water in oil

[shipcamein]

This can only be bad.

1999 Evinrude 9.9HP Four Stroke

Out of winter storage yesterday - noticed oil dripping down outside of motor.

Took of cover, pulled out "dipstick" - and a watery oil mix practically jettisoned itself in my driveway.

It was running great in October, and has always ran great, in the 13 years I've owned it - NO trouble whatsoever.

Is there any way this water got in there that doesn't involve a cracked head or a blown gasket? How do I get it out?

Thanks!

 

[shipcamein]

Re: water in oil

Ok - I've done some (dangerous) online reading.

The oil/water mix is not milky. It IS thin/drippy. It does not smell like gas. It's black, like oil, though.

It is a kicker, rarely run beyond idle. I've seen quite a few posts about these motors "making oil" due to low heat and environmental factors. Could this be what's going on here?

 

[Jim311]

Re: water in oil

My first post didn't take, so pardon if this is a duplicate. Was the motor winterized? What kind of oil was used? Perhaps it broke down while in storage. What is your compression like? Bad rings could = gas in the oil, and I think a lot of idling can cause this also, but I'd think it would smell like fuel. If it were water you'd have a milkshake for oil, and bad compression from a head gasket leak.

 

[boobie]

Re: water in oil

Do a compression test on it. If that's okay, drain the crankcase and put fresh oil in it. You could have stuck rings in it, a temperature prob or a bad fuel pump. Take it out and run the heck out of it and keep an eye on the oil level.

 

[shipcamein]

Re: water in oil

Thanks, all, for the tips.

I don't have an instrument to check compression - but I am happy to get one, if you can recommend something affordable...?

Winterizing, such as it was, is just checking levels, getting all the water out, and covering it securely. It's stored in an unheated but sheltered area. Oil is 4-Stroke standard crankcase oil. It's not a tremendous amount of "winterizing" - but it's been adequate until now!

New information: I left the "drip pan" in the driveway under the motor these last two days. Last night, it rained. Today, that pan is all kinds of milky creamy color. It was definitely NOT that when it came out of the engine. It was coal black - like oil. No brown.

Will drain and refill tonight, run over the weekend - Thanks!

 

[Jim311]

Re: water in oil

Harbor Freight sells a cheap compression tester. I think for this purpose (and for how infrequently it will probably be used) it would be fine. Or you could rent one from your local parts house.