Oily Odor

[Curt]

I recently purchased a '87 Catalina 30 that has been on the hard for over a year. I removed the cushions for the winter along with various documents. When I moved the cushions into the house, a rather strong oily odor became apparent. I then noticed this on the papers and other porous items removed from the boat. I hadn't noticed this while on the boat. It has taken a number of months for this odor to dissipate. Has anyone else had experience with "oily" odors on their boat? If so, would appreciate insight into causes, cures, prevention, etc.

 

[Richard]

2 possibilities....

That I can think of.....The first would be that the crankcase vent line doesn't terminate back into the air cleaner. They could of run it this way for years with that oily smoke lingering in the cabin every time they used the engine. The second would be a leaky aluminum fuel tank...hope it's the first!

 

[pat]

engine compartment

The smell may be due to exhaust leaking in the engine compartment. You will find that even without a leak the cabin smells of diesel after running for a while.