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

+1

I guess the problem is human… Because I can't see how water can mix with oil in a properly closed oil circuit feeding an air cooled engine... sounds so weird!

First Time I ear that

I suppose that some wingnut could add water to the sump tank thinking it was part of a radiator system since it sits where a radiator might go, if it had one.

Not sure I would take my M3W back to that dealer

This is a good read - it refers to industrial as well as automotive DIY oil analysis - not all relevant but some useful stuff:-

Fitch, J.C., “The Lubrication Field Test and Inspection Guide”
Noria Corporation 2000

Good article Phil. Without a lab nearby these are good ways to check your oil quality.

So today I was checking my oil and noticed this. It is very small but I would call it moisture in the oil getting foamed.



This is after 300 miles since the last change. I park in a heated and insulated garage.

The short trips not allowing the oil to get hot enough to burn off condensate is real. The oil tank on the Three Wheeler is very large and it is Morgan’s way of cooling the engine oil. Not a very efficient wat to accomplish that task.

If you are using an oil cooler without a thermostat you have no way to maintain a constant more even oil temp

I noticed that it takes me driving for almost 10 miles with the last half at freeway speeds for the oil to reach 180f. I would bet that the more quickly the engine reached a good operating temperature the better for the engine, and less condensate.

If you have a regulated oil cooling system on the engine you can reduce the amount of oil in that massive tank so the oil heats more rapidly. Having vented the tank and experimenting with the foam separating in the tank using a separation system I can easily maintain the engine at 180f with4 quarts of oil in the tank. No condensate/foamy puking is pushed into the catch can in any volume.