Corrosion on Sump of vp md 2030

[Kinsale373]

 

[Kinsale373]

Think I made a mess of this Post ! Sorry guys! I seem to have posted the photos in advance without text. Anyway, The photos show the sump of my VP MD 2030. I thought I had a bad oil leak due to the visible corrosion at the front LHS of the Sump. Luckily the oil was coming from the oil extraction pipe towards the rear of the Sump . The Bolt securing it to the sump was a little loose. I nipped it up and it seems ok now.

There is however quite a bit of corrosion on the Sump Pan . Im thinking of replacing it . How big a job is this? It looks like I can do it without moving the engine . I seem to have just enough room to get a socket on all the bolts securing it to the engine Block. And I seem to have just enough space to drop it down. Interested to know has anyone done something similar ? Is removing the Sump pan as straight forward as it looks or amI missing something?

Im surprised at the level of corrosion , Is this common with these engines? The bilge is generally very dry with no water sloshing about. There was a small water from the coolant re circulating pump for a while until I replaced the shaft Seals .

Kinsale 373

 

[Neeves]

I have a friend who did not empty the sea water in the pod below the sump and the sump corroded from the outside in (as you would expect). The bottom of the sump must have been exposed to seawater 24/7/365.

You don't say how old your engine is and if you owned it from new - but if its 'second hand' the corrosion could have occurred a long time ago.

I'd wonder if the bolts securing the sump are not corroded solid and you simply will not have room to get enough leverage on the bolts (or they shear - because they are corroded).

Jonathan

 

[KevinV]

I'd wonder if the bolts securing the sump are not corroded solid and you simply will not have room to get enough leverage on the bolts

Or if you do have enough leverage - that you shear them and end up in a world of inaccessible grief. The threads are in an oily location, so you are in with a decent chance. I'd start by trying to nip them up a tiny bit to see if they will budge at all.

That said, if it was mine and it isn't leaking I'd be awfully tempted to cover it with acf50 and leave well alone.

 

[Ammonite]

If the sump rusts through and dumps the contents in the bilge you could seriously damage the engine, but then again if a bolt shears when attempting to remove the sump you'll have to remove the engine. If it were me I'd be attack it with a screw driver and replace it if it was in anyway suspect. Whether or not you can do this in situ will depend on the clearance beneath the engine and the strainer that protrudes into the sump. The sump itself is only about £40 from parts4engines.com.
I've tightened the bolts on my MD2040 without issue to stop a small leak oil leak and if the bolt is rusted solid I suspect the pan is on the way out too. I would also want to satisfy myself that you no longer have a water leak which is probably what caused the rust in the first place, whether this is from the engine itself or some other source.

 

[Daydream believer]

Does the anti syphon vacuum valve at the top drip water over the engine? If it does I would suggest putting the overflow pipe into a 5 litre container & collecting the resulting excess water. That keeps it out of the engine tray for starters. It should last a good few hours before needing emptying.

I know little about electrical stuff, but could there be a stray electrical current that is working down the engine & corroding the damp part.

 

[Kinsale373]

Guys, thanks for your thoughts and info,

I don't think the issue was due to lots of water in the bilges . The photo from the bilge looking up looks like a lot of corrosion but it is only extends just beyond the area shown in the photo, , the remainder of the sump looks fine . I tested all the bolts securing the sump (Except the one with most corrosion) and all moved easily when I nipped them up with a socket . The test will be the one which is badly corroded. , I think it will move though.

Looking at the oil stain on the bottom of the sump , most of the corrosion seems to be in the front LHS where the oil ran down . I'm wondering if Sulpher in the oil causes it be acidic when in contact with air? I have changed the oil ever season since I bought the boat in 2016 and use the grade of oil specified in the workshop manual .

Then again it may have been due to the coolant water leak which trickled out of the work Colant Pump seal. This used to drop down in this area ok.

I forgot about the Oil strainer in the sump. Ill take a look at a drawing and workshop manual to try to figure out how much clearance Ill really need.

I think that Ill proceed as follows:
Clean up the sump better and see if it looks ok to motor on for this season,
Ill Purchase a new sump and gasket and plan to replace it next winter anyway.
In the mean time monitor the condition of the sump regularly .
Ill have the spares on board in case things get worse during the season and I have to bight the bullet.

Thanks for all your inputs ,
Kinsale 373

 

[Bandit]

It appears that the rust on the front of the block and sump is wet with water, I assume by the corrosion that it is seawater?

You dont say how old the engine is i assume older than 20 years.

My suggestion would be to remove the engine from the boat, replace the sump and do any other maintenance to the engine while you have easy access and to especially to fix the raw water leak, scale it, wash off to remove salt and repaint it.

 

[garymalmgren]

Strange one.
If sea water had dripped / dribbled down from somewhere, it would have ended up as a puddle in the bilge under the motor.
Bilge is spotless under the sump pan.
How can that be?

 

[vyv_cox]

Looking at the oil stain on the bottom of the sump , most of the corrosion seems to be in the front LHS where the oil ran down . I'm wondering if Sulpher in the oil causes it be acidic when in contact with air? I have changed the oil ever season since I bought the boat in 2016 and use the grade of oil specified in the workshop manual .

No, the sulfur content of oil is small and in the form of ZDTP, which would not corrode steel. Even after oil becomes acidic due to long-term use the acid is organic and will not corrode steel. It looks to me that your corrosion can only have been caused by seawater. What is the open ended hose I can see adjacent to the rust?

 

[Kinsale373]

Strange one.
If sea water had dripped / dribbled down from somewhere, it would have ended up as a puddle in the bilge under the motor.
Bilge is spotless under the sump pan.
How can that be?

Yes , there is some water from time to time, Generally just a cup full or so and I wipe it up. I think that it happens if the Coolant is well topped up and the Engine gets a hard run in a seaway . I think that it comes out through the overflow tube on the heat exchanger.
I suppose that this could be the cause of the rust as it does tend to drip down the LHS of the engine. Ill put in a bottle to collect it as someone suggested.
.

 

[vyv_cox]

Yes , there is some water from time to time, Generally just a cup full or so and I wipe it up. I think that it happens if the Coolant is well topped up and the Engine gets a hard run in a seaway . I think that it comes out through the overflow tube on the heat exchanger.
I suppose that this could be the cause of the rust as it does tend to drip down the LHS of the engine. Ill put in a bottle to collect it as someone suggested.
.

Coolant contains a corrosion inhibitor so I doubt it. Looks like seawater to me.

 

[Fimacca]

I sailed on boat with a previous version of this engine. This one is likely 20 years old. The old engine managed to get a small hole of rust into the sump which dumped all the oil in the bilge. The owner did not notice or bother, and the engine seized. Engine no more.
Get that cleaned up and treated/replaced part to save heartache !

 

[Bandit]

When you have a sea water weep on an engine, the engine is hot and the seawater partially or completely dries off with the heat, either leaving a strong brine solution or salt crystals that when the engine cools down absorbs atmospheric damp air and creates a strong brine solution, so sort it out pdq or replace it. A seized engine will always fail at the most critical moment and not when you are tied up.

 

[LittleSister]

If your sump is corroding, you clearly haven't got enough oil leaks!

 

[LittleSister]

A good range of helpful and relevant advice in this thread, it seems to me.

In the meantime, ensure that your engine oil alarm is LOUD and VISIBLE enough to make sure you are aware if it goes off.

 

[Boater Sam]

You may need more room under the engine to get the sump pan out than you think.
The bearing housings and crank weights intrude lower than the sump flange line.

 

[david_bagshaw]

looks like condensation water, to me. quite usual in winter weather changes of temp.

you might have to lift the engine to get the pan to go past the crankshaft, but might be lucky that you can turn it and get past the throw...