Pearson 365 and 367

Ok all knowing list.

You may have read my question "How much Oil" I have a new question related to the previous one!

Crossing the Gulf of Mexico from the Keys in FL to Houston TX last month, direct route with the occasional spell of motoring (getting out of storms, currents etc) checking the oil level prior to each start up the level was always low, so I topped her off and away we would go. It seamed that my W40 used a huge amount of oil over five quarts over maybe an average of fifty hours of running, we arrived in Houston Memorial day and the boat did not leave the slip until this past Saturday when I checked the oil level and it was dead on the line. So out sailing we did go, engine ran great started great no problems going out or coming home.

At the boat this morning and checked the level again now it is about three inches above the full line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a hypothesis that I would like some thoughts on!
Here it is:
I have been thinking the level was low because the dip stick told me so, I have been adding oil to bring the level back to the required level on the dip stick, all the while the oil has been getting stored somehow in the upper galleries and not draining at least not all draining into the sump. At some point either on Saturday or since a blockage has been removed or become un-plugged and the reserve of oil has now drained into my sump.

Here is where I need some help.
Action plan options.
1.   Remove excess oil and run the engine to see what happens.
2.   Remove all the oil change the filter install new oil run the engine and see what happens.
3.   Remove all the oil change filter check the oil cooler install new oil run the engine and see what happens.
4.   Any other ideas? From you all.

Update

Just pumped about a gallon of water out of the engine, any ideas.

The oil that was on top looked OK and was not emulsified.

Ed

Further Update

Worked on this problem late into the evening yesterday think its the oil cooler heat exchanger when I removed the anode plug oily water came out. I will pressure test the exchanger today and follow up later.

Ed

Probably not what you want to hear, but it sounds like a cracked head.  I'd drain your coolant and check it for oil.

Another way to get water in the crank case is crank the engine and fail to have it start (like when you're priming).  You end up pumping sea water to the exhaust, yet don't have any exhaust pressure to blow the water out of the water lift system.  If you leave it like that, sea water can back flow through the headers and into the engine.  This usually causes your engine to seize even by just letting it sit briefly.  If there's a chance your engine isn't going to start (like when you're priming) some recommend turning off the engine raw water until things fire up... just don't forget to turn it back on.  Also, it's nice to have a port on the water lift muffler so that you can drain the water if necessary in order to prevent the back flow.

But if you're also losing oil (I believe 5 quarts would pretty much be ALL of your oil) then my bet is on the cracked head.  Unfortunately, you're pretty much screwed either way unless you can figure out a way to get the water out quickly.  Not really sure how I'd proceed.

Quote from: "EdHouston"Just pumped about a gallon of water out of the engine, any ideas.

ya....a DRINK maybe even two!

Ed, Don't panic yet. If the oil is black and the water is seperated form the oil, you probably haven't run the engine with the water there. Is there any trace of coolent in the water or have you had to add coolent? Or is it salt water? If your oil cooler is at fault you should see a slick coming out of the axhaust. The oil pressure is such that it would be pumping oil out the the cooler when the engine is running.The salt water pump has a shaft seal that may be faulty also.The only other way for salt water intrusion would be from the ehhaust elbow. This engine sits mostly below the water line so either of thes would cause water to enter the crankcase while sitting. It well may be that your oil loss was a case of the oil cooler with a high pressure oil leak that got worse and allowed salt water to enter when sitting. Hope this helps !
     Sandy

Sandy your right on line.

I pressure tested the oil cooler and it failed miserably there is a direct link between the high and low pressure side.

I have a price of $172.31 for a new oil cooler from Boatman's I net Marine I will order today, this should solve my problems.

I have flushed the engine with 10 W 40 twice already with a filter change each time, I will do this two more times with filter change before re-filling the engine with good SAE 40 Rotela T and a fresh filter. I did not notice an oil slick until last night when doing the flush which is what lead me to the oil cooler as being the possible culprit.

The engine ran very good with the flushing operation only 10 minutes at a time but all looked well.

Thanks to all for your ideas and input, once I have the new oil cooler fitted I am fairly confident my oil problems will go away and I can once again go sailing.

Ed
S/V "Moonlight Mile"
1977 P 365 Ketch.

whew, thank God I was wrong on that one.  $172 is a lot better than 10k.

I'd assumed the oil cooler was fresh water cooled, but I obviously didn't look at it too closely.  I wonder why it's raw water cooled?  The oil cooler doesn't have a zinc does it?  Maybe the zinc in the heat exchanger is supposed to provide protection?

Not sure about the oil cooler not having a zinc, it has the plug that could accomodate a zinc  if the new one has a zinc I will let you all know I should have it in hand Saturday.

I will take some photos of the old one tommorrow, when we were pressure testing it the mechanic at our shop put about 120psi air on the low pressure side and the end cap blew off, allowing me to get a good look inside, its quiet a complex little thing. It was only one of the many tubes that was bad but enough to cause all the problems.

Ed

Here are a couple of pictures not sure how to put them on the page!

I think you all need to take a look at this, just got my new oil cooler and it has a zinc see attached photos, this almost cost me a new engine had I not realized the problem as soon as I did, Check your exchanger and if there is no zinc I would say you should probably get one.

The oil cooler is cooled with salt water because it is much cooler than the fresh water even after it leaves the heat exchanger. Some 4108's have the xmission cooler plumbed with fresh water. When ever I run across one like that I convert it to salt water. The xmission runs much cooler that way.
      S

Hi all

I tried to post more pictures of the new oil cooler but the max allowed is three so here are another couple.

Ed S/V "Moonlight Mile"
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