Thoughts on this Black Crud In Bilge? Previous engine fire? Oil Leak? - Hughes 40

[nikki4296]

Hey guys, I'm looking at buying a Hughes 40 but have some major concerns surrounding the engine. It's been sitting on the hard for 3-5 years while it's being restored. When looking at the engine, the entire area below the engine is black, with some black patches almost appearing and feeling like seaweed. My initial thought was that it was oil that had floated on water in the bilge, and then over time dried and settled on everything all along the bilge - a belief that seemed to be reinforced by the fact that the oil level in the engine is below the level of the dip stick - however a family friend who works on diesels indicated it might be due to a fire.
I should also note that the pieces that look / feel like seaweed are not oily at all, but dry and flakey.

Any thoughts on this and what it's from?

Also I believe there is a leak in the deck, or maybe around a chain plate, as the floor next to the engine is soggy and I noted some moisture damage along the port wall of the through way - so that was the source of the water in my theory regarding fluctuations in water level of the bilge.

 

[MikeHoncho]

My wakeboard boat looks like that. Sits on a boat lift all summer then stores during the winter. This is from poor cleaning regiment and letting it dry out when drained. Unless it smells like a structure fire then I’d mark it up to poor cleaning habits.

 

[DArcy]

That is a lot of crud. I would think a fire would have other indicators, like burnt floors and damaged paint on the engine. It's hard to tell looking at the photos but it kind of looks like there was a lot of very oily water in the bilge at some time and you are seeing the residue left behind when it was pumped out.

I looked at a Hughes 40 a few years ago. The boat was in reasonably good shape but the floor around the mast step was rotted and the stringer just aft of the mast was also rotted. It was all reparable but I passed on the boat.

 

[shemandr]

What was it like before it was restored?

 

[dlochner]

It is probably the result of petroleum products, some diesel, some oil, some transmission fluid. I"ve been dealing with a similar appearing black crud in my bilge and dealing with a diesel and transmission fluid leak. Another source of diesel is crankcase breather valve. On my Yanmar it is lead to the air cleaner, however, not all of the vapor is burned again and it mists across the engine and drips into the bilge.

Any water in the bilge will float the oil through the bilge where it will dry out and leave this black residue. Yesterday I took a pressure washer to it and then sucked up the water with a shop vac.

 

[MikeHoncho]

By the way I would walk on this one.