Look inside the charred, crusty, barbequed hole where the EGR stovepipe sticking out of the LIM sits.

Probe it gently with a small knife or screwdriver.

Is it soft like a sponge? Was there any evidence of coolant in the LIM when you took it off?

Yep, it was charred. There are pass through ports in this thing that get blocked when the carbon/crud builds up. The softened part went all the way to behind the throtle body gasket. I'm guessing that is where coolant is getting in. I'm not sure what passes through the holes in the wall of the stovepipe hole but being blocked cannot have been a good thing. Now as soon as I can get the cash together I'll get the Dorman OE Solutions upper intake manifold and will post the out come of that when its complete.

Thanks all for the help. You all are great.

Just make sure you have that oil drained!

If you do, you're looking at only about $200 worth of parts vs. $3000 for a new motor.
.
.
.

Well gang I drained the oil/coolant mess, took out the spark plugs and turned the engine over to clear the cylinders. Got the Dorman OE Soltions UIM. I see on this one there are a few modifications to the water flow, on the neck that goes to the throtle body. I got everything all back together just after dusk. Turned the engine over and it fired up on the second attempt.

Now I have a REAL BIG problem.....No Oil Pressure

Once I got the motor started and was looking under the hood, it sounded odd. I jumped in the driver'* seat, saw a big ZERO for oil pressure.

Now what? How'd I loose the oil pump? Am I replacing it or is there something else I'm missing on?

I'll mention again, I do not like being a mechanic. Hats off to all gear heads.

The type of pump used on our cars isn't prone to failure.

Just to double check. Before you started the project you drained the oil, you refilled the oil when you were done?

How long did coolant sit in the oil pan between your two failures?

The collant mess was in the oil pan about 48 hours between failures. I know it needed come out faster but that was as fast as I could get it out. The engine ran for about 3 maybe 5 mins after the second failure. It had a fresh oil change in it then. As soon as I realized the coolant was getting in the cumbustion chambers I shut it down. I got the UIM ordered the next day it took a day to get it in and was late in the evening before I could get started. I drained the pan 1st order of business. I cranked the engine with the plugs removed to blow the coolant out of the cylinders. Yes, this was after draining the oil pan. I was hoping that the engine turning over with plugs out would help push out any coolant that was still in the oiling paths.

Man, I'm scared to death that I've shelled this thing trying to fix it. All help is and has been greatly appreciated.

Curiosity killed the cat, I know. Okay I started the car a little while ago having let it sit for about 16 hours since I last did anything. Cranked and started like a brand new one. Oil pressure immediately came up to about 20psi then jumped right to 40 where it has run consistantly since I bought it. It ran smooth and without that scarey knock from the bottom end. Lifters all quiet all seemed well. After about 10 mins of celebrating my good fortune the pressure dropped, not to 0 and not enough to starve the bottom end but too low. Accelleration to 1500 RPMs from about 800 it was idling at brought the pressure up above 20 but not all the way up to 40. However the fall-off after decelleration wasn't severe, it bounced out of the "red" zone and the dinger went off once and the check guages light flickered momentarily. I'm guessing that there is an obstruction either at the strainer in the sump or along the oiling path. My plan of action is to run a pint of Sea Foam through the crankcase tomorrow to rinse out the sludge and perhaps soften up the suspected sludege left over from the coolant bath wahshing through the engine. If you have any other advice I'd love to hear it. I'm relieved that the bearings didn't spin on me and that louck knock was only oil starvation and not tell tale of major breakage. Please post all suggestions advice and prayers.

Not to bust your bubble, but we've seen spun bearings up to a month or two after an UIM job.

Just be in tune with your engine through that time.

Thanks Will, you sure know your stuff and I appreciate that you so freely share here. This fourm has provided me with over 90% of the guidance I've needed in working on this car. Had I not tuned in here I would have not ever known about that UIM failure, it was not the primary concern when I started but after finding the hidden problem I know the engine would have been shelled in short order. Any additional time I get out of the engine now is just bonus time and time to begin finding another transporatation option. If I'm on borrowed time, at least I know it and can be prepared.

Any advice anyone, about this low oil pressure situation. Could the coolant mix with the oil have thickend up the oil in the sump so that only a portion is being picked up? I've started the car, let it come ot operating temp and closly watched the pressure. It initially will get to about 40 psi then slowly begin to decline. After adding the half pint of Sea Foam and trying to get it circulated and hopefully clearing up the oil path I've repeated the steps a few times. The oil pressure isn't dropping to 0 but after a warm-up is dropping to unacceptably low. I'm going to repeat this from cold engine to warm up and monitor if the pressue continues to improve.

Any ideas here?

Thanks to you all for the ponters. Want to keep grease and gunk from under your fingernails when doing the occasional mechanical job? Dig your nnails into a bar of soap. The soap will fill that space and will wash out easier than grease.