very soon after.

 

That engine oil you showed looks either way overfilled or mixed with coolant. Doesn't look normal at all.

So the shop said they burped the coolant 3 times, to me that doesn't mean anything. They need to burp it until there's nothing to burp, so no air in the system, before letting you drive it home.

Very likely head gasket as others have said, the shop probably knew it that's why they did an oil change to pretend everything is all good when they deliver you the car.