Water in Oil

" I have 1985 ChrisCraft with

" I have 1985 ChrisCraft with twin Mecruser 305s. I noticed the port engine missing or vibrating a little last couple of short runs I took. So yesterday before I started it I checked for loose spark plug wires and found none, then I checked the oil - milk colored and its salt water cooled! The engine turned over but wouldn't start.Could this be an annomality or is there a cracked block or blown head gasket? How do I tell which? Should I just change the oil and see if it still leaks? About how much does it cost to get a rebuild? "

" You likely have a major prob

" You likely have a major problem thta won't go away by changing the oil. Pull the plugs and keep them in order. As you get them out, shake them with the electrode down into the palm of your hand. If you have drops of water or a rusty looking plug, you have to start looking for the source of the water.

Water can backflow into the engine if the baffle in the exhaust or the risers are bad.


Water can get into the engine from a bad head gasket, bad head or cracked block. If the exhaust checks out ok, it's time to perform surgery. If you are lucky, the head gasket rotted out and there is enough cooling jackets left in the head and block to hold a new gasket.

The cost of a rebuild depends largely on what region you are in the country.
Good luck "

" I agree with Greg. Remove t

" I agree with Greg. Remove the spark plugs and check to see what is wet or shows signs of water. If they are all wet on one bank you may have a bad manifold. If individual ones are wet it may be the head gasket.

Regards,
Gil "

I have a similar problem. I

I have a similar problem. I removed the oil pan from my 351W and found about 3 gallons of water in there. Does this large amount indicate a problem do you think??? Just kidding. Does this large amount point more to a manifold problem; should I throw the engine away and replace it or try to rebuild it?
Thanks.

I had a similar problem on my

I had a similar problem on my 351W and I found the intake manifold bolts were loose. After changing the oil and re-torqueing the intake manifold the problem went away and boy was I relieved. I thought I'd be replacing a motor.