Water In The Oil, Oil In The Water

[747Capt.]

I have a Beta 25 3-cylinder diesel with many years but only 400 hours on it. I only use it to get the sailboat off the mooring, but get it up to operating temp. Before I shut it off. I had a rough running engine, had the injector pump rebuilt, and ran the engine. Then I noticed the temperature was increasing and there was white smoke in the exhaust.

I cleaned the tube stack, and found rubber in the raw water exit hole to the exhaust. So I replaced the raw water impelled, and removed the rubber, then replaced the tube stack. Now the coolant was leaking out, and the temp still increased. There was also still the white smoke in the exhaust. I removed the thermostat, and the temp problem went away (ordered new thermostat) but coolant still leaked out. While the engine was running I would open the cap and it was under pressure. I refilled the radiator with the temp lo and the cap had oil on it. Shut down the engine and there was water in the oil. I had changed the oil the week before.

I think this is a blown head gasket. Anyone have any ideas. I'm hoping the engine does not have a crack in it or worse.

Don

[sailorchic34]

Agree, it's most likely a blown head gasket.

[Cruisingscotts]

Head gasket and head for sure, don't sweat the head till its off may just need to get milled. Definately stop running it

[MBWhite]

As suggested already, your engine has all the classic signs of a head gasket leak. Especially if it has not had a freezing episode, odds are that your block and head will be fine.

[dduresky]

Had a similar problem with my Perkins 4108. After replacing the impeller, having the heads rebuilt and replacing the head gasket, it turned out that the shaft in the water pump">raw water pump was leaking the water in to the block... just a thought

[01kiwijohn]

Are you sure that engine doesn't have a separate oil cooler? If so, check that before dismantling the thing

[a64pilot]

I wouldn't just automatically mill a Diesel head, I'd check to see if it was flat, and magnaflux it for cracks.
Some Diesels can't be milled, some require thicker head gaskets if they are etc.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Agree, it's most likely a blown head gasket.

Nope, a water pump seal can let go, allowing water into the crankcase. Happens when you change the impeller and either mess up the seals, or get the thing in facing the wrong way(albins, etc engines).

[tfrank]

My 4-108 had the same thing with the raw water pump. After fixing it, i recommend changing the oil 3 times after only a couple of hours run time in between. Seems like a good, cheap way to get good water free oil back.

[Midnight Son]

reed1v
He has a steam engine going, white exhaust (steam), plus water in oil pan, equals bad head gasket, if lucky. Cracked head if not.

[Cruisingscotts]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I wouldn't just automatically mill a Diesel head, I'd check to see if it was flat, and magnaflux it for cracks.
Some Diesels can't be milled, some require thicker head gaskets if they are etc.

Only using milling as a example of a possible inexpensive repair, and the nessesity of checking the head to see if its straight. If its aluminum warped is more likely than cracked. A clean crack check and new head gasket won't help a warped head.

As I posted earlier do not run the engine anymore or try any jerry rigging for a maybe fix. If you have combustion gas in your fw cooling, that the pressure, its time to stop and repair.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Nope, a water pump seal can let go, allowing water into the crankcase. Happens when you change the impeller and either mess up the seals, or get the thing in facing the wrong way(albins, etc engines).

I'm so sorry but your incorrect.

Actually the beta 25 raw water pump has an air gap between the pump and bearings, so no real path for water to enter the engine. With the engine running rough and running hot as well as oil in the water and water in the oil, it could only be a head gasket.

A leaking raw water pump as you discribe, which is possible on some engines, would have water in the oil, but no oil in the water. To have both, is a blown head gasket or a cracked block.

[foufou]

Last 2 times I was leaking coolant in my pickup it was a cracked head. The
first time it was explainable as I had had a catastrophic failure of the water pump where the entire front of it fell apart and all the coolant went out in seconds. The second time no obvious reason and I was hoping for the head gasket to be the issue but the machinist who looking for warps pointed out a small crack. In that engine I was able to buy a new aftermarket head for $325. It seemed like a bargain but not likely in the realm of marine engines. And a lot of labor for certain. Foufou

[Moontide]

Had symptoms of a head gasket issue - coolant foaming out of the heat exchanger. Original symptopm was heat alarm going off, found oozing when I refilled and observed it. Did not have any water in the oil or vice-versa , just foaming any ugly ooze when the radiator cap was pulled off.

Went around on Youtube and actually tried a product called Fiberlock. Figured no harm (hoping it didn't plug any small lines in the block). Funny looking when you pour it in - kind of like wet broken down cardboard or runny oatmeal. Symptoms went away and now have around 15 hours on the engine. Still not sure if I will do a head gasket job, but this was way easier and seems to actually be working.

Kind of funny that they offer a double money back guarantee if it doesn't work. Doubt they would want to pay if it fries the engine.

Apparently it has some fibers with stabilizer (epoxy, glue,?) that is heat sensitive so when the fluid hits exhaust gas temperature it sets it off. Myt guess is that it is a military spinoff to keep a vehicle running if it has some issue when in an operation. Who knows?

P.S. No interest in any of the companies selling this type of product, just passing on my experience (so far). If nothing else, could be really useful when you are miles at sea or in some terrific, but god forsaken, corner of the planet.

[darylat8750]

Originally Posted by Moontide

Had symptoms of a head gasket issue - coolant foaming out of the heat exchanger. Original symptopm was heat alarm going off, found oozing when I refilled and observed it. Did not have any water in the oil or vice-versa , just foaming any ugly ooze when the radiator cap was pulled off.

Went around on Youtube and actually tried a product called Fiberlock. Figured no harm (hoping it didn't plug any small lines in the block). Funny looking when you pour it in - kind of like wet broken down cardboard or runny oatmeal. Symptoms went away and now have around 15 hours on the engine. Still not sure if I will do a head gasket job, but this was way easier and seems to actually be working.

Kind of funny that they offer a double money back guarantee if it doesn't work. Doubt they would want to pay if it fries the engine.

Apparently it has some fibers with stabilizer (epoxy, glue,?) that is heat sensitive so when the fluid hits exhaust gas temperature it sets it off. Myt guess is that it is a military spinoff to keep a vehicle running if it has some issue when in an operation. Who knows?

P.S. No interest in any of the companies selling this type of product, just passing on my experience (so far). If nothing else, could be really useful when you are miles at sea or in some terrific, but god forsaken, corner of the planet.

I would be very interested in an update every 50 hours or so. When I was a kid a LONG time ago we ran junkers that had lots of various things wrong with them. We tried every "Engine overhaul in a can" that came on the market to avoid actually fixing the things. Never worked. Just made cleaning up the parts for the real overhaul messier . Maybe a new tech. magic elixir has been found!