Crankcase full of tan oil

Just picked up a 1989 SN with a 351. It has not been run in 4-5 years, but I am told it was winterized prior to being laid up in the garage (all I saw was an 'empty' fuel tank). Not starting, No surprise there. I suspect that the fuel pump may not be working, but first I want to get some insight on what I see on the dipstick. Previous owner (father-in-law) looked at the dipstick and said a-okay. I took another look and it looks very wrong. Level is several inches above full and the color is way wrong. I suspect water has gotten in there. Question is, could this be a result of sitting for 4-5 years or should I be thinking failed gaskets? I feel compelled to drain the oil and refill it so I can keep trouble shooting fuel delivery and get it fired up running on a hose. I am totally new to inboards and just want some opinions on what I am seeing. Photo of scary dipstick below.

`Gary's advice is spot-on. If you don't have the "Timmy T" attachment for running the boat on the hose, you want to install one of these. Mine is between the water strainer and transmission cooler.



JQ

PLD,the L stands for left rotation. A picture of the trans will confirm,it should be a PCM trans. I don't think you'd get that much condensation just sitting
Many of us use the 20-50 I have it in both a 302 and a 351 GT40

PCM 1.23:1

Guess that means I have a proper left-right setup?

If the boat was left outside and the cover leaked and water built up in the bilge it is possible this water seeped into the oil pan and made the iced latte overfill. No way condensation would add quarts to the pan.

Check

Yes you have a Left hand rotation and yes to the bucket also. As to the milky oil I would venture to guess that yes it has been run because the oil and the water are mixed. I don't think it would be mixed that well just from trying to start it. He'll know more when he gets it to run,I had a bad manifold which I found out by water on a spark plug and Tim B's help

dabeastro wrote: 63 Skier wrote: Brad, since you don't know if the milky oil was run through the engine or just sat there, I'd recommend filling with clean oil and replacing one quart of it with diesel fuel, run for 5 minutes at idle, then another complete oil change. Clean oil won't flush the milkshake out of the engine. Then again I guess you don't know if it's going to start up for you. Maybe figure that out first, then do the engine flush I suggest. You can just leave it a quart low if need be while you try to fire it up. Good suggestions, although I've read mixed opinions on the diesel flush. Thinking about it, I bet it was not winterized before sitting. It was always garaged, so rainfall is not likely. So how else would water have gotten in there if the not on the water. And if winterized, the oil would have been drained. Making things more fun, there was probably a bunch of ethanol infused fuel sitting in there before I added some fuel to try and start it. Gonna siphon that and replace it with some good corn free gas.

Oil is not drained when winterizing

On the flush, if you prefer there are engine flush products at auto parts stores. I've used them and have a feeling they are basically diesel (#2). Not sure what you've read but neither oil nor heat of running will get rid of the oil/water emulsion, so I prefer the flush to rid the system of it. The key is to just run at idle or slightly above for 5 minutes, just circulating it through.

Changed up the oil and filter. Cranked on it a bit. Nothing. Threw the throttle and saw gas in 2 of the 4 Holley ports (Should the other 2 be dry?) Seems to be cranking kinda slow. But I've got 12.5 on the battery. Thinking I should start another thread now that I've got the oil issue (temporarily) in check. Not sure where to go from here. Thinking of siphoning the fuel, checking for spark, and checking compression.

Gary S wrote: As to the milky oil I would venture to guess that yes it has been run because the oil and the water are mixed. I don't think it would be mixed that well just from trying to start it.

Brad,
I concur with Gary that it sure looks like the engine has been run to emulsify the oil and water. If the water somehow got into the pan, there would be a definite separation between the water and oil. Yes, you said when drained, you got water first but that would be from some separation during the layup.

Brad, IMHO, that much water in the oil is a water jacket leak of some type. For me, it happened when we blew a head gasket and the rupture allowed cooling jacket water into the crankcase. Water also flowed out of the spark plug hole. :( New gasket, lots of oil flushes, new filter every time, to get out all of the water.

Slow cranking could be lots of corrosion in the rotating assembly or possibly (worse case) a 'hydraulic lock' of one of the pistons trying to compress water. (which it doesn't). Pull all the spark plugs and then crank to note the cranking speed. Also look for water, spray vapor, etc from the plug holes, this would usually indicate a head gasket problem.

As far as the carb, the accelerator pumps only squirt in the front two barrels.

Good Luck!

Do you have points or an electronic ignition system? You could have an intake gasket leak ,that would not show up on a compression test or most likely an exhaust manifold leak. They cooling passages are very thin where the riser bolts to the manifold. When you get it running you might be able to see water on a sparkplug

dabeastro wrote: Points.

Surface corrosion on the points contact faces due to the layup. Pull some 2000 grit abrasive paper though the points when closed to clean them up.

Like Pete suggested, try the simple stuff first on the ignition. Don't just replace the coil, see what is getting power first.

I don't think I've ever seen such closely grouped compresson numbers - almost makes me suspect the gauge.

I am thinking the water did not get into the cylinders directly. No water behind the plugs and it is actually running okay. Does that point to head gasket. I'd be just fine with that.

This particular heated garage was always closed with the utmost anal retentiveness.. Father in law has a few other very nice toys in there and does not take security lightly.