Salt in oil?

[Captned]

My friends boat got oil samples taken and it showed high levels of Potassium in his port engines oil. 6v92TA - 535 hp..High hours.2K plus.
What are some probable causes of this?

Leaking riser?

Thanks guys,

Captned
MBMM

 

[Boatsb]

The lab should have the explanations of what each level is indicative of.

 

[MikeP]

Excessive K in oil usually means a coolant leak. But, like any oil analysis, if it's a one time thing it's not worth much. Oil analysis are only useful if they are performed periodically so you can see what's really going on.

An analysis performed, say, for the first time after the engine has been sitting unused for a while is useless. It MAY be giving an indication of a problem or it may not.

 

[Genesis]

Potassium or sodium?

Excessive potassium is usually a coolant leak. Excessive sodium is frequently excessive salt spray ingestion.

Need more - how high, which element, one engine involved or both?

 

[Robby]

Excessive K in oil usually means a coolant leak. But, like any oil analysis, if it's a one time thing it's not worth much. Oil analysis are only useful if they are performed periodically so you can see what's really going on.

An analysis performed, say, for the first time after the engine has been sitting unused for a while is useless. It MAY be giving an indication of a problem or it may not.

I agree that it usless with a cold engine.Trend anylisis is where its best used.Probably done more oil samples than anyone here.Robby

 

[Captned]

Thanks guys,

Heres what the report says...
Just the port engine.

Potassium - 100
Sodium - 184

"Heavy concentration of anti-freeze present. Check for source of coolant and /or salt water leak. Drain oil and change filter."

Any ideas? Obviously a coolant leak or salt water ingestion. Whats the procedure for finding the problem?

Cheers!

Captned
MBMM

 

[Brian Degulis]

Trend analysis is best but a one time analysis can alert you to serious problem. I don't know if these #s indicate that but there is a benifit to one time analysis. When we were in the market we made an offer on one boat. We did a sea trial and oil analysis before survey. The boat ran fine but the oil analysis on one engine showed super high metal levels. So high that there was just no way it was something you would watch or monitor it was something that required action right now. Without that $40 analysis there was no way to know that.

Brian

 

[Captned]

Would a coolant preesure test show if there was an internal coolant leak?

Captned
MBMM

 

[Genesis]

No note on glycol being detected? That's usually one of the tests..... I'm assuming he's running coolant, not inhibitors + water.

If there's no glycol and he's running coolant its not a coolant leak - but the potassium strongly argues for a coolant leak. I'm a bit puzzled; if the lab is not checking for glycol he needs a different lab as glycol in the oil is an EMERGENCY situation.

Change oil IMMEDIATELY, pressure-test cooling system, if no leaks found resample @ 10hrs. If the levels are high again you've got big trouble and need to find it pronto. Is there any oil in the coolant? It will be visible when the system is cold as a film on top of the expansion tank liquid. If there's oil evident in the coolant there's a high probability the problem is the oil cooler core - remove it and pressure-test submerged (you need to make up a plate for this that covers the ports, install O-ring seals, and hook it to an air line and pressurize to ~80psi and submerge in a tank of hot water to see if it bubbles.)

If there's glycol in the oil this is an extremely serious problem as it will contaminate the main bearings and cause VERY severe damage quite quickly, thus the 5-alarm fire on this sort of thing. With 2k+ hours on the engine if glycol has gotten into the mains for any material amount of time he's probably looking at a major teardown.

 

[Captned]

Thanks Genisis,

Can always count on you. Well looky here....

Glycol shows .9

He noted the potassium, sodium and Glycol being "Abnormal"

Captned

 

[Genesis]

Eek. Glycol = bad news.

GET THE OUT OUT OF THERE NOW.

First place to look for the leak is the oil cooler as its EXTERNALLY accessible. All the other places where oil and coolant can get into one another are really ugly (e.g. liner seals, seal rings at the head, cracked head, etc) and are tough to verify. The oil cooler core is easy - its either leaking or its not.