Re: 1950 packard 288 engine just rebuilt now has water in the oil

Posted by kevinpackard On 2024/11/1 10:56:09

Could it be that maybe you're overthinking this? I'm not an expert on engine issues so take this with a grain of salt, but what I'm hearing doesn't really cause me a huge amount of concern. The radiator/cooling system is going to self-level. When driving the excess water/coolant will be expelled from the system via the drain tube on the radiator. It'll reach it's own state of stasis. That level will probably vary from car to car. So the drop in level initially is not terribly concerning. Even if there was a leak, it could be completely unrelated to the engine. A small leak in the heater core, radiator, connections, etc.

Water in the oil can form from condensation. I would expect a crack in the block to have a much more substantial leak, especially when running for an hour or two. But a little bit of water that's condensed from the air as the engine cools? Could that be a normal occurrence? Pulling the dipstick shortly after the engine shuts off might tell you if you are dealing with an active leak....the oil would probably be frothy/milky from the inclusion of water as it's whipped around. If it looks normal I wouldn't be concerned at all.

I don't know, it just seems to me (from the outside looking in) that maybe things are fine as they are. If the engine is running well and there are no signs of overheating or anything of that sort, I would just drive the thing. Either the engine is going to be fine or it's not. You haven't lost anything either way. You're not going to do another teardown even if there was a problem. If it were my car I would drive it, monitor it, and enjoy it.

-Kevin