cracked or not

[Rookster]

I have a similar symptom now, and when I read this it terrified me - the thought of a cracked and toasted engine block. I've since been advised that the "creamy caramel" color may just be oil leaking from oil pan/gasket or dipstick area, rather than a blown engine. This is because in my case (which may be the main differentiator here) the sample engine oil on the dipstick, is still normal color indicating no water entering the engine block. I'll know more when I check in a couple days after letting it sit, but at least there's hope in this type of scenario.

 

[alldodge]

From the looks of it you posted to an old thread and a Mod moved your post to your own thread.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the oil in the dipstick usually is clean looking even if the rest of the pan has milk-shake pudding in it.

change the oil and filter, look for leaks, run the boat......if the oil becomes frothy again, look deeper

 

[Rick Stephens]

Water pretty much never shows on the dipstick. The stick is isolated from the rest of the oil pan inside the tube, and even a bunch of water down there just slips off the bottom of the dipstick and oil coats it on the way out. Easiest way to know for sure if there is water in there is to use an oil suction tube that drops down the dipstick tube, pull some oil or water, as the case may be, off the bottom.

Good luck

 

[Rookster]

All good advice, thank you. Will try getting my hands on an oil suction tube to sample it before doing an oil change. The hope here is that the milky color is a result of water and oil mixing in the bilge and not in the engine itself. Will also lay down some cardboard under the pan to see what's dripping out and from where. Will keep you posted!

 

[Rookster]

Interesting update on this. Went with the option of using a suction gun to suck up about 200ml of oil out of the engine. No milkshake. Oil perfectly normal. Boat ran fine. All gauges registering good numbers. A week later after the boat sat unused, checked oil and dipstick was bone dry. Pulling boat out for the season to have it services, wintwrized and repaired...but - any predictions or thoughts around what the issue could be?

 

[Bayou Dave]

Do you have any idea where the oil went? It had to go some place.

 

[Rookster]

Do you have any idea where the oil went? It had to go some place.

Seems like it leaked into the bilge area of the boat, beneath the motor (3.0 Merceuiser)

 

[stonyloam]

Yeah, just FYI the dipstick tube in a marine engine goes all the way to the bottom of the pan so that it can be used to suck the old oil out for an oil change. That is why it shows clean, the oil inside the tube is separated from the crankcase oil.

 

[Rookster]

Yeah, just FYI the dipstick tube in a marine engine goes all the way to the bottom of the pan so that it can be used to suck the old oil out for an oil change. That is why it shows clean, the oil inside the tube is separated from the crankcase oil.

Does that apply to an I/O as well?

 

[GA_Boater]

Suck out a liter or more to check for water. 200ML is just the oil in the dipstick tube.

 

[stonyloam]

Yes, that is how you change the oil in an IO unless you have installed a drain tube in the oil pan.

 

[Lou C]

If there is water in the oil one place it will be obvious is under the valve cover. Take off the oil filler cap and take a look in there; or if you can, remove the valve cover and take a look.

 

[Rookster]

Suck out a liter or more to check for water. 200ML is just the oil in the dipstick tube.

Thanks - will try but not even sure if any oil is still in the engine, since dipstick is bone dry.

 

[Rookster]

If there is water in the oil one place it will be obvious is under the valve cover. Take off the oil filler cap and take a look in there; or if you can, remove the valve cover and take a look.

When I checked inside through the oil filler cap, oil was not visible, even though dipstick oil level (back at that point before it went dry) was fine. So I poked down through the oil filler cap with the dipstick to reach where I could not see, and oil was fine.

 

[Rookster]

Yes, that is how you change the oil in an IO unless you have installed a drain tube in the oil pan.

Ok, thanks - not sure if I have one of those...

 

[JASinIL2006]

Ok, thanks - not sure if I have one of those...

It's easy to check; if your oil pan has just a screw plug like you'd find on a car, you don't have the drain tube. If you have a tube sticking out of that fitting, long enough to stick out the garboard plug, you have one. If you can't get in to see underneath the engine, put a cell phone on a selfie stick and lower it so you can snap a picture of the underside of the oil pan.

 

[Rookster]

Thanks. Sounds very doable - will do!