Pool of oil under engine

[ryderstk]

Bringing back an Endeavour 32 after 7 years of neglect. After working on the engine for the last 3 months, I have had it running for short durations over the last month. It overheated after 10 minutes when I finally left the mooring. Cleaned all the marine growth out of the raw water intake and overheating was no longer an issue.

This past Friday, I again left the mooring for a short test cruise to ensure that the new stuffing box packing was succesful and stuffing box was running cool. I was only under power for about 20 minutes. A couple of days later, I was back on the boat and I noticed that there was about a quart of oil under the engine. No Sign of leaking anywhere that I could see.

Any suggestions on where I should start to look. I am planning to get some sorbant material from West Marine this week to clean up the mess and then run the engine again to see if I can identify the source. Both the engine and transmission were somewhat low. I admit that I should have checked them both more closely before I fired it up the first time.

I really hope I dont end up having to replace this engine or transmission. I have already replaced the Heat Exchanger, fuel pump, all fuel filters, oil filters, starter and all of the hoses.

The transmission dipstick was missing the washer, and would close properly. I put a rubber washer, but I don;t think it was quite the right size, since there was oil present after that last run. Is it possible that this amount of oil could have come from the transmission during that short amount of time.

Universal 5424 Engine
Hurth HBW100 Transmission

Thanks for any information....

Steve
S/V Island Fever

[Omatako]

Unlikely to have come from the transmission as it holds not much more than what you had under engine. Also it's easy to tell because the transmission oil (unless there is something REALLY wrong with it) should be red and engine oil is as black as midnight in a coalmine.

That much oil leaving the engine shouldn't be hard to spot.

I have the Gulf of Mexico in my bilge at the moment so I speak from experience.

[TropicCat]

You mentioned the boat was neglected. If the boat is in salt water and bilge water rose to the level of the engine's oil pan, you could have a small rust or corrosion issue with the pan. If it didn't leak out at rest, and appeared after running, oil pressure would seem to play a part in it's appearance. Any external oil lines on that motor?

[imagine2frolic]

Did you look for oil before? Maybe it was there already, and the P.O. was just sloppy? My Yanmars were spitting oil from where who knows. The problems seems to have been plugged breather hoses........i2f

[WanderingStar]

My first thought is gaskets. Check the nuts bolts or studs for tightness on the valve covers, oil pan. everywhere. Especially on new installs. Don't break anythng, but if they turn easily they are too loose.

[TQA]

Pampers or a geneeric are a cheap alternative in the clean up stakes. Just don't leave them down for more than a day or two as they degrade.

With that much oil appearing it should be easy to spot the leak, one of these dentists mirrors on a telescoping pole helps.

[Bateau25]

Had a similar event some time back and the leak was from the oil pan drain bolt. It must have come loose from vibration as I could never tighten it down enough after an oil change given where it is.

Recently, I had another quite substantial oil leak but this time it was from the breather hose which was plumbed straight down to the underside of the engine. Still dealing with that issue!

[NCC320]

Just a thought....you are sure it's engine or transmission oil and not diesel fuel? Sometimes hose and piping fittings on the engine fuel system can work loose and you will leak a small amount of diesel fuel to a low spot below the engine.

[ryderstk]

Thanks for all of the feedback... I will be out on her this weekend and will clean up the mess and check her out. I did notice that there is what appears to be a breather line running straight down into the pan under the engine... Once the mess is cleaned up, I should have a better understanding for where the problem is located.

Again Thanks to all that responded...

[Stu Jackson]

Also check to see that the seal on the oil dipstick is OK. If it has dried up it could be your problem. Solution: a new dipstick.