Steam coming from valve cover breathers

[Misterranger]

I recently acquired a 1987 Searay 19 footer. It has a big 5 liter 8 cylinder motor. The engine hour meter says 64 hours. I trust its correct because of the condition of the paint on the engine. This boat has been sitting since 2007 at least. It starts and runs however I have a couple of problems. The oil is milky and I get steam coming from the valve cover breathers. I checked my compression and I have over 150 on all cylinders. As I run it I don't seem to gain any volume in the oil pan so I am not convinced water is getting in. I did one oil change and the oil was milky before I ran it. Could I have missed that much oil? I used a pump down the dipstick. I get a good amount of condensation on the inside of the oil filler hole caps on the valve covers as it is running. I see another thread from years ago that is similar but it did not have a resolution. I don't know that this boat was completely protected from the rain and/flooding. It was full of stuff and a bit of caked mud here and there. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Paul

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Steam coming from valve cover breathers

As I run it I don't seem to gain any volume in the oil pan so I am not convinced water is getting in. I did one oil change and the oil was milky before I ran it. Could I have missed that much oil? I used a pump down the dipstick. I get a good amount of condensation on the inside of the oil filler hole caps on the valve covers as it is running. I see another thread from years ago that is similar but it did not have a resolution. I don't know that this boat was completely protected from the rain and/flooding. It was full of stuff and a bit of caked mud here and there. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Paul

Howdy Paul, Welcome Aboard!

Do you live where you experience freezing temps?

If so, I would suspect a cracked block. That said, I would change the oil one or 2 more times and run the engine in the water.

Get it warmed up and run it fairly hard. I.E. get it fully up to temp and run it for several miles at 3/4 throttle or more to boil out the accumulated water in the pan.

It doesn't really take all that much to make the oil "look" milky. If the level doesn't rise noticeably (do all your level checks in the water) you may not have an internal leak. Was the carburetor intake exposed?

If you do see any increase in the oil level, you should pressure check block and you might want to do it anyway.

Regards,


Rick

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Steam coming from valve cover breathers

My idea is that there is freeze damage or something like that . . .

You did not mention if the oil turned linky after you changed it . . . or was it just before you changed it.

My recommendation would be to run the engine some more and look to see if the oil becomes milky the volume increases, or other evidence appears, etc.

The acid proof would be a cooling system pressure check, but those are kind of tricky, . . but do-able.

 

[Misterranger]

Re: Steam coming from valve cover breathers

Hi all,

Thanks for your feedback. I live in So. cal so no freezing damage possible. The carb and intake may have been exposed. I don't really know but it's entirely possible. It was sitting on a trailer in a backyard since 2007 and the caked mud made me suspect it had been good at catching rain at some point. I'm thinking my next step is to change the oil again but this time I'll pull the drain plug and drain it into a pan overnight. I suspect that may do a better job of getting it all out. I was thinking about pouring some diesel through the valve cover fill holes as well. Btw, this engine is raw water only cooled. No heat exchanger. I'm confident I don't have the equipment needed but how do you do a pressure test on an engine?

Paul

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Steam coming from valve cover breathers

Hi all,

Thanks for your feedback. I live in So. cal so no freezing damage possible. The carb and intake may have been exposed. I don't really know but it's entirely possible. It was sitting on a trailer in a backyard since 2007 and the caked mud made me suspect it had been good at catching rain at some point. I'm thinking my next step is to change the oil again but this time I'll pull the drain plug and drain it into a pan overnight. I suspect that may do a better job of getting it all out. I was thinking about pouring some diesel through the valve cover fill holes as well. Btw, this engine is raw water only cooled. No heat exchanger. I'm confident I don't have the equipment needed but how do you do a pressure test on an engine?

Paul

Where in SOCAL?

It's pretty easy to do a pressure check. Just imagine the engine is a pressure tank with more than one opening. close all the openings except 1, connect a valve, gage and fitting using whatever plumbing connections you can get from home Depot etc.....then hook up your compressor and pump it up to about 15psi or so.

close the valve (gage on the engine side of the valve) and see if it holds.

By the way, you do not have a 5.8L engine if it's a 1987 model. A 5.8L engine is a Ford 351. You probably have a 5.7L engine which is a GM 350 block. it doesn't really matter with your problem but it WILL matter if you need to obtain parts.

Draining the oil/water will help. Then run it at a lake with the fresh oil to boil out the remaining water.

It takes very little water to make it appear milky.

 

[Misterranger]

Re: Steam coming from valve cover breathers

Hi HT. So. cal is Southern California. Thanks for your feedback. The oil is draining as we speak.

Paul

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Steam coming from valve cover breathers

Um....... I sort of know where SOCAL is.... (having grown up there!)

There are more than a few places in SOCAL that experience freezing temps. It doesn't take much exposure to freezing temps to crack a block.

After you run it pretty hard with couple of oil changes and you still get "milk", you should probably pressure check it.