what to do?

[joecrotch]

So long story short found yummy chocolate milk on my dipstick today! So I figure I need to pop the head off and replace the gasket and check the head surface anyway why not check options for performance work while I'm in there.

So anyone have any thoughts?
anyone decked the head at all got a little more compression out of it? or even thicker head gasket and more boost?

any ideas are great.

car stats

1998 volvo xcv70 all stock 180xxx miles
car looks like it was maintained very well but I have only had the car for 2 months so havent really had a chance to find all the problems

[migmog]

I believe that mayo on the dipstick is quite common, and can be caused by something as simple as a degraded O-ring on the dipstick itself.

It's mayo on the filler cap that indicates a bigger problem. Do you have this?

[ecbsykes]

Crud on the dipstick can be one of several things:

-If you take really short drives where the car may not warm up very well, an accumulation of gooey junk is normal. If you do a lot of highway driving at operating temperature, then disregard this one, you might really have a problem.

-Any crap floating around in your coolant expansion tank? Sometimes coolant can get in the oil, and vice verse if the radiator tanks crack and allow fluids to mix.

-Could be the head gasket...

[okihiro]

I believe that mayo on the dipstick is quite common, and can be caused by something as simple as a degraded O-ring on the dipstick itself.

It's mayo on the filler cap that indicates a bigger problem. Do you have this?

By mayo I assume you mean a whitish stuff on the filler cap. I seem to see that. What does it mean? How bad?

[joecrotch]

Ok so I have studied this for a week or 2 and well it seems I keep adding coolant and it keeps going somewhere? my best guess is its ending up in the oil pan So I am just gonna do a head gasket. But there is no stuff in the coolant just coolant in the oil. and funny thing is driving the car has not changed, still runs like a top!

Anyone have any advice for the HG change? I have done many head gaskets on my BMW's but this will be a first volvo HG. I know all cars have there own tricks and quirks. But From what I have seen it looks pretty straight forward. I was hinking of going with a Cometic layered head gasket but I cant seem to find one for our cars anyone have any recommendations for a better than stock HG?

[StoningtonXC70]

Before you start tearing the head off, I would recommend being absolutely certain your probelm is not just a combination of cold moist air getting sucked into the oil dipstick, along with an external coolant system coolant system leak such as from the radiator end tanks.
o
The chocloate milk on the dipstick is VERY common in cold weather if the O ring on the stick is not making a good seal - the crankcase vacuum pulls cold moist air into the tube which condenses and mixes with oil vapor and makes the milk which builds up in the tube. Usually a repeated series of dips and wipes cleans most of the milk off the stick. Eventually, if everything elso is OK you will be able to see a clean oil trace from the crankcase without much milk contamination. Also, as someone else said, gross contamination of the oil with coolant would show up in the filler cap area as well. You might try improving the seal at the dipstick - maybe by clamping on a section of rubber hose over the top of the stick and the tube and see if the problem presists.

As far as losing coolant from the expansion tank, check under the car with it idling and see if there's any seepage from the radiator end tanks - also very common. You will also see a puddle of coolant in the plastic spray shield that is located under the radiator.

[hogie50]

Have you had a coolant leak/pressure test carried out? Like the other guys said it may not be the head (big job and bucks!).

I was loosing about 1" of coolant and could find no evidence of it like you. Pressure test confirmed heater core was culprit! There is a thread on how to tackle this I can't recall if on this web site or on Mathews) but it is about 2-3 hour job. I've only ever smelt antifreeze once (after the test) and maybe if the A/C is on and it may be my imagination.

Worth peeling back the carpets in the front footwell and look for dampness and that lovely sweet aroma!

I currently have the XC with the heater core waiting to be replaced and my daughters' 93 850 looking for its' new radiator as it is leaking at the end caps.

Whatever the problem, good luck!