Engine oil level rising Westerbeke 58

Rodd

.
Jan 22, 2008
148
Pearson 424 East Hampton,NY
noticed that oil level on dipstick is rising ( about 1/4 inch over Full mark)after running engine about 20 hours. I took a sample, filled a clear jar, and don't see any signs of anything precipitating out-antifreeze or diesel. Also, no diesel smell to the oil. Not losing any antifreeze, occasional white smoke. Compression seems good since engine starts easily on the first turn of the key. Did a check for exhaust gas in the antifreeze and this came up negative.

Ideas gents?

Thanks.
 
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
noticed that oil level on dipstick is rising ( about 1/4 inch over Full mark)after running engine about 20 hours.
Any chance your previous reading was artificially low .................. maybe not waiting long enough after running for the oil to drain down into the crankcase ? Dip stick always pushed down as far as posible when measuring ? ? ? ? ?

I MAY have done the same in the past but the level stopped climbing after waiting a little longer each time after shutting down the engine before measuring.

For the immediate future, I'd measure the level each time the engine is used to see if it continues to rise before getting into anything heavier.
 

Rodd

.
Jan 22, 2008
148
Pearson 424 East Hampton,NY
Thanks for the quick responses! I just checked oil level, and it is still high--engine has been off for a day.
I did order an oil analysis kit which I will send out at my end of season oil change (about 2 weeks from now).
Otherwise, engine runs and starts fine.
 
Nov 14, 2013
200
Catalina 50 Seattle
A bad injector can cause this by putting too much fuel in the cylinder, which then runs down and dilutes the oil. The oil analysis will tell you for sure.
 

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Your fuel pump may be cam driven..... if the diaphragm on the pump goes diesel will go into crank case and raise oil level. Happened to me on my yanmar 3HM35f.

Good luck
Greg
 
Sep 17, 2012
99
Morgan 383 Fairhaven, NY
What NY Sail said. Lift pump mechanically actuated & mounted on engine is leaking Occurs on Perkins 4-108's from time to time too. Nothing good will come from thinned oil, or a crankcase filled with diesel. Consider it "mission critical". Fix asap.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
309
Hunter 34 Herrington South, MD
I'd look to see if the oil rise is time dependent. Try running the engine from cold for about 1 minutes to circulate all the oil in operating mode. Test the level. Then try running the engine for another 5 -10 minutes to get it up to operating temperature. Test the level. Then (which you've done) run the engine for an hour or several hours to see the impact of sustained operation. Each test will help identify the impact of various levels of operation and may help in your diagnosis. It may help in determining what if anything is mixing with the oil.

If the oil level only increases in the 3rd test, then I'd immediately drain out some oil and put it into a sealed container for analysis.

I'm assuming that the oil level returns to normal once the engine / oil has cooled down and/or what ever is leaking into the oil has evaporated away, if that is possible. Its seems like it could only be coolant or diesel fuel.
 
Nov 11, 2018
12
Beneteau 45F5 6 Melbourne, Victoria
I 3rd what NYsail and Morgan doner say. Fuel pump diaphragm most likely has a split and is pumping diesel into the case mixing with the oil. I have seen it a few times. The oil will be getting thinner and bad things will happen!!
 

Rodd

.
Jan 22, 2008
148
Pearson 424 East Hampton,NY
Thanks everyone-
Also, I was told by Hansen MArine that I do not have a fuel pump on this engine. They feel it is likely an injector pump seal causing the fuel to leak into the oil. They recommend removing the pump and sending it for a rebuild. Thoughts?

I will be doing an oil sample at the end of season-- will post results


Rodd
 
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
They recommend removing the pump and sending it for a rebuild. Thoughts?
ONLY if you are absolutely certain it's none of the simpler "maybe"s offered above. Removing the HP pump will now start to cost you money.

Wait for the oil analysis to see if it contains fuel before doing anything else.
 
Sep 17, 2012
99
Morgan 383 Fairhaven, NY
Thanks everyone-
Also, I was told by Hansen MArine that I do not have a fuel pump on this engine. They feel it is likely an injector pump seal causing the fuel to leak into the oil. They recommend removing the pump and sending it for a rebuild. Thoughts?

I will be doing an oil sample at the end of season-- will post results


Rodd
How does the diesel fuel get from the tank to the engine? There is a "lift pump". It is either an electric pump or a mechanical (engine mounted) pump.
Your dealer might be right, but he might not be. You should be able to look at your engine and figure out whether you have a mechanical lift pump. If you're not able, ask a knowledgeable sailor friend. 5 minutes with a flash light.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
If you have a dipstick with a seal on the hole, you MUST remove it and reinsert it to take a reading.
I know this for a fact. If the engine is cold, when I take the oil level it always shows low until I remove the dipstick and re-insert it. Then it is fine.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
If you have a dipstick with a seal on the hole, you MUST remove it and reinsert it to take a reading.
Interestingly, after decades, I have never heard this. Now, of course, I will have to do it every time. Then again, I may well have been doing it inadvertently all this time. I tend to check by pulling it out, wiping it clean, then reinserting it to check, so I probably accomplish what you are stating, without really thinking about it. I do it to start with a clean dipstick. Thanks!
 

Rodd

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Jan 22, 2008
148
Pearson 424 East Hampton,NY
Hey all- Just got the oil analysis back-- No fuel in the oil, no water, no glycol. So what's next?
Thanks!
 
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Sep 17, 2012
99
Morgan 383 Fairhaven, NY
Change your oil & filter. Put the specified amount of oil in the engine as per the service manual.
Make sure your boat is not listing to port or starboard, fore or aft. (have you added a lot of weight to the boat recently?)
Run the engine for few minutes, until warm. Pull the dipstick, wipe it clean, insert and take note of where it is on the stick.
Mark the dipstick. That is your new normal. See what happens.
 
Nov 14, 2013
200
Catalina 50 Seattle
Also, check the dipstick itself to make sure the "dip" part doesn't move relative to the stop.
 
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
When your oil is new and clear, it is more difficult to read on the stick. Do this carefully and record the depth of oil. Better still, measure the depth of oil with a tape measure to eliminate any possible errors of estimation on your part.
 
Apr 13, 2015
156
Catalina 309 Port Charlotte
Hey guys, dont mean to hijack this thread, but i may have a similar issue with a yanmar 3ym20. Where/how do you get the oil analysed?

Dave