454 Crusader - milky oil
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2022 7:30 am
Folks (especially gear heads...)
I've run into what could turn out to be a very ugly situation involving the marina where we put Sunset Seeker Too (SS2) on the hard last fall.
First, some background...
SS2 Apecs:
* 41' 1988 Marquis with hardtop
* 454 Crusaders, raw water cooling
- bought the boat from 3rd owner
- because of my hip surgery had to hire licensed captain to drive boat from Dayton, KY. to Aurora, In.
--> no issues with delivery
- had contacted newly hired Harbormaster at Lighthouse Marina about about over wintering there on the hard (to allow me to work on boat):
--> he quoted all inclusive price for haul out, blocking and returning to water in spring.
** accepted price and made initial down-payment/ signed contract.
*** SIDE CONTRACT - (Important here!!) - set up with marina for them to 'winterize' engines and genny - AFTER BOAT OUT OF WATER AND ON BLOCKS/STANDS - this was to include:
1. Antifreeze thru strainers until AF expelled from exhaust.
2. Same applied to genny (Westerbeke BTG-8.5)
3. Engine blocks to be drained (both inboard and outboard sides), thermostats removed and, after drain plugs reinserted in lower inboard and outboard ports, engine blocks filled with antifreeze.
---> oil drain/refill not included as PO had advised he'd had it done Spring, 2021 and he had not taken the boat out at all spring/summer/fall of 2021 (general COVID issues and need for cash <sell boat>)
Price quoted, accepted and contract signed for winterization as indicated above.
That was in October, 2021.
Boat moved to Aurora< In. marina and on stands last week of October.
Told work had been completed early November, 2021..
Move to February/March 2022.
I'm working on a 'must do' list of items PO had been told had to be done to get better insurance rate.
I started to hear mutterings around marina of slipshod work done by the new Harbormaster who was also undertaking, and had assured marina management he was qualified, the above mentioned winterizing.
He was subsequently fired for lying and costing the marina big money for damage to other owner's boats.
RED FLAG!!!
I checked the engines (familiar with as I'd previously performed all winterizations on our 32' 1988 SB)
Found the following:
Port engine:
- there was antifreeze in strainer
- removing lower block drain plugs found NO ANTIFREEZE - PLAIN WATER ONLY!
- check of oil dipstick showed no trace of oil contamination.
Starboard engine:
- strainer showed antifreeze
- when attempting to remove block's inboard lower drain plug, barely moving it (less than a 1/16 turn), resulted In the plug falling out BUT there was antifreeze. UNABLE TO INSERT PLUG --OR-- any like type plug!!
Reported findings to marina management who were accepting of the notice but that was about all.
Marina management did have crew come on-site and remedy the mis-inserted plug (retapped)recapped. Nothing adverse noted about Port engine.
Marina management waited till boat on trailer to splash when they informed me of a bill!!! Bill?!?!
They wanted to charge me for service to correct their agent's foulup and subsequent costs to rectify. Also they made inferences about paying to splash the boat (Thank heaven for contract copy showing that was part of inclusive charge back in October!)
TO THE PRESENT:
- Boat only taken out 3 times this season (including 3 mile run from over winter marina to our permanent location). Total running time - maybe 9 hours
- Boat remains at our home marina, in the water.
- Winterizing today - 10/23/22.
- when pulling oil from Port engine thru dipstick tube, IMMEDIATELY NOTICED MILKY APPEARANCE.
QUESTIONS FOR THOSE IN THE KNOW...
- Could there be a chance the engine's not damaged??
- have considered following diagnostic:
A. Finish emptying Port engine oil pan.
B. Replace oil filter
C. Fill crankcase with correct oil type & amount.
D. Run at dock for 1 - 2 hours.
E. Shutdown, allow engine to cool some and pull sample of oil.
Findings (possible)
- if oil milky, I can only conclude the block froze last winter due to marina's agent malfeasance.
* block (both sides) was drained when it was discovered that no antifreeze had been used/installed in the block
through normal means (removal of thermostat housing and block filled from there)
* approaching marina at this time problematic
But they were alerted as soon as issue was discovered.
There was no way there could've been damage after that notification as the block remained drained until the marina's repair crew arrived in mid-April.
No milky oil....
All ok???
What do you folks think?
Questions welcome!!!
Bill
I've run into what could turn out to be a very ugly situation involving the marina where we put Sunset Seeker Too (SS2) on the hard last fall.
First, some background...
SS2 Apecs:
* 41' 1988 Marquis with hardtop
* 454 Crusaders, raw water cooling
- bought the boat from 3rd owner
- because of my hip surgery had to hire licensed captain to drive boat from Dayton, KY. to Aurora, In.
--> no issues with delivery
- had contacted newly hired Harbormaster at Lighthouse Marina about about over wintering there on the hard (to allow me to work on boat):
--> he quoted all inclusive price for haul out, blocking and returning to water in spring.
** accepted price and made initial down-payment/ signed contract.
*** SIDE CONTRACT - (Important here!!) - set up with marina for them to 'winterize' engines and genny - AFTER BOAT OUT OF WATER AND ON BLOCKS/STANDS - this was to include:
1. Antifreeze thru strainers until AF expelled from exhaust.
2. Same applied to genny (Westerbeke BTG-8.5)
3. Engine blocks to be drained (both inboard and outboard sides), thermostats removed and, after drain plugs reinserted in lower inboard and outboard ports, engine blocks filled with antifreeze.
---> oil drain/refill not included as PO had advised he'd had it done Spring, 2021 and he had not taken the boat out at all spring/summer/fall of 2021 (general COVID issues and need for cash <sell boat>)
Price quoted, accepted and contract signed for winterization as indicated above.
That was in October, 2021.
Boat moved to Aurora< In. marina and on stands last week of October.
Told work had been completed early November, 2021..
Move to February/March 2022.
I'm working on a 'must do' list of items PO had been told had to be done to get better insurance rate.
I started to hear mutterings around marina of slipshod work done by the new Harbormaster who was also undertaking, and had assured marina management he was qualified, the above mentioned winterizing.
He was subsequently fired for lying and costing the marina big money for damage to other owner's boats.
RED FLAG!!!
I checked the engines (familiar with as I'd previously performed all winterizations on our 32' 1988 SB)
Found the following:
Port engine:
- there was antifreeze in strainer
- removing lower block drain plugs found NO ANTIFREEZE - PLAIN WATER ONLY!
- check of oil dipstick showed no trace of oil contamination.
Starboard engine:
- strainer showed antifreeze
- when attempting to remove block's inboard lower drain plug, barely moving it (less than a 1/16 turn), resulted In the plug falling out BUT there was antifreeze. UNABLE TO INSERT PLUG --OR-- any like type plug!!
Reported findings to marina management who were accepting of the notice but that was about all.
Marina management did have crew come on-site and remedy the mis-inserted plug (retapped)recapped. Nothing adverse noted about Port engine.
Marina management waited till boat on trailer to splash when they informed me of a bill!!! Bill?!?!
They wanted to charge me for service to correct their agent's foulup and subsequent costs to rectify. Also they made inferences about paying to splash the boat (Thank heaven for contract copy showing that was part of inclusive charge back in October!)
TO THE PRESENT:
- Boat only taken out 3 times this season (including 3 mile run from over winter marina to our permanent location). Total running time - maybe 9 hours
- Boat remains at our home marina, in the water.
- Winterizing today - 10/23/22.
- when pulling oil from Port engine thru dipstick tube, IMMEDIATELY NOTICED MILKY APPEARANCE.
QUESTIONS FOR THOSE IN THE KNOW...
- Could there be a chance the engine's not damaged??
- have considered following diagnostic:
A. Finish emptying Port engine oil pan.
B. Replace oil filter
C. Fill crankcase with correct oil type & amount.
D. Run at dock for 1 - 2 hours.
E. Shutdown, allow engine to cool some and pull sample of oil.
Findings (possible)
- if oil milky, I can only conclude the block froze last winter due to marina's agent malfeasance.
* block (both sides) was drained when it was discovered that no antifreeze had been used/installed in the block
through normal means (removal of thermostat housing and block filled from there)
* approaching marina at this time problematic
But they were alerted as soon as issue was discovered.
There was no way there could've been damage after that notification as the block remained drained until the marina's repair crew arrived in mid-April.
No milky oil....
All ok???
What do you folks think?
Questions welcome!!!
Bill