Coolant loss into oil and no external leak! Help

Mass

New member
May 17, 2026
3
0
1
Over sea’s
I’m working on a lbz CCLB with almost 300K
It has coolant loss with no external leak there is coolant in the oil when I go to drain it, the coolant pressure is getting into motor.
I cleaned the oil and took the truck for a drive and there was no white smoke out of exhaust and glow plugs are not rusty (the truck was sitting for a year) and look normal, so I don’t think it’s a blown head.
How else can coolant get into oil?? But no oil in coolant??
What other diagnostics steps to take?
Thank you !
 

TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
16,916
3,422
113
Mid Michigan
x2 -- probably the oil cooler. These engines are 20+ years old now.
My experience, water pump usually doesnt leak inward, just coolant thru weephole.

Be safe over there.
 

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,781
355
83
Boise, ID, USA
If the oil cooler is leaking, I would expect to see mixing both directions. When the engine is running, oil pressure is 15-60 PSI and coolant is 15 PSI, so you would get oil in the coolant. But when the truck is shut off, oil goes to 0 PSI but coolant stays at 15 PSI for a while, and will put coolant in the oil.