Watery oil

JasonNC · October 2006

I drained the oil yesterday and noticed that it appeared to be extremely waterly. I did not smell any gas and it did not light up when I put a flame close to it. The car is not overheating and when I drained the radiator, there was just water and anti-freeze in it. The oil is not milky, just real thin. There are no obvious leaks around the head, except for a small leak around a head bolt when I first crank it up and it disappears once the engine warms up. Unless the oil was like that when I poured it in (and it did not appear to be that way), I have to have something wrong internally that's causing this situation. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jason

Unknown · October 2006

Was the level on your dip stick up? A cracked block is a possibility if there is water in your oil - or it could be a fluke thing with that oil - any oil in the radiator? Time for a flushing, refilling and an oil change and then reevaluate the situation - good luck ......Jack

Unknown · October 2006

What viscosity was the oil you put in originally? If you put multi-viscosity 10-30 in, it will be thin when cold. This is the design of the oil to aid in cold starts. If the oil is not chocolate milky, it is unlikely you have a major leak such as a cracked block, etc.

kamzack · October 2006

Hey Jason,

Gonna try to wade in here and show my ignorance. Was the moisture in the oil where you could tell if it had anti-freeze in it? Your statement of no emulsification/milky oil would tell ya that moisture isn't significant enough to mix. To emulsify it has to have heat and circulation to break additive package in the oil and penetrate the base oil. What your description leads this amateur to suggest is condensation. Engine shut down at run temp combined with elevated humidity inside a metal container will make moisture. This can occur overnight or after extended periods of non use. I've seen this occur in oil analysis in gas engines that are run daily and then parked overnight day after day 5days a week then set over the weekend. This was in Fla., so humidity/moisture is an issue. I'll mention that no antfreeze components were present in the analysis. You didn't state if coolant was low. A head gasket oozing a small amout of coolant is a predictor of a little problem coming over the horizon. I'd retorque head bolts cold and watch and see if ooze slows.

I'd also suggest using the best quality oil of a non-synthetic base,something that states it will leave a protective film on all moving components and walls. The moisture and hot oil vapors, in average quality oil, will mix and create an acid that will attack soft surfaces as in main, rod bearings called acid hydrolysis. At running temps the moisture cooks off, that's part of the reason there's no mixing. When shut down said problem occurs. I'd suggest chainging oil hot, you may have done that, it's not as much fun,everything's hot. You'll get more of contaminents out.

I've used Lubrication Engineers lubricants since 91, they have the strongest film strenght and shear factor and moisture resistance in the industry. It's has a high Zinc content that makes our old engines smile and works in stuff that runs constantly or sits for long periods. They have a website, can't lay my hands on it right now. I know this a long winded expaination, but when a valid question is asked,we should pull together and help keep our treasures on the road. That's one of the things I like about Hudson Folk.

Thanks for letting me share.

Kim

One last statement. Doesn't make sense to invest significant sum of money in a valuable collector vehicle and worry about spending too much money on it's life-blood, lubricants.

[Deleted User] · October 2006

If the engine was hot when you drained the oil, like after a jaunt around the block or two, it will seem really thin compared to pouring it out of a bottle and into the engine. Like has been said, multi-viscosity oil can appear watery after it gets hot.

Minute amounts of gasoline could be draining through your carb after you shut it down, you won't be able to smell but will dlilute your oil somewhat and make it thinner. I don't really see how this could be your problem, as its monumentally harder for gas to run through a flathead and through your cylinder than for an ohv. In a flathead, it would tend to puddle in the bottom of the intake runner and make starting really hard and the intial cranking really rich. You'd know that problem right off.

Here's the test I use for oil/water mixing.

next time you drain your oil, take a really smooth piece of steel and place it under the oil drain to make the stream run across its slightly tilted surface. If you see beads in the oil, there is water there. If the stream looks smooth and trys to spread over the steel nice and evenly, its all petroleum based fluid.

Same works for gas. You see beading as it runs across a slightly tilted piece of smooth steel - you've got water.

If you suspect some leaking of coolant into the oil, the best detector is straight water. Fill the radiator with pure water and run it a pretty good bit on the highway, enough to get it up to operating temp and hold it there for a while. Bring it home and let it sit over night. If you loosen the oil drain plug just a little, and you get some pure water seepage just as the threads are about to disengage - you've got a leak. Antifreeze will mix with the oil and make this tougher to find. By the time your antifreeze turns your oil greyish looking, you've got a major leak.

Don't forget, its getting colder outside and the extreme hazard of pure water in cold temperatures. Let that baby freeze and you'll have all kinds of oil/water mixing - you'll literally be busted.

Mark

Geoff · October 2006

If the oil is not milky, there is no water in it. It appears thin because it is hot.

Watery oil

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