Engine w/ 160 hrs on it, oil 2 quarts low!!

J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited November 2017 in General Boating Discussions
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. 

Comments

  • reneechris14reneechris14 Member Posts: 3,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hey that's not a good thing 
    2005 Rinker FV342  Pawcatuck river,Ct
  • randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Impressed you put 160 hours on, is the 2 QTs over the 160 hours or just recently?
    Boat Name : 

  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Isn't 50 hours about the max between changes? Jeff, you don't need these kinda of problems!
  • 212rowboat212rowboat Member Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No way... not with a good pcv valve... take the valve out and shake it, see if it rattles. 
  • J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Will do. 

    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. 

  • J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2017
    rasbury said:
    Isn't 50 hours about the max between changes? Jeff, you don't need these kinda of problems!
    OIl was changed at 10 hours and then again at 100 hours (end of season last year).. seems like I've done one long trip and a bunch of short ones to end up at 160hrs total. 
  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That just does not sound good- in the bilge has to be a leak, check plugs, should be fouled..dang j3, you had someone put the motor in? I'd have them looking into this.
  • aero3113aero3113 Member Posts: 8,777 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Get a mirror out and check the drain on the oil pan, maybe you will get lucky and just have to snug it up. Also check your rear main seal for drips. If your PCV is plugged up its possible to get oil out of your dipstick tube. Look around valve covers also and snug up if needed. 
    2008 330EC
  • aero3113aero3113 Member Posts: 8,777 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Also, I have had oil pressure drop in the past due to too much oil in the pan. Once I took some out, no more issues with oil pressure.
    2008 330EC
  • 212rowboat212rowboat Member Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    the most likely culprits on a new engine are things jostling loose such as dowel gaskets- the ones that stretch across the valley under the intake manifold.

    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... 
  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
     good job 212.... this thread should be bookmarked when done as this is all great info for an oil leak!
  • J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thank you. Just quickly skimming till I can come back and read it all.  All of the work has been done by professionals. I haven't touched anything myself till yesterday.

    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!
  • J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Maybe I'm just imagining things :) 
  • WillhoundWillhound Member Posts: 4,183 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Coolant looks fine to my eyes. Oil would be readily apparent.
    "Knot Quite Shore" - 2000 FV270
  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭✭✭✭

    fingers crossed for you...

  • randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    what happens when you stick your finger in the coolant? oil will be on top if there is any, 
    Boat Name : 

  • J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Doesn't seem to be any oil in the coolant. Take a look at the picture of the bilge though, all of that brown wasn't there when she was put in the water this year and it seems kind of oily. Will look more into it this weekend and check things off one by one from 212's post (thank you!)  It appears that some oil could have leaked out, but not 2 quarts!! 
  • J3ffJ3ff Member Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The question remains, where did 2 quarts of oil go.. ?
  • 212rowboat212rowboat Member Posts: 2,591 ✭✭✭✭✭
    just a touch of oil in coolant is obvious.  same with coolant in oil... that coolant is fine. there may be some residual oil from packing- (enter fancy metallurgical name) coating to keep parts from rusting before install, but... different kind of oil.  a touch of oil in coolant makes a hot chocolate looking brew, and a touch of motor oil in coolant clouds it... that coolant is fine.

    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...    
  • rasburyrasbury Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    How much oil would it burn while the rings are seating? It sounded like out of the gate it was fine, just the last 60 hours had a problem if I understood him...oil change/ double seal( or maybe no seal?) visual inspection hopefully will solve the problem...
  • zaverin1zaverin1 Member Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭
    Any external leak will end up in the bilge 
    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.

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