1997 dodge ram 1500 5.9 coolant overflow bottle full of oil. oil in crankcase has no coolant in it. the oil doesnt look to be as low as as much is sitting in the tank. i just cleaned out the recovery tank 6 weeks ago then about a month ago i drove the truck from mass to ohio now im finging the oil. no overheating or issues on the highway. no oil in the bottle when i emptied it. not sure where to start.

 

Oil, or trans fluid?

I don't think there are any oil passages very near coolant passages, at least, not where there is a gasket that would allow the two to mix. It would have to be a pressurized oil gallery leaking, otherwise, it would be coolant in the oil....

How much oil?

 

Trans oil I'm betting, replace the radiator. and check your tranny fluid to make sure there is no anti freeze in it. The cooler on the side of the radiator can and has been know to go bad and leak internally. Better change the trans fluid pretty quick also.

 

If it's trans. fluid, could get bye by just installing an aftermarket trans. cooler, bypassing the rad. cooler. Disconnect the lower hose at the check valve and connect it to the top cooler line on rad., effectively sealing it in. That's the way my truck was when I got it, and I had no problems with it. Just make sure the new cooler is large enough to keep the trans. cool enough by itself on those triple digit days in the summer.

 

I had a small problem with oil in antifreeze and it was the timing chain cover gasket. just a thought....

 

defiantly not tranny fluid. already have aftermarket tranny cooler. tough to say on amount but under a half quart. Im thinking its the gasket behind the timing chain cover.