Engine w/ 160 hrs on it, oil 2 quarts low!!
J3ff
Member Posts: 4,112 ✭✭✭✭✭
Where's this oil going?? Noticed the oil pressure dropping over some waves the other day.. here we go again! Suddenly thankful I extended the warranty (1700 $) for 2 more years. 383 remanufactured mercury FWC.. checked it before a long trip in July and upon return from that trip, then kind of forgot about it, all was fine then.
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It lost the 2 quarts between July 20th and now. One thing I did notice was an oily sheen on the water in the bilge today and while the bilge water is clear you could see some kind of oil like build up on the hull under the water. Will take pics and show you what I mean tomorrow.
Just recently I have also smelled what smells like a lot of excess fuel from the exhaust. When the motor is first started up.. not in the bilge, from the rear outside of the boat when leaving the dock.
but you said it was fine at the last oil change interval?
w/new 383 built by merc, you have a remote oil filter, right? check the adapter plate to see if it is snug...
check closely around filter base to see if you may have possibly double stacked an oring when swapping filters..
check the metal tubing flare fittings are snug- it's not a bad idea to teflon tape those or use enough blue toctite to get into the threads all the way around the fitting.
check the drain tube/pan marriage... check the bitter end connect... check the hose itself.
i wager running 60hours with a leak and only loosing 2quarts (if there is an external leak) means the leak is below the oil line (not on pan), else it would have been leaving evidence. i'd start with that remote filter adapter plate if it was me. that isn't a 'skilled' install at the factory, and is often overlooked at QC because of...
if it's internal, such as a seal- a possible culprit is a valve seal, which with use of a air compressor isn't a hard thing to fix once it's been spotted.
you said it is FWC... have you checked your coolant for oil? it'll be readily apparent... sometimes a front seal will leak into the timing cover and mix-it-up. it'll be a slight slow leak in most cases. it's with fortune the oil and water don't have much opportunity to cross paths except there as the most likely culprit... coolant in oil is another story- but that isn't the issue...
Interesting that you mention the coolant. I did think to myself "that's funny, the coolant looks a little less bright in color" when I was down there.
All I can say is this better be warranty work!
2018 Cherokee 39RL Land Yacht (Sorry...)
fingers crossed for you...
since you didn't do the work it's a guessing game about 'what was a little off' or 'what didn't seem right'.... obviously, they drained it... check drain plug, hose, and seat in oil pan... then, assuming the filter was swapped, make sure it isn't double stacked on the oring.. the oring, when installed dry, sometimes likes to adhere to the housing instead of the canister when removed, folks don't notice, and double stack them- which never seals properly... so.. leaks. being inverted, it will only leak when operating. in your case that's good. you didn't just fire up an oil-less engine and run it until it expectantly blew.
now here is something to also consider... the rings- while an engine is breaking in those rings constantly float around the piston skirt.. until they find their seat, and that is where they'll live the majority of their life. the issue with rings is they have little gaps on them, and though there are three rings on a piston, sometimes they 'line up'.... oil slips past the compression and oil rings, and there you have it- an oil burner... a compression test may or may not show this, but a leak down test will in most cases.... there will be a dramatic difference between wet and dry leak down if the rings are aligned.
obviously, start simple... something involved with an oil change...and that's likely your issue- something silly simple. then move in complexity- PCV valve (shake it, it should rattle, and look for evidence of motor oil in the intake side NOT collected bypass, but straight up unseparated oil).. then gaskets... then valve seals.... then rings...
I don’t care if it’s a filter, oil pan drain or oil pressure sensors.
it will end up leaking down the block and into the bulge.
high rpm will produce more pressure and more oil pushed out at the same time.
it could be the pcv valve but not likely.
rings or valve seals are next.