I've got a major problem, that i'm not quite sure if it is actually something major or that something on the engine was setup incorrectly.

Well, the engine is a 396 LT4, and it was completed on saturday, and I picked it up. The only problem is that when the shop was getting it ready for me, and filling up all the fluids, something happened. While they were filling up the radiator, it started to push oil from the dipstick tube, and then proceeded to pour coolant from the same spot. So it looks like coolant is somehow getting into the oil pan from somewhere, when the coolant isn't under pressure.

I'm very confused as to the possibilities, but so far have only come up with the worst case scenario, crack in the block. The only problem is that nothing else is showing a leak, the oil wasn't leaking from anywhere when it started, and still wasn't when they filled the radiator. I know I need to fix the dipstick problem, but this is making me go crazy.

The other possible things that were brought to my attention were a mismatch in the heads and intake, or a blown head gasket. The only problem with those 2 is that the cooling system wasn't under pressure to get the coolant to those levels of the engine in order to cause those. So it comes back down to the block itself. The only other thing I can think of is something hooked up wrong if they thought the engine was suppose to have an oil cooler.

The other thing I also thought of was that if during the process of working on the block to get it to a 396, the machinist got too close to one of the water jackets in the block. Thus, when the shop fired up the engine the first time it may have blown through that wall and made a hole causing it to flood into the oil pan.

Can you guys think of anything else is could possibly be, or have any thoughts on this subject? This whole project has been killing me right now.

 

You've pretty much covered all the possible scenarios. Bottom line is----let them figure it out and fix it (and good luck, because if they refuse to fix it, you are basically in deep doo doo. JMHO.