He is in salt water.
Remember he was originally getting white smoke from the exhaust, which
might indicate a head gasket failure between cooling water and a combustion
chamber.
Also, I must add, because he might not know, the raw water pump has two
seals, one next to the pump chamber, usually a "mechanical seal" that has a
ceramic and a carbon surface rubbing together making the rotating seal,
then a gap or two in the pump housing (and sometimes a rubber "slinger"
disk to throw water off the shaft) so any water leakage will drain into the
bilge, then a rubber lip seal to keep lube oil inside the engine. If for
some reason the drain openings in the pump housing become blocked, and the
seawater mechanical seal leak, then salt water could pass the lip seal and
enter the crankcase.
But, like Ben, I strongly suspect the exhaust system for the water in the
crankcase, but it is a mystery why there is so much. Perhaps a hole in the
exhaust manifold (which may be saltwater cooled) allowing saltwater into
the combustion chambers, by the rings, and into the crankcase? With the
engine below the waterline and the manifold up high it could eventually
fill the entire crankcase and might explain the copious outflow of
saltwater through the dipstick tube. That would explain the white smoke in
the exhaust too...
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Julington Creek FL
N30 07.68 W081 38.47
>
> Based on what I can figure out, I'd say that you're most likely OK to
> run once you've flushed the system; it doesn't sound like a cracked
> block or blown head gasket (that would result in your cooling system
> fluid mixing with the oil.) If it's the result of a badly-designed
> exhaust system, then don't move on a day when you're going to have stern
> seas - at least not without the engine running. If it proves to be the
> pump, then you're good all around: replace it, flush well, and keep on
> cruising.
>
>Ben
_______________________________________________
Liveaboard mailing list
[email protected]
To adjust your membership settings over the web
http://liveaboardonline.com/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard
To subscribe send an email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
The archives are at http://www.liveaboardonline.com/pipermail/liveaboard/
To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
The Mailman Users Guide can be found here
http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
