Oil Leaks

[plainsman]

I recall in the 50's and 60's motor bikes (usually British built) did drip a bit when stationary after a run and I am wondering if old boat engines of similar and older vintage are prone to leaking. I've heard a few anecdotes such as 'if it starts and has oil pressure what else do you want' Or 'if you need to take the engine out to fix it it's not worth the bother, chances are it won't be possible to cure all leaks'. Also I've seen a few engine rooms with a very oil wet bilge and some factory steam engines with oil spill mats in strategic places.

 

Views from you guys with vintage engines would be appreciated

[RLWP]

Why do you want to know?

 

Richard

[MoominPapa]

Well, mine is currently losing about a litre a week, which has saved me from doing an oil change this year, but left me with a big pool of oil to pump out. Will be attempting to improve things before setting out again.

 

MP.

[koukouvagia]

No not all vintage engines leak oil. You could eat your dinner off my drip tray.

 

However, my Kelvin does occasionally weep a little diesel from the governor drive shaft. Up till now I've stopped this by nipping up the two adjusting nuts. I'm hoping that it's not the new diesel that is known, apparently, to degrade seals.

[BEngo]

No not all vintage engines leak oil. You could eat your dinner off my drip tray.

 

However, my Kelvin does occasionally weep a little diesel from the governor drive shaft. Up till now I've stopped this by nipping up the two adjusting nuts. I'm hoping that it's not the new diesel that is known, apparently, to degrade seals

 

 

 

 

Do you have a bronze governor with the vertical piston or a cast-iron one with horizontal piston? The gland packing is fairly easy to change in either type ( very easy once the governor is off the pump stool). The cast-iron one is 1/4 square and I have some packing if you don't. I'm not absolutely sure of the packing size for the bronze one but I think it's the same. Don't wear a groove in the shaft by overtightening the packing or you will be looking at a reclamation repair which is awkward as the bottom half gear pump is an integral part of the shaft.

 

The packing is standard graphited string type stuff so I doubt it's being affected by any FAME in the gas oil.

 

N

[LEO]

Hi,

 

Depends on who rebuilt the engine and what condition is was in prior to rebuild and how much gasket sealant was used in the rebuild.

 

Many of the 2LWs brought back from service in South Africa where in very poor condition - I have one and it does have a couple of small oil leaks, but at the end of a day's run it's easy to clean them off. I think re-building standards have improved or levels of gasket sealant usage has increased

 

It also depends on how much oil you put in the engine - don't over fill them. I had a 1.5 BMC in a boat, it would run all season happily with no oil leakage if the oil level was maintained at half full on the dip-stick, any oil added above this level would be thrown out until it reached it's own 'happy' level

 

If it starts and has good oil pressure is a fair comment, but check the level regularly.

 

If you want to see vintage engines leaking oil visit a fairground and have a look under the generator engines (usually big Gardners) and see the patch they leave.

 

Back in the late 60's my Dad ran a Vauxhall Victor - that leaked a monumental amount of engine oil, he was asked to park it out side the underground office car park as it was a possible fire risk.We cured it by installing a secondhand engine.

 

KK. So will you be bringing your drip tray along as a plate for the Christmas Lunch?..........

 

L.

[koukouvagia]

 

 

Do you have a bronze governor with the vertical piston or a cast-iron one with horizontal piston? The gland packing is fairly easy to change in either type ( very easy once the governor is off the pump stool). The cast-iron one is 1/4 square and I have some packing if you don't. I'm not absolutely sure of the packing size for the bronze one but I think it's the same. Don't wear a groove in the shaft by overtightening the packing or you will be looking at a reclamation repair which is awkward as the bottom half gear pump is an integral part of the shaft.

 

The packing is standard graphited string type stuff so I doubt it's being affected by any FAME in the gas oil.

 

N

Thanks for that advice. I'll add it to my list of winter jobs. Mine's bronze but I've got various sizes of packing on board.

[mark99]

As Leo says it varies with Gardners. (There are three Gardners on our mooring of 7 boats).

 

You can see part of our (white) bilge in this image which is how it it most of the time. The spots are not oil but where the white paint has left the steel. If you dragged your finger round the engine bottom it would have oil on it but hardly enough to ever show in the bilge other than the odd spot every few weeks. From observation diesel leaks/weeps are the things to keep on top off as with all diesel engines.

 

Edited November 16, 2015 by mark99

[koukouvagia]

Since this thread seems to be developing into a beauty contest between Gardners and Kelvins, could I ask Gardner owners if the inside of their sumps are painted white?

I've no idea why Kelvins adopted this practice, but when I change the oil I always try to get the sump spotless. Sad, isn't it?

[plainsman]

Hi,

 

Depends on who rebuilt the engine and what condition is was in prior to rebuild and how much gasket sealant was used in the rebuild.

 

Many of the 2LWs brought back from service in South Africa where in very poor condition - I have one and it does have a couple of small oil leaks, but at the end of a day's run it's easy to clean them off. I think re-building standards have improved or levels of gasket sealant usage has increased

 

It also depends on how much oil you put in the engine - don't over fill them. I had a 1.5 BMC in a boat, it would run all season happily with no oil leakage if the oil level was maintained at half full on the dip-stick, any oil added above this level would be thrown out until it reached it's own 'happy' level

 

If it starts and has good oil pressure is a fair comment, but check the level regularly.

 

If you want to see vintage engines leaking oil visit a fairground and have a look under the generator engines (usually big Gardners) and see the patch they leave.

 

Back in the late 60's my Dad ran a Vauxhall Victor - that leaked a monumental amount of engine oil, he was asked to park it out side the underground office car park as it was a possible fire risk.We cured it by installing a secondhand engine.

 

KK. So will you be bringing your drip tray along as a plate for the Christmas Lunch?..........

 

L.

 

 

Thanks for your response and from everyone else. Think this has answered my question. I like the tale of your dads vauxhall

[BEngo]

Since this thread seems to be developing into a beauty contest between Gardners and Kelvins, could I ask Gardner owners if the inside of their sumps are painted white?

I've no idea why Kelvins adopted this practice, but when I change the oil I always try to get the sump spotless. Sad, isn't it?

 

The enamel in the sump (and the gearbox casing) is primarily there to seal the castings, in case they are slightly porous. Why Mr Bergius went for white (usually pale cream after a while) I know not. Others did the same, but red oxide was a more popular colour.

 

N

[mark99]

Gardners have a version of Michelangelos' Sistine Chapel painted in the sumps.

[LEO]

Since this thread seems to be developing into a beauty contest between Gardners and Kelvins, could I ask Gardner owners if the inside of their sumps are painted white?

I've no idea why Kelvins adopted this practice, but when I change the oil I always try to get the sump spotless. Sad, isn't it?

 

For a moment I thought you poked a digit down the dipstick hole to clean the sump interior but then I remember you have removable side plates......... in terms of beauty though a well polished Kelvin is a work of art, but in terms of efficiency the Gardner wins, providing hot water as well as propulsion..........

Gardners have a version of Michelangelos' Sistine Chapel painted in the sum

 

 

Mine has a version of the Last Supper.

[mark99]

 

For a moment I thought you poked a digit down the dipstick hole to clean the sump interior but then I remember you have removable side plates......... in terms of beauty though a well polished Kelvin is a work of art, but in terms of efficiency the Gardner wins, providing hot water as well as propulsion..........

 

Mine has a version of the Last Supper.

 

 

I thought the L2 sumps only had the Last Supper on them?

 

As you know I changed by old white bandage exhaust wrap to a titanium cloth recently. This below is what was on the old white wrap.

 

Edited November 16, 2015 by mark99

[bizzard]

As Leo says it varies with Gardners. (There are three Gardners on our mooring of 7 boats).

 

You can see part of our (white) bilge in this image which is how it it most of the time. The spots are not oil but where the white paint has left the steel. If you dragged your finger round the engine bottom it would have oil on it but hardly enough to ever show in the bilge other than the odd spot every few weeks. From observation diesel leaks/weeps are the things to keep on top off as with all diesel engines.

 

Looks like a rusty nut on the engine mount bracket. And the starter solenoid energizing wire is too short, looks like its been tugging on the terminal and bent it down. If its chaffing against the large main input terminal and chaffs through and makes contact the starter motor will involuntarily start to run.

[rjasmith]

The enamel in the sump (and the gearbox casing) is primarily there to seal the castings, in case they are slightly porous. Why Mr Bergius went for white (usually pale cream after a while) I know not. Others did the same, but red oxide was a more popular colour.

 

N

I always assumed it was white because you needed to see how spotlessly clean you'd got the sump after an oil change and had religiously wiped it out in accordance with the manual (through the crankcase doors in case folks don't realise that Kelvins have these).

 

When the doors are off you can just about hang an inspection lamp inside and the (off) white paint helps to spread the light round (those with K engines may also notice the slight echo when sticking your head up close to the door, looking around in there and then saying something - actually this is not entirely a joke!).

 

Being ex National Grid I am used to working in control panels etc where the inside surfaces were also required to be painted white, again for the reasons of being able to see what you were doing.

 

Richard

Edited November 16, 2015 by rjasmith

[dave moore]

Our sump inside is also white after rebuild by Seaward Engineering in the late 90s. I'd assumed that it was to spot any irregular deposits in the oil....using rag to wipe old oil out at change time is hardly my favourite occupation.

 

Dave