Oil cooling oil in cooling

This will depend on if the cooler is air cooled or water cooled. With water cooled setups, yes, you will probably need to replace it.
With Air cooled setups if oil is mixing with coolant the problem is somewhere else on the engine. The most likely place would be the head gasket.

oil in the cooling system comes from a transmission oil cooler in the radiator leaking. I take it that you have an automatic transmission Normally if you have a gasket problem the water would be in the sump oil. You will need to replace the radiator to effectively fix the problem and as a side suggestion consider an air cooled transmission oil cooler for the transmission oil as it helps the car to run cooler and keeps the transmission oil cooler and extends the life of the transmission.

Hi Alan, If your vehicle has been overheated at any time, the cylinder head may have become distorted and consequently coolant may be mixing with oil if the gasket is damaged and failing to seal correctly. The job requires the removal of the cylinder head and taking it to a machining company to skim it before replacing. You were quite correct to have checked the oil cooler if it is the type which fits into the engine block and uses the engine coolant for cooling. Oil in the cooling system is not something which should be ignored. Once the problem has been solved and rectified, flush the cooling system to remove all oil deposits and then use the correct mixture of coolant to water. Regards John

Your low on oil (the tapping noise) because its in your cooling system. Your vehicle uses the radiator as a cooling system for your engine oil. It runs through it to help cool the engine oil. If you have oil in the radiator, you need a new radiator before you cause more damage to the engine and the cooling system.

CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL SHOULD BE ON THE FULL MARK ON ENGINE DIP STICK. IF OIL LEVEL IS LOW.LOOK FOR OIL LEAKS UNDERNEATH CAR.IF ENGINE NOT LEAKING OIL CHECK OIL PRESSURE SHOULD BE 22 PSI @ 900 RPM IF NOT OIL PUMP FAULTY OR YOU HAVE WORN ENGINE BEARINGS.IF OIL PRESSURE OKAY YOU COULD HAVE FAULTY OIL PRESSURE SENDING UNIT. CHECK COOLING FAN TO SEE IF CAR COOLING FANS RUNNING WHILE ENGINE OVERHEATING.IF NO CHECK COOLING FANS RELAY AND FUSE IF ALL IS GOOD ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR FAULTY. IF COOLING FANS RUNNING WHILE ENGINE OVERHEATING.HAVE RADIATOR AND ENGINE FLUSHED OUT. REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR PRESSURE CAP.

Not uncoomon. If you look where the oil filter is in the front of the motor by the radiator. Where the oil filter screws onto is the oil cooler and has coolant passing around it in a jacket. The oil pressure is greater than that of the cooling system pressure. Replace that cooler and flush the cooling system. This should cure it.

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REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Remove the thermostat to drain the cooling system.
3. Remove the oil filter.
4. Disconnect the hoses from the cooler.
5. Remove the nut holding the cooler to the oil filter base and remove the cooler.

To install:

1. Position the oil cooler, then connect the coolant hoses. Tighten the nut to 18 ft. lbs. (25 Nm).
2. Install the oil filter and the thermostat.
3. Fill the cooling system and connect the negative battery cable. Start the engine, allow it to warm up check for coolant leaks.

these run about $50

some cars are designed with an engine oil cooler that allows radiator coolants to run through it to aid cooling the oil for longer life. and most of the radiators are designed to cool automatic transmission fluid which is routed through an oil cooler in it.

I presume that you mean oil in the cooling system. there is a leak somewhere and needs to be attended to right away.

Oil in cooling system will deteriorate the hoses...

Oil pressure is often more than cooling system pressure, which is why coolant not in the oil.

Guessing that there is a head gasket leak.....

remove oil filter. loosen 24mm hex nut holding oil cooler in place. remove oil cooler and fit seal. may need to disconnect coolant hoses from oil cooler, if so cooling system must be bled on reassembly.

What about the possibility of a crack in head gasket between oil passages and coolant passages. Oil pressure would be higher than cooling system pressure, thus oil would be more likely to enter cooling system, than coolant enter oil /lube system. Just a thought. Have you done a cooling system pressure test, just to see if any drop at all in pressure? Seeing how engine would not be running, oil pressure would be 0, and may allow coolant to seep through same path, only from cooling system, to oil. Is it a large amount that your getting?