M-18 oil leak

[pcjrusso]

Hi

Two weeks ago after motoring hard (2300-2500 rmp) for about 4 hours, I noticed oil seeping out of the engine rm door. I shut it down and let it cool for a while my dip stick was an 1" high over filled. The temp guage was also running hot. I sailed back to the marina of course with 15 knot wind on our nose.
Last weekend I wash the engine down with degreaser there was a lot of oil on the rear port side of the engine but I could not locate the leak. I went sailing motoring for about 30 minutes out and then in. I checked the engine and bilge and all was clean.

If I had added to much oil on the oil change could the engine have so sort of vent or something where the oil blew out?

Any Ideas?

Thanks in advance
Pat

 

[Chuckbear]

Pat, Are you sure there was no color change to the oil? Did it take on any milky characteristics? Did it have a diesel smell? It is possible to overfill the engine and have it come out of the dipstick if the oil pressure gets high enough. Chuck

 

[Hermit Scott]

Definitely smell and look at the oil. Possible cause is your fuel lift pump has a tear int he diaphram and is leaking diesel into the crank case, very common problem when the crank case is overfilled.
Hopefully it's that and not water in your oil. If it's water, it's time to pull the head. A possible cause if it's water is your head gasket is blown.
I think these are the two most common causes of overfill of crankcase oil because of fuel or water.

 

[prkirchner@ne-fab.com]

I have an old M-18 in my C-30 as well and found that the oil breather on the top of the valve cover when the engin was running would not only blow a slight amount of smoke/fume but would carry with it a small amount of oil mist and depositing it into the bilge area. To combat that the previous owner ran the breather hose into a jug and to collect the oil and I added an additional hose to collect the fumes and send it back to the engin intake air filter. Not the best answer to the problem but is working for now until I can have the engin rebuilt or replaced.

 

[Ross]

I have an old M-18 in my C-30 as well and found that the oil breather on the top of the valve cover when the engin was running would not only blow a slight amount of smoke/fume but would carry with it a small amount of oil mist and depositing it into the bilge area. To combat that the previous owner ran the breather hose into a jug and to collect the oil and I added an additional hose to collect the fumes and send it back to the engin intake air filter. Not the best answer to the problem but is working for now until I can have the engin rebuilt or replaced.

A very good way to have the engine run away from home. Diesels can run on crankcase oil.

 

[pcjrusso]

Thanks to all

The oil does not have oil or water in it. So I am thinking that is a good thing. I am going to locate the oil breather this weekend and change the oil and take it from there

once again Thank You All