Oil & Water in Bilge

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simon_m

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After a 40 mile trip, at fairly high revs, I noticed that there was about a cup of water in the engine bilge and some oil. Prior to that , for over a year, the bilge has been spotless and dry as a bone. So I cleaned it up, and few days later after a few local runs out, it's back again. The engine is a Volvo diesel 150hp, single shaft drive, I think TAMD41P ( need to check). Was serviced by authorised Volvo dealer in March. Oil pressure is sitting at it's usual mark 88-90, engine temp is good, dipstick is on the half way mark ( but being closely monitored). Can't see anything on top or the side of the engine, but I think I can see some splattering next to what I think is the starter motor, but it's out of view, and not accessible.

Can anyone suggest where they think this may be coming from ? it's the mix of oil and water that intrigues me. Time to call out a mechanic methinks.

cheers

Simon
( recovering from some excessive drinking in the sun )




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I think if you dont know if the component you are looking at is a starter motor, you need a mechanic. It could be anything, and not much point in getting too technical.

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Cupful - I wish - Just spent the afternoon cleaning out my bilge - oil and water about half a bucketful. (Col's seen It !!!!)
By the time I put in the bilge cleaner stuff and got to work with a hose pipe, guess I had added about another bucket and a half.

I even undid the Drain Plug under the outdrive to let some out - hope it has resealed OK - I did add PTFE tape on the thread just in case !!!!!

All cleaned out now and looks spotless - so the task is to track down where its coming from.
Thats one advantage of having the boat on the drive !!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
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I had a similar problem a couple of years ago with a Mercruiser lump, It was the oil pressure sender/switch. The outside had corroded and was leaking under pressure. Worth a look .

<hr width=100% size=1>V8's rule!
 
Fair comment, not a mechanic ( good at electrics !) as I said I couldn't see it directly however there was a very fat red cable strapped to the side of it, hence my deduction of starter motor.

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Re:BOG ROLL

There are lot's of possibles
You say hard run !! meaning it's been run up to above normal temp.
If you think it's coming from the starter motor area I would hazard a guess at the crankshaft oil seal to begin with . As for the water I'd try to check the fresh water pump leak hole and then all the other connections normaly a leak will show as a brown or depending on the antifreeze colour that colour streak .
Is the oil filter tight enough has it settled after the service is it coming out of the dip stick due to the o ring, and what about the rocker cover area.
It's time for the loo roll ... clean the possible area's then after a run or good warm up rub the bog roll over, if there's the slightest drop of water it will show. One problem with oil when it warms up a small amount can spread so take this into account re joints and seams around the engine. I expect the odd leak here and there on old engines but you have done the best thing to start with and that's kept it clean hence the ability to see if there's a leak .
You may not see the actual leak but if for example it is the crankshaft seal's be ready for the bill as it will all have to come appart so that a new one can be fitted , this should not mean the engine has to come out but the gearbox will . Perhaps you can keep spare oil on board and save the job for the winter as I dought it will be engine threatening.

Cheers
Mick



<hr width=100% size=1>Danbrit is for sale I'm spending all my time working on her with no play best offer's please !!
 
There should be some water in the bilge anyway if the sterngland is properly adjusted (it should drip about once every 30secs at rest and more often at speed) and it is amazing how the tiniest amount of oil can make a pool of water look like a major oil slick. I would'nt worry about it and keep a regular eye on the engine oil level and where you think the oil might be leaking from. Obviously, if the leak worsens substantially then have it looked at
Has the boat been only lightly used at low rpm before this trip because it is common for engines that have only been used at low rpm for a while to start to leak oil when loaded at high rpm

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Re the sterngland .. the way the engine is layed out in our boat is that the engine bilge is a bit higher than the one under the sterngland, with a ridge between them, and short of a major flood water can't flow between the two, so the water is definitely coming from under the engine. It's being looked at 12.30 today hopefully, so I'll let you know the outcome.

cheers

Simon

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Re: 12:30 eh?

If the guy turns up at 12:30 and fixes it, we'll know that this is all a total windup. Cos, i mean, in real life no marine type ever turns up on time. Or if they do, they don't fix it.

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Re: 12:30 eh?

Well indeed the guy did turn upm within the allotted time span.

It goes something like, pardon my inadequate engine vocabulary, theres an air cooler jobby with water pipes coming, links to the turbo etc. at the bottom of this is a drain hole, which if anything gets in there ( eg oil, water) is supposed to drip it out. By standing on your head in the engine compartment with a mirror you can see said hole, and there is indeed evidence of an oil drip. Now the question is what has caused this ? Thats the tricky bit - apparently one possibility is there is a push fit tube that goes into the unit and off somewhere else ( black pipe, you can pull it out with your fingers) he said if that was kinked / pushed in too far it could have contributed, so rearranged, and see what happens. failing that at next service strip said unit down and see what's going on etc. So in summary, he believes he knows where it's coming from, and it's not a showstopper.

Simon

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Re: phew

Well, at least we know that he's a proper marine engineer by the way that he chose one of the options, namely turning up at the right time but not fixing it.

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Re: phew

But at least he didn't try and con the job by saying this has to come out and then after that there's this and that that have to be changed.

After what's been said it could be just a bit of back pressure !! . Remember to allow the engine to idle after a run thus enabling the turbo to cool down or risk the oil burning due to so much heat.

Cheers
Mick

<hr width=100% size=1>Danbrit is for sale I'm spending all my time working on her with no play best offer's please !!
 
Re: phew

He is most respected at the Marina in Falmouth .. also I'm fixing his PC at the moment ;-)

I wasn't aware about the cooling down aspect, however to get back into Falmouth there's a resonably long stretch of 6 knots, which i guess would cool the engine down quite nicely.

Simon

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Are you sure about the sterngland leakage? The manufacturer of my boat said 'drip every 30 secs. in use & dry @ rest!

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Depends on the sterngland. Personally I like to see a drip or two at rest from the traditional stuffing type gland to confirm it has'nt been overtightened. Its difficult to check sternglands on some boats at speed due to tight access and proximity to moving machinery

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