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Crusader 454 lost all oil, help!

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carl0236

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I have twin Crusader 454's on my 1984 Silverton 40 aft cabin with about 980 hours. I was about 10 minutes into my trip this weekend on Lake Erie, crusing at about 2900 RPM's when my oil pressure warning buzzer came on. I immediately shut down the engine. I opened the engine room to find it full of oil (in the bilge and on the battery bank between the stringers). There was no obvious signs of the origin of the leak. The spray pattern, however, seemed to be originating about half way down the right side of the engine, close to where the dip stick is located. There was also some oil weeping from the valve cover vent. I brought the boat back on one engine and decided to try and tackle it in the morning. I was hoping since there was such a rapid loss of oil that it was a blown line or the pressure switch. I filled the engine back up with oil and then placed oil pads all around the the engine and especially where the spray was located the day before. I fired the engine and listened and looked with the flashlight. Not a drop came out after 15 minutes. However, there was some oily residue and the smell of oil, along with some smoke coming from the exhaust (side exit exhaust on this after cabin boat). I shut it down for the night again. The next morning (yesterday) i drove it on one engine to the repair dock, starting the stricken engine only to manuever the boat into the slip---still some smoke, but oil level was unchanged from the day before at full. Engine appears to by running fine---no knocks, clanging---other than the smoke (white in color). <BR><BR>Only other bit of info I have is that since I have owned the boat (about a month) it have been looking to have the heat exchanger serviced as I thought the engines were running too hot--180-200 on the gauges. I did not verify the temps independent from the gauges, nor did I verify that any of the exchanger/oil cooler passages were restricted--it was just my hunch from reading other posts. I have put about 15 hours on the boat since I bought it, which included a 100 mile cruise from Lake St Clair (where I bought it) to Sandusky, Ohio. <BR><BR><BR>Any ideas?
 
A "spray pattern" usually means the source was pressurized....the intermittent nature is the weird part. I'm thinking start with the oil cooler hoses. If they are original, they are overdue for replacement.

Regarding your temps, independent verification of the temps with an IR gun is prudent...I'd think the elbows/risers are the likely culprits for this one.
 
Thanks for the quick reply! I totally agree with that with the exception of the oil getting into the combustion chamber and the smoking---plus the intermittent part as you said. Well, its at the shop now, hopefully we get it figured out. My brother suggested that perhaps the oil passages are restricted under the valve cover, preventing the oil from circulating back down, leaking out of the breather tube, and entering the carb. He wasnt sure though, and I couldnt replicate the problem.
 
If the oil was entering thru the carb as suggested, there would be plenty of evidence left over. it would also be a bad omen as that would mean there's a huge sludge concentration which usually comes from inadequate oil changes/very poor quality oil.
 
There was some residue in the carb, but not nearly as much as you would think. A light coating is more like it. Plus my bro's theory really doesnt expalin the "spray" pattern and where would the oil be shooting from to hit the battery bank? The batteries sit lower than the engine, and there was no spray on the port engine, which means it was coming out about half way down the engine and at a 45 degree angle. Just weird.....
 
It sounds like "Blow-by" past the rings and into the crankcase. This can force oil out of the dipstick opening under open throttle conditions. At idle speed, cylinder pressure are low and blow by is often comparitively minimal. A compression test would be a good starting point.
 
dont know yet, i think that you need a more complete picture then just a compression test though, you also need a leak down test, this checks the rings, you can have good compression and still exessive blowby. if your dipsticks are set up for oilchanges( looks like a garden hose on the end) then pressure in the crankcase will blow out all your oil, if its a normal dipstick and you have drain hoses off the bottom of the pan it would only blow out a quart or two.
 
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So where did 6 quarts of oil go? That much oil would make one HELL of a mess! If not, the motor must have consumed much of it. If the latter is the case, I suspect would a blown head gasket except forthe fact that BBChevies don't have oil pressure passing through that area.

The plot thickens!

Jeff
 
Well all that oil was in the bilge. After the messy clean up, I refilled it and could not replicate the leak or the spray for that matter. I have run it at the dock and while docking for about 20 minutes total. Just today I got the bad news--- no compression what so ever from the #4 cylinder and damage to the spark plug. So, the engine is shot, but I still wonder why all the oil erupted from the engine and where it escaped?

Also, this is a pilot house so a quick long block swap is out of the question. Eberything will need to be carried piece by piece in and out of the engine room and out the door. The boat currently has 978 hours on it. Any recommendations on whether I should rebuild this winter or just order the long block? If rebuilding the motor is a good solution, I could do it myself with my brother---experienced marine mechanic. I am getting sticker shock from the long block quote from the marina---$7500-$8500 for all the parts and labor. I just bought this boat August 13th. Didnt get to enjoy it for more than two weeks!
 
I would go with a long block instead of a rebuild, I have done both in two years time (long story) and in the end found that the price of the long block was cheaper then doing a rebuild and it comes with a warrenty. I bought mine from Rapido marine and so far could not be more pleased with it. Look at their prices on line and call their list of referals. As for hauling it out, can you rig a I beam into the pilot house and out the back? Any way, good luck with the problem.
 
carl0236 said:
-- no compression what so ever from the #4 cylinder and damage to the spark plug. So, the engine is shot, but I still wonder why all the oil erupted from the engine and where it escaped?
Click to expand...

If the piston was holed for some reason (detonation, etc), a very high blowby will raise crankcase pressure and oil will "leak out". But yours is is the worst case I've heard of. I would tend to think the oil shot out of the oil dipstick tube, since it runs to the bottom of the oil pan and positive pressure will pump all the oil out that 1/4" hole at the end of the tube.

If you are considering manually hauling that block, it will be heavy. I can't manually lift the bare block myself, and that is without the pistons and crankshaft. With heads and manifolds stripped, and transmission removed, you will still be looking at 4 to 5hundred pound piece of slippery iron to lift and move. Folks have used truck mounted cranes thru windows (easiest), A frame traveling hoists inside pilot houses, and cut hull sections out (worst case).
 
That would make perfect sense because the only place the oil looked like it came from was the dipstick---that would expalin the spray onto the batteries between the stringers, and there was an oil trail back up to that side and location on the engine.

I will rent a boom truck to lift it out through the companion way. Gonna be a long and pricey winter!
 
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