Sorry I showed up late to the party, just got a 26 Gladiator.Ian, there's a possibility that your oil cooler seals are causing the coolant to enter the oil system. Cross your fingers.
Mopar had another engineering faux paus in their oil filter housing. They elected to place the oil and coolant ports of the cooler adjacent to one another in, not one, but two places. Then they chose to "siamese" the seals between these ports with a "figure 8" style seal that has no structural support separating the ports or seals.
You can see in the first couple pictures of my original 2018 3.6L oil filter housing, there is an elastomer seal that has not bridge or support separating the ports. It relies on the seal to retain the oil and coolant pressures. It's clear that it didn't work and the high (75 psi) pressure from the oil pushed to the coolant side (~18 psi). This pushes oil into the coolant, which I validated with a simple chemical test. Upon engine shutdown, the oil pressure goes to zero nearly instantly, while the coolant system pressure remains at about it's operating pressure. The coolant bleeds through these compromised seals into the oil system while sitting after shutdown.
The third picture shows how Mopar changed the design. This new design was in the 2024 engine I bought (actually labeled with an altogether different part number than the mopar repair party) and in the revised repair part P/N 68596318AB. So, I don't know when mopar cut in the repair part and production part changes. But it was before the production date of my 2024 engine, which is Jan 2024, IIRC.
In case you're wondering, no manufacturers of the aluminum aftermarket replacements had incorporated this change at this time. Although I did see that Mishimoto had put this new design on one set of ports on their aluminum replacement oil filter housing, but not on the remaining set of ports. Go figure.
So, if you're up for replacing the oil filter housing with this new design P/N 68596318AB, to see if your engine just needed this part and not a cracked block or head, it may work for you. In my case it didn't help and potassium kept rising. So, it was either a blown head gasket or cracked head or block and I elected to replace the entire engine without pursuing repair of the original engine.
When I tried just replacing the oil filter housing with the P/N 68596318AB, I changed the oil about 3 times in a row at very short (50 mile) flush intervals, then did a used oil analysis after several hundred miles. I used some Walmart Supertech oil for these "flushes" since it was very affordable and met the criteria. Unfortunately, my efforts didn't help that engine. Of course, I also flushed the coolant system.
I can’t speak to the drain back too much- I just don’t buy into it so I don’t use it. Regarding the cooler, I used and prefer the OEM updated mopar cooler/filter housing. The mopar updated one contains a wall between the oil and coolant passages. The old version (and the Dorman version) does NOT have the update at this time and relies only on a compromisable seal between passages with NO wall.
Before you begin this work, I'd highly recommend that you clean thoroughly. Below is a picture of what a guy on another forum found. He said he cleaned before. I'm skeptical. You have to use either a pressure washer, coin op carwash wand, or your garden hose with a nozzle, and get on top of the intake ports and below (as best you can) in the valley. I used a coin carwash then at home, some water soluable cleaner and a garden hose with a nozzle. I spent a good amount of time trying to ensure I got it as clean as possible before removing the intake manifold. Looking back, after an initial cleaning, you can also remove the upper intake manifold then tape over the exposed lower intake ports, to gain access to the driver side area above the intake ports, so you can clean that side better. But this level of sand/dirt above the intake ports is not good. Your intake valves will be open on at least some ports and you don't want any of this crap in there.
Well, up until recently, when someone on another forum confirmed that the Mishimoto aluminum housing now has separated cooler to housing seals, like the updated Mopar part, I would have defaulted to a Mopar housing. That guy that installed the updated Mishimoto housing a couple months ago, said he had no problems shortly after the installation. I've asked him for an update. Of course, you can't see a leak between the ports. So, if you're going to an aluminum housing for the durability with a Baxter spin-on filter adapter, Mishimoto appears to be a good way to go. Time will tell.
I can't seem to find any info on an updated Mishimoto unit. Do you have a link?
so, you're saying let my mechanic handle it. Got it. hahahaBefore you begin this work, I'd highly recommend that you clean thoroughly. Below is a picture of what a guy on another forum found. He said he cleaned before. I'm skeptical. You have to use either a pressure washer, coin op carwash wand, or your garden hose with a nozzle, and get on top of the intake ports and below (as best you can) in the valley. I used a coin carwash then at home, some water soluable cleaner and a garden hose with a nozzle. I spent a good amount of time trying to ensure I got it as clean as possible before removing the intake manifold. Looking back, after an initial cleaning, you can also remove the upper intake manifold then tape over the exposed lower intake ports, to gain access to the driver side area above the intake ports, so you can clean that side better. But this level of sand/dirt above the intake ports is not good. Your intake valves will be open on at least some ports and you don't want any of this crap in there.
If you are doing this for the first time, I would have in my possession, at least three (3) 5184778 spark plug tube seals and one (1) 5184772AB Cam Sensor seal. That quantity is just for one side.
Also, I high recommend that you replace the short coolant hose 68285547AB from the oil filter housing out the back to a metal tube, since this hose is inaccessible without removing the all the stuff removed to gain access to the oil filter housing. Like any of the coolant hoses (and there are a ton of them) on your engine, if this one lets loose, it dumps the entire coolant system.
This is mine. Coolant was showing up in my oil samples. It was getting higher with each sample and I pulled the interval to 2000, then 1000, then 500 before I took it apart and found this.
x2 on this. Looking into this now.
