Page 1 of 1

Water in my engine oil

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:30 am
by jeremyisme
Hi,

I was just having a quick check of my engine last night, and there seems to be water in my oil. (oil has gone milky)

I checked the radiator and there is not oil present there, and it is not using any water. The engine is running fine, and I haven't noticed any power issues or funny sounds. So I don't think the head gasket has gone.

I will do a compression test when I get a chance.

But I am wondering if anyone has any ideas as to how I could have gotten water into my oil if the gasket isn't blown? Is it possible?

Just to help paint a better picture for you all, I also have an oil catch can with a breather (for use later with my supercharger, once I finally get it all plumbed up). And I am wondering if when the engine is cooling down at night, if it is sucking in cold damp air (we are into winter down here in New Zealand) and if that could be getting water into the oil that way. Sound plausible??

Thanks

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:37 pm
by rgzook
have you driven through any water lately????

Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:08 pm
by midnightsky6789
i too have had this problem.solution ,change head gasket... what happens is oil gallery is beside water gallery at rear pass side.the water works its way across the gap...when i replaced mine i also sprayed the gasket with silverfrost to help with sealing

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 6:12 am
by jeremyisme
We did have a day out doing a 4wding course, but that was just driving up slippery slopes etc, littles puddles of water etc. But no full on water crossings.

I can't think of anything places water could get into the engine, apart from the intake obviously, but I would have thought any water that got in there (small amounts) would be vapourised and sent out the exhaust.

So midnightsky, you reckon the headgasket could have gone, even though I haven't lost any power and not using water? Did you do a compression test on it?

I am just not keen to take the car off the road to do the headgasket, as the ski season has started in Queenstown, and I am up there every weekend in the zook.

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:33 am
by croatian4x4
If it is the headgasket it is a easy fix and wont take you more then an afternoon with a few beers.
Fixing the problems now sounds better then driving with water in the oil....

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:44 am
by cj
Go and get it checked out properly before major damage occurs. If the oil is milky you DO have a problem.

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:01 pm
by jeremyisme
Hi guys,

After a 2 hour drive to Queenstown for some snowboarding last weekend, my oil has lost it's milky look and the catch can was overflowing with dirty water. I checked the radiator fluid again, and it still doesn't have any oil in it, and no water has been consumed.

So this all leads me to believe that I have been getting mositure into the oil through my breather bottle/catch can.

Talking to a jetboat mechanic at the work, he said it is quite common on their engines in the wet environments to have a little milky oil, which after a good run is boiled off.

I will keep an eye on it though, just to be sure. But I feel confident enuff now that there is nothing wrong with the engine.