Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 water in the oil of an air cooled engine???

Having just completed a Centa drive installation and upgrade for a customer I am still perplexed over an issue with the oil. Despite the car having had an oil change less than 200 miles previously - by a Morgan dealer - I spotted a milky look to the drips lost when removing the engine. Sure enough, on closer examination, the entire reservoir full was contaminated. I did the drip on a hot plate check and it fizzed up like the chip shop fat when the cook spits in it to see if it up to temperature! anyone got any ideas where an air cooled engine could have drawn all that water from? Must be more than condensation, surely?
all thoughts welcome - Phil

Condensate in the sump tank.

How did MMC drain the oil? Sucking out the tank or draining the tank?

Not sure - the owner didn't witness the job either. I don't think the residue in a drained tank would have left so much water.

If they drained the tank. MMC told me that they change the oil by sucking out the oil in the tank. If it was not done properly there could be residue in the bottom of the tank.

What sort of air filter has it got, if it’s an exposed type and has been driven in very heavy rain is it possible for the water ingested to flush down the bores.
Or someone thought they were topping up the washer bottle.

Blow by in the cylinders allowing water to get into the sump? I suspect that much water would not allow the engine to fire.

I’m sure your right!
How about condensation and lots of short trips so the engine doesn’t get hot enough to evaporate the moisture.

If the oil in the sump AND the drain plug on the bottom of the engine is drained then that should clear it..

Only one or two trips to make up the 200 miles travelled and a shielded air filter - all very puzzling. I don't see how a small percentage of oil missed in the draining procedure could contaminate the whole system so quickly. Proper analysis of % water content would have been interesting but it's too late now.

We overcame the problem by using flushing oil twice to get the muck out and fitting a new oil filter. It will be interesting to see if it happens again.

Thanks for your comments,
Phil

As a very young man I worked at a car dealer after school and weekends, washing and detailing cars. One of my peers was the lot boy, moving cars between sales locations and doing tasks such as ensuring the fluids and tires are full. The first time he was asked to top up transmission fluid, he somehow worked out that the brake fluid reservoir was the place to pour.....

Never underestimate human ignorance. The water in the oil may be from a well intentioned but ill informed dealer employee.