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- 4.
My oil has turned "milky". How can I troubleshoot to determine how much water may have gotten into my oil, and what can be done to remedy the situation? - Top
- Assuming that you have been using detergent oil, which is normal for the Atomic 4, the detergent will emulsify (causing suds - like laundry detergent) if even a small amount of water enters the crankcase. The emulsifying process almost always creates the impression that there is more water in the oil than is usually the case.
Whenever water does make it into the oil pan, particularly in small amounts, we always recommend changing the oil at least two or three times, or until all evidence of the water is removed. If the water can be removed in this fashion and not return, we recommend that you observe the oil for at least 10 or 20 hours of operation before doing anything more serious. Each year, we hear of water intrusion into the crankcase which never re-occurs after it is removed through changing the oil multiple times.
The most common way that water gets into the crankcase is from engine cooling water backing up within the exhaust system until it floods back through the exhaust manifold. It then passes into, and through, the combustion chambers, and down to the oil pan. This scenario can be caused by simply over-cranking a hard starting engine (with the raw water through-hull open) or from an internal failure of the water lift muffler.
Sometimes, problems within the exhaust system will only manifest after sailing. If water intrusion only occurs after sailing, try closing the raw water thru-hull fitting while sailing, and see if the problem goes away. If it does, you'll have to troubleshoot the exhaust system, or keep your thru-hull closed whenever you're sailing.
In a few cases, leaky head gaskets can result in a small amount of water getting into the oil. When head gaskets fail, there is usually evidence of poor running or hard starting caused by loss of compression and/or water fouling the spark plugs.
Exhaust system problems and head gasket failures have one important feature in common: It's practically impossible for either exhausted cooling water or water from head gasket failures to enter the crankcase without first passing through the combustion chambers. Therefore, both of these sources of water intrusion would logically result in poor running, or some other obvious evidence of water being in the combustion chambers.
In rare cases, both Sherwood and Jabsco water pumps have the potential of passing a bit of water into the crankcase if their water seal leaks and the weep holes in their housings become plugged with grease or other crud. In this scenario, trapped water along the shaft of the pump can force past the second seal (the one preventing oil from coming out of the crankcase) and into the oil pan. Oberdorfer pumps have large weep holes in their housings and don't really have this same potential.
If there is no indication of water getting in through the combustion chambers or any other way externally, a crack is usually indicated. If you do suspect a crack in one of your water jackets, you can pinch off the water discharge hose coming off the back of the manifold for several 10 second pressure checks. A flexible impeller pump in good condition can produce 20 PSI when deadheaded in this fashion. If there is a crack anywhere in the water-jacketed castings, this amount of pressure will force water into the oil pan at a rate that should be unmistakable.
If you can confirm that water is indeed entering your oil pan through a defective casting, you'll have to remove the engine for disassembly and repair. Cracks in the floor of the cooling water jacket in the block are frequently repairable once the engine is disassembled for $200 to $400, depending on the length of the crack. - Updated:
January 6, 2004
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