when an intake is pulled for a gasket replacement, does coolant automatically drain into the crankcase?

i replaced the intake gasket on a SBC a few months ago. i thought i did it correctly. it started fine and i did not detect any air or oil leaks.
anyways, i happened to check the oil last week and the fluid was caramel colored and smelled like gas. someone i work with says that gas and coolant may smell similar when mixed with oil. is this true? can i really be smelling coolant not gas? i hope so. then i would just need to change the oil. if its gas then i messed up on the intake gasket.

any insight?:confused:

If you didnt drain the collant first, some of it will end up in the crankcase.

Unless you pulled the pipe plugs in the lower water jacket on the block, you will get some coolant inside the engine. Even then I would change the oil after putting it back together.

Caramel or milky colored oil is a sign of water mixed in it.

I have always made it a practice of changing the oil after pulling the intake on the off chance that coolant leaked into the crankcase.

I have always made it a practice of changing the oil after pulling the intake on the off chance that coolant leaked into the crankcase.

That should be done every time in my opinion. Oil is cheap, engine rebuilds are not.

Unless you pulled the pipe plugs in the lower water jacket on the block, you will get some coolant inside the engine. Even then I would change the oil after putting it back together.



I've never pulled the pipe plugs out and never had a problem with water in the crankcase when swapping intakes. You will be fine just draining the radiator.