Apparent rise in oil level.

[Graham and Jo]

Hiya everyone, Dotterel has an Isuzu 4 cylinder 38 Hp engine. The Oil level seems to have risen since I last checked it. Since checking it all I have done is gone to the winding hole just behind our mooring turned round and come back. It took about 30 mins. (Longer than it should as someone had moored two breasted boats opposite the hole). 

 

I reckon it has about a pint or perhaps two too much. I have drained some out and can confirm no water. I worry about diesel. 

 

The system has an electric self contained fuel pump so I am left thinking about injectors. 

 

Anyone know if injectors can leak fuel into the sump?

 

Cheers Graham

 

Supplemental, the oil warning light ii off but it has no pressure guage. A ten minute run has seen no rise in oil. Other possibility is some bozzo i.e me hasn't been shoving the dip stick in far enough. 

 

Edited June 21 by Graham and Jo
Typo

[Tony Brooks]

Fuel from a dribbling injector might find its way past the piston into the sump, but unless it was leaking when the engine was stationary I would think most, if not all would get burned off. I don't know for sure, but I would expect the injector pump(s) to have delivery valves in their outlet, so a dribbling injector would be unlikely to leak when the engine  is stationary.

 

I think at least some Isuzu engines have individual injector pumps inserted into the crankcase, so if one of those sprung a leak it could get into the sump, but I would not worry about it for now. keep an eye on it and only worry about the pump(s) if it keeps rising.

 

[Graham and Jo]

Thanks, I have run it some more with no change. We will head off on a short trip and check again. Cheers Graham 

[PeterF]

I found the stop on the top of my dipstick on my old boat had come loose and moved perhaps 6 to 8mm up resulting in the dipstick going in further giving higher readings. From memory the stop was a hard rubber moulding. The correct position was confirmed from the painted/ unpainted interface above the stop.

[Arthur Marshall]

I've always wondered how much the change in the trim might change the level on the dipstick. If I'm full of diesel and low on water there's a considerably change of angle of the boat.

[Graham and Jo]

9 minutes ago, PeterF said:

I found the stop on the top of my dipstick on my old boat had come loose and moved perhaps 6 to 8mm up resulting in the dipstick going in further giving higher readings. From memory the stop was a hard rubber moulding. The correct position was confirmed from the painted/ unpainted interface above the stop.

I had a look at that and don't think it has moved. I do think it is quite easy not to push it home when taking the oil level. Cheers Graham 

 

Ps under way now with SWIMBO driving I will report back. 

4 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I've always wondered how much the change in the trim might change the level on the dipstick. If I'm full of diesel and low on water there's a considerably change of angle of the boat.

We certainly have more water than when I changed the oil. 

[DShK]

I had rising oil levels. I had suspected my injectors might be dodgy for a while (just the odd misfire). Luckily my engine you can test spray them easily enough. One didn't seem like a good spray pattern, so I sent them off. Sure enough, one injector needed sorting.

 

I've only put 100 or so hours on the engine since then, but the oil level doesn't appear to be rising.

 

Dribbling injectors can definitely cause rising oil levels. 

[Graham and Jo]

15 minutes ago, DShK said:

I had rising oil levels. I had suspected my injectors might be dodgy for a while (just the odd misfire). Luckily my engine you can test spray them easily enough. One didn't seem like a good spray pattern, so I sent them off. Sure enough, one injector needed sorting.

 

I've only put 100 or so hours on the engine since then, but the oil level doesn't appear to be rising.

 

Dribbling injectors can definitely cause rising oil levels. 

Oh dear! I will find out soon! Cheers Graham

[blackrose]

Are you sure you haven't been checking it cold and later checking it hot (expanded) so you're not comparing like for like? 

Edited June 21 by blackrose

[DShK]

22 minutes ago, Graham and Jo said:

Oh dear! I will find out soon! Cheers Graham

Someone with experience might be able to feel/smell diesel in it for you. I personally couldn't tell.

 

The good news is that it isn't a big job to sort. You should in theory be able to pull the injectors yourself and send them off to someone to refurb them. Cost me about £100 for mine.

[Graham and Jo]

I compared the oil I took out to fresh oil and it felt the same! We are about 20 mins from mooring so will have a look at the oil levels then. 

 

Glad it isn't too expensive.

 

Cheers Graham 

Well we have cruised 4 miles which took 1hr 20mins. I have just checked the oil level and there has been no change. So at the moment it is being put down to operator error when changing the oil. I will be checking it every day. Mind you I do that anyway. We have left Calcutt and are heading for Coventry. Cheers Graham

[Graham and Jo]

This morning's oil level was fine. I do wonder if the leaking injector could be the right answer. Perhaps something stuck in it and over a week it leaked. I guess it could have dripped into the cylinder and then past the rings. 

 

I never turn off the diesel when away from the boat, perhaps I should? I turn off everything else. 

 

Plan is for a precautionary oil change, switch off diesel when not using engine.

 

The engine runs very smoothly so I don't think there is a general issue with the injectors.

 

Cheers Graham 

[Peugeot 106]

Don’t forget that if you you have a return line that dips  into the top of the tank the diesel can syphon back from there so you may have to isolate the return line as well as the supply line. Some terminate at the top of the tank I think but many, and mine, dip down into the bottom of the tank. I hang my keys on the return line isolation valve to remind me not to start it with it isolated. I’m not an expert so if this doesn’t apply to your engine maybe someone can shout out

[Graham and Jo]

1 minute ago, Peugeot 106 said:

Don’t forget that if you you have a return line that dips  into the top of the tank the diesel can syphon back from there so you may have to isolate the return line as well as the supply line. Some terminate at the top of the tank I think but many, and mine, dip down into the bottom of the tank. I hang my keys on the return line isolation valve to remind me not to start it with it isolated. I’m not an expert so if this doesn’t apply to your engine maybe someone can shout out

Thanks for that, I turned off both. I don't know which is which without tracing them through all the odds and ends I keep in the engine bay. I also don't know what the pipes do inside the tank! 

 

Cheers Graham