Re: 1950 packard 288 engine just rebuilt now has water in the oil
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Home away from home
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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
Posted on: 11/1 10:56
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Re: 1950 packard 288 engine just rebuilt now has water in the oil
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Quite a regular
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I checked everything you guys said to look at. The head nuts all had 2 to 3 threads to go before they would bottom out not counting the washer thickness. I have the heater bypassed and the radiator has a new core that,s been leak tested to 10 PSI. Filled the radiator back to 1 inch below the cap seal with water and got all the air out. Then drove the car for 1.5 hours checking for leaks and saw none also pulled the dipstick several times saw no sign of water on it and not really foaming . The breather had a little blowby and not much from the crankcase tube. The oil pressure stayed at 38 to 40 PSI at 55 to 60 MPH that leads me to believe it,s not being diluted by water. Retorqued the cylinder head hot and had no movement on any nuts "this was the fourth time I have retorqued it hot"
I let the car set overnight and checked the water level the next morning in the radiator it was down a 1/2 inch. Then put the front tires up on blocks so the oil would drain to the rear of the oil pan. When I cracked the drain plug saw no water come out then let the oil set overnight. The next morning when I slowly poured the oil into a clean drain pan saw some water in the bottom not much. Not sure where to go from here.
Posted on: 11/12 16:17
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Re: 1950 packard 288 engine just rebuilt now has water in the oil
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Home away from home
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I would drive it, keeping an eye on the condition of the oil. Some water vapor and oil mist escaping at the breather cap and at the road draft tube is normal and it is normal to see some water drip from the tailpipe when the engine is first started, especially in cool weather. It is not unusual for some white material to accumulate at the breather cap and the end of the road draft tube in cool weather due to expelled moisture condensing on the cooler surfaces and mixing with oil residue. The behavior of the radiator water level would not concern me UNLESS it continues to go down over time to the point that you have to add water from time to time to keep the tubes covered. (A leaking water pump seal can cause water to be expelled when the car is running, even if no leak is evident at the shaft) Some water gets into the crankcase every time a cold engine is started and run, and under some conditions, such as shorter trips in cool damp weather, a substantial amount of water can collect in the crankcase. An important function of the crankcase ventilation system is to expel this water from the oil and from the crankcase. The ventilation system depends on ventilation, normal agitation of the engine oil, and engine HEAT to accomplish this. Ideally, the engine would run most all of the time at full operating temperature with as few cold starts as possible. Running on the open road at moderate speeds, such as 45-55 MPH, for sustained periods is ideal. If you do have an actual leak, running the car with water in the radiator, if conditions will allow it, may contribute to improved head gasket sealing and perhaps allow a tiny crack or gasket surface flaw to "rust up". Also, as the engine accumulates run time, the piston rings will wear in and provide a better seal, which will help minimize water vapor in the crankcase as well as reducing oil mist blow-by.
Posted on: 11/12 18:51
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Re: 1950 packard 288 engine just rebuilt now has water in the oil
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Home away from home
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An automobile engine will produce a little over three gallons of water for every gallon of gasoline that it burns. Most of this goes out the tailpipe as steam or water drops, but some of it will always find it way into the crankcase, where it will tend to condense. Sustained engine heat will expel the water when driving, if short trips and cold running are avoided, especially in cool or cold weather. Avoid starting the engine at all unless you are going to drive the car for ten miles or more, and more is better, especially in cold or damp weather.
Posted on: 11/12 19:27
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Re: 1950 packard 288 engine just rebuilt now has water in the oil
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Home away from home
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I agree with TxGoat. Drive the car and enjoy it. What you said in your last update doesn't cause me any sort of concern.
Posted on: 11/12 19:46
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