Oil spray on engine

[Stephen Crompton]

I have just been out on the boat, 240 Sundeck, 5.0 MPI, and when I docked back up I noticed a very fine spray over parts of the engine, oily, but not thick, just very fine speckles. Ideas or suggestions at possible problems?

 

[dwna1a]

Do you have a remote oil filter system? Check the hoses

 

[blaster]

Oil on the motor it’s self, or oil on the outdrive/water?

oil level or condition change?

More specific location please.

 

[Stephen Crompton]

Oil on the motor it’s self, or oil on the outdrive/water?

oil level or condition change?

More specific location please.

Oil level good, oil and filter change done at start of season, done maybe 30 hours. No leaks from dipstick area or filter that I can tell. It is like a speckled effect on the engine cover and slightly to the left of that as you are looking at it head on. I have someone coming to do a repair on the thru hull exhaust in a few days, so I will get it looked at then. Just looking for ideas in the meantime.

 

[dwna1a]

Pin hole in the filter?

 

[Stephen Crompton]

Pin hole in the filter?

Possibly. I am going to change out the filter and do a good clean up of the engine and see if the problem repeats. Hopefully, it is something as simple as that.

 

[sbw1]

Does your boat have power steering? Check the pump, hoses, fluid levels.

 

[Stephen Crompton]

View attachment 93770 Does your boat have power steering? Check the pump, hoses, fluid levels.

Will do, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[scoflaw]

Probably blowby from the breathers on the valve covers.

 

[OllieC]

If it's green it's outdrive fluid. I had a leak through a busted plastic thru-transom lube fitting. It sprayed all over my bilge area and motor for some reason. Not sure if it's it or not, but throwing that out there.

 

[Arminius]

Probably blowby from the breathers on the valve covers.

Oil, PS fluid, trim fluid. They are all inflammable and very hazardous. Engines don't have breathers anymore as they are equipped with PCV valves.

 

[Espos4]

Oil, PS fluid, trim fluid. They are all inflammable and very hazardous. Engines don't have breathers anymore as they are equipped with PCV valves.

While automotive engines have had PCV valves for 40+ years, marine engines typically don’t have one.

if that plastic elbow on your valve cover has a corrugated plastic tube leading to the outside portion of the flame arrestor, it’s a breather.

A PCV valve will have a rubber hose connected to a manifold vacuum port.

 

[Stephen Crompton]

So, I cleaned up the engine bay where the obvious spray was, it is oil. I checked the oil level, checked the filter was on hand tight, looked for any hoses that may have come loose or damaged. Went out for a run locally and then checked the engine again and all looked well. I have my mechanic here next week for something else but will get him to check anything I may have missed. I will let you know if he ends up finding anything.

 

[Arminius]

Probably should change the PCV valve which is usually cheap and easy. A marine engine may draw air in through a breather on one valve cover and out into the intake system through a pcv valve on other. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankcase_ventilation_system