Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

[Fordiesel69]

To start off, the boat has never shown signs or milky oil and was properly winterized with pink antifreeze this past winter.

Here is what I did; I replaced the pitot/pivot tube for the speedo and added some new hose. Took boat out on the water to verify it worked and it did. I was out for maybe a total of 4-5 minutes, then put it back on the trailer. I know for a fact the oil never warmed up because the engine wasn't. It was a lousy 40F degree day.

That was yesterday (sunday). Today I took the exhaust elbow off the manifold and installed a new rubber connecting coupler. Upon reassembly I checked to oil so I could start it up and look for water leaks. I found a tan cloudy oil. I warmed the engine 10 minutes and am now draining it all night.

Is this short trip the sole cause or am I looking at all of a sudden engine problem that just happened to surface?

Can I change the oil and try to run it for a bit (1-2 hrs) to heat the water out? We all know quite a bit stays in the block and head. I want it all out.

 

[T-Bone Coug]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

Milky oil after storage is almost always cracked head or block. Compression test is in order.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

Milky oil after storage is almost always cracked head or block. Compression test is in order.

I have run the engine prior this year with no problem. I had it out for 2hrs solid last wednesday. Did not burn a drop or oil and did not show any signs of milk. I did not have freezing temps since I un winterized it.

 

[boat127]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

you will have to run it to get it nice and warm. change the oil run it again, change the oil and filter again maybe run it with the fill cap off to while out on the lake to help water vapours to get out

a leak down test would be good to do if you have one

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

Any chance you used the "bucket and pink A/F" system.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

you will have to run it to get it nice and warm. change the oil run it again, change the oil and filter again maybe run it with the fill cap off to while out on the lake to help water vapours to get out

a leak down test would be good to do if you have one

So does this sound like a cause of a short trip. I normally would have never done this. I don't have a leakdown tester, I do know what it is and how to do it, I just do not have access to one.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

Any chance you used the "bucket and pink A/F" system.

Don;t know what the bucket system is, but I drained the water out of the log and block and poked with a wire and more came out. I filled block and log with pink A/F, and drained it again. The refilled again to be 100% sure there was no water in it. The A/F I saved still looked nice and pink but of course had a little rust color as the pink does not have and anti corrosion inhibitor.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

Anyone else have an opinion on this?

 

[Philster]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

No. Short trips or one short trip is NOT a cause. Get that out of your head.

I will opine further, though: If you are tellin' us that you ran 'er with daytime temps of 40 degrees, then I am going to say that it was probably sub-freezing temps in the evening before. I mean... come on. If it is 40 around here in the day, I'd wager every time that it was freezing the night before or night after. I would hit on that wager 80% of the time.

Unless you tell me you had a 24-hour surveillance on the engine bay with a temp readout, or you tell me the boat was garaged, I am going to tell you it experienced freezing temps after you un-winterized it.

And don't quote the local temp advertised by the local news/newspapers. It could be 34 at their studio or measuring station and 28 at your house. It could read 34 degrees on a thermometer hanging from your house and the engine bay could be 31.





.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

When you checked the oil and found it had gone milky, was the oil level showing higher on the dipstick? If so, by how much?

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

No it was not higher on the dipstick. And I can confirm that there were no temps below 34. The lake is warmer now, so my entire area cannot really fall that far, and if it did, the temps would not be of such to crack or freeze.

My car wash buckets have not been slushed in the morning like they are in november.

I did get cloudy oil in my car when I moved it in and out of my heated garage in the winter several times.

 

[Philster]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

No it was not higher on the dipstick. And I can confirm that there were no temps below 34. The lake is warmer now, so my entire area cannot really fall that far, and if it did, the temps would not be of such to crack or freeze.

My car wash buckets have not been slushed in the morning like they are in november.

I did get cloudy oil in my car when I moved it in and out of my heated garage in the winter several times.

Car-wash buckets sit on the ground and experience geothermal warming. Engine bays don't.

.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

How old are the exhaust manifolds / risers? They could be leaking.

Change the oil and filter, and give it another try. If it happens again, you will have to then try to find the cause.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

I may have found the problem? It may be my fault when I changed the rubber coupling. I unbolted the riser elbow from the manifold without first draining it. I did see some water enter the end cylinder, but I did not panic. I simply took my time and finished the job, then removed that spark plug and cranked a bit for the water to come out. Then put plug in and started. I did not want a hydrolock. It was only a tiny tiny bit. Maybe 2 drops.

However, I have done cars headgaskets and A/F has spilled into ALL cylinders, and I just took my time once again and vacuumed it out with a shop vac and wiped oil over the cylinders. Those engines never got milky oil though.

So by me letting a few OZ water into the end cylinder, could this cause the problem?

 

[rjwoodrome]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

so did you try it again with fresh oil, to see it the spill was the problem? honestly hope two drops wouldnt contaminate the oil? had a good scare with the weather when the temp dropped after the initial start up this spring. all was ok thank goodness

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

No that will done today at 5:00. I just filled it with fresh oil this morning and will go for a 2 hour ride today and see what happens.

Lets say the manifold was cracked, how would the water get into the oil, there are no oil passages in the manifold.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

Lets say the manifold was cracked, how would the water get into the oil, there are no oil passages in the manifold

Ayuh,... The Only way is past the rings when sitting...

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

No that will done today at 5:00. I just filled it with fresh oil this morning and will go for a 2 hour ride today and see what happens.

Lets say the manifold was cracked, how would the water get into the oil, there are no oil passages in the manifold.

If the manifolds are cracked or rusted out internally, the water jackets will leak. This allows water to enter the cylinders through any open valves.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

If the manifolds are cracked or rusted out internally, the water jackets will leak. This allows water to enter the cylinders through any open valves.

Aside from removing the manifold to have it professionally tested, is there a way I can test it on the boat?

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Merc 120 I/O Milky Oil!!!! Short trips the cause???

Not that I'm aware of...

Change the oil and run it... You will know soon enough.