Milky oil....still (with pics)

[OttawaAquaBoy]

Hi all,

Late last summer I posted about my milky oil problem in my 1987 3.0L 140 Mercruiser. I got a lot of reassuring advice that due to underuse it may have been caused by condensation. I changed the oil and filter, ran it hard and checked the oil again.....still milky. I changed the oil one last time while winterizing so it hasn't been stored with milky oil. A friend has suggested that I may need to replace the headgasket due to obvious rust stains below that point (not sure how to post images). While I have the head off I will send it for cleaning and adjusting. Are there any other things I should do while the head is off? Are there any other seals that should be replaced. The oil pan is tight and water has never reached it so I'm confident that isn't the souce of the water. Could the rust from the head gasket down be caused by anything else? The boat runs like a top, I need to find the source of the water and fix it before the boating season starts up here. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Milky oil....still

Re: Milky oil....still

How to Post Pictures.....

Before you go pulling the Head, 'cause Headgasket Failure is the Least likely Answer......

Read the link above,+ See if you can post some pictures.....

I'd sooner Think that either the Manifold, or the Block is Cracked..... It's common for the Leaks to show up, Where you're explaining.....

You can also Drain,+ Pressurize(15psi) the Cooling jacket of the engine,+ Listen for the Leak.........

 

[OttawaAquaBoy]

Re: Milky oil....still

Re: Milky oil....still

Thanks bond-o!!

Last summer was my second season with the boat. Those rust stains were there since I got the boat so I'm hoping...praying it's not a cracked block (since I was water free for almost two whole seasons).

Here are the pics
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u103/OttawaAquaBoy/port2.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u103/OttawaAquaBoy/port1.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u103/OttawaAquaBoy/starboard3.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u103/OttawaAquaBoy/starboard2.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u103/OttawaAquaBoy/starboard1.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u103/OttawaAquaBoy/port3.jpg

 

[OttawaAquaBoy]

Re: Milky oil....still (with pics)

Is there a possibility that the condensation theory is still viable if I only changed the oil once?

 

[Don S]

Re: Milky oil....still (with pics)

If the oil is milky, condensation is not the problem. It takes more water than that to cause milky oil.
If you do have milky oil, one oil change will not cure it. It will take many plus some good hard runs at temperature to burn all the water out of it.
During a couple of the oil and filter changes, use about a couple of quarts of diesel fuel instead of oil and run it at idle for a few minutes. Then change back to straight oil. Will help get the water washed out quicker.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Milky oil....still (with pics)

Ayuh,....... I see Good News,........ And some Bad News......

In the 1st pic,...
What I can't see behind the riser concerns me More than the bit of rust at the joint on the side......

In the 2nd,+ the Last pic.,.......
I see just abit of rust on the edge of the Oil Pan,.... Nothing too serious......

In the 3rd,+ 4th pics,......
I see the "Tracks" of rust from the Great Big Crack in the Head, in picture #5............

You Could be 1 Lucky Fella,+ get by with Just a reconned Head,.......
But,......
Before I started hunting down a replacement,+ Blowing those Funds,......
I'd Pull the motor,+ Flip it over to have a Look inside the Block,.... Pull the Oil Pan.......

My Guess is,......... You'll find a Big Crack that runs down the Portside, Inside.......

Good Luck,........ Have you picked up on the Link to the Mercruiser On-line manuals,......
You Need it............

 

[KaGee]

Re: Milky oil....still (with pics)

Bondo's suggestion of the block pressure check is what I'd do next. I horsed around way too long putting off that test and once I did it I had my answers in 5 minutes. I hope your answers are more positive than mine were.

These cracks are easy to see with the engine pulled and out in full daylight. I could not see them in the boat. The pressure test led me directly to them.

 

[OttawaAquaBoy]

Re: Milky oil....still (with pics)

How does one go about performing this pressure test, not sure what the "cooling jacket" is.

Bondo expects that I may see a large crack on the port side, if it's not visible on the outside is it repairable? Will the pressure test identify it or can it only be found by pulling the engine and looking under the oil pan?

Thanks for the replys guys, although I'm pretty stressed about it. Damn...why can't it just be condensation :'(