Grog

I need a sanity check here....

Ever since I got my boat back from AZ Speed and Marine after a Whipple install, I have had a problem with water in my oil. AZ Speed blames it on condensation due to low oil temps and moisture due to intercooler condensation. At the time, I was willing to accept that explanation. I by-passed my oil cooler thus allowing oil temps to stay in the 180-200 degree range (cruising). I've done about 8 oil changes in 25 hours of operation trying to get rid of any residual contamination. Bassically, I changed the oil by pulling the plug in the pan after every trip to the lake. It seems to be getting worse. The last oil change netted me a vanilla milkshake (white goo) at the bottom of the oil pan (after only about 45 minutes of operation on clean oil). I've also noticed a loss of about 400 rpm WOT.
Took the boat back to AZ Speed last week. I got a call from them yesterday. It seems that they pressurized the cooling system to 30psi and read no drop in pressure after sitting over the weekend. Again, they blame condensation from the intercooler and want me to be happy with that explanation. I say bull****. It certainly sounds like a blown head gasket to me. What do you guys think????

1999 Formula
502 mag
Peoria AZ where it is hot and dry as hell

BadDog

Can you bypass the inter-cooler at low RPM/pressure with a valve? In other words don't let any water into the inter-cooler until the pressure that your water system would see is what it would be at 1800 rpm.

cig1988

Reversion? I hate that nasty "R" word.

blue thunder

Have you tried a pcv valve?

BT

krypto 1 in CT

that sounds like more than condensation to me too.i have a procharged set up with a innercooler and no t stat or t stat controled oil cooler.the oil temp only gets to around 180 after a hard pass and runs normally at around 150 which i know is way to cool but even my oil stays good no milkshake.im not a expert with block pressure but ive had trouble before and the engine would hold a pressure test when cold.its when its up to temp when things heat up thats usually water finds a way in.

aero-offshore

Could be a bad intake gasket, if it happend from the start, thats what I would suspect. I would also have Same place do the work so you have a leg to stand on. It's easy to screw up a intake gasket if you not carefull.

MESABALANCING

LISTEN ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS IN MARINE ENGINES ANYTIME AN INTAKE MANIFOLD IS CHANGED OR TAMPERED WITH IS MOISTURE IN THE OIL IF YOU WANT TO CHECK SOMETHING THAT WILL TELL YOU RIGHT AWAY WERE THE PROBLEM IS TAKE A WRENCH AND CHECK HOW TIGHT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS IF THE PROBLEM IS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE THE INTAKE YOUR GOING TO FIND IS GOING TO BE LOOSE . I CAN TELL YOU THAT VERY RARELY WILL ANY INTAKE MANIFOLD FIT OUT OF THE BOX AND WORK ON A MARINE APPLICATION WERE YOU HAVE HIGH WATER PRESSURES. CHECK THE BOLTS FIRST FOR TIGHTNESS AND IF YOU SEE THAT THEY ARE LOOSE YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ENGINE BUILDER PULL THE INTAKE CHECK THE ANGLE OF THE INTAKE FLANGE IN COMPARISON TO THE HEAD GASKET FLANGE WITH A ANGLE COMPARATOR AND THE INTAKE IS MOST LIKELY GOING TO NEED TO BE CORRECTED I HAVE BUILT CUSTOM MARINE ENGINES IN FLORIDA FOR 15 YEARS AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS PROBLEM PLAGUES EVERYONE IN THIS BUSINESS THATS WHY I DO NOT LET ANYTHING LEAVE THIS SHOP THAT IS NOT DYNOED WITH ITS PUMP AND A PRESS GAUGE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO MOISTURE.YOU MAY WANT TO TALK TO THE ENGINE BUILDER ABOUT POSSIBLY PULLING THE PAN OFF AND CHECKING THE BRGS FOR POSSIBLE WATER BLISTERING THAT CAN CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE IF YOU HAVE HAD THAT MUCH WATER IN THE OIL ALREADY I KNOW I WOULD WANT TO DO IT FOR YOU EVEN IF YOU DID NOT ASK ME.I HOPE EVERYTHING WORKS OUT WELL FOR YOU GOOD LUCK SINCERELY LAZ MESA WWW.MESABALANCING.COM

aero-offshore

Ouch I've got a headache reading that. Chill on the caps please.

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

Youv'e got something leaking,either intake gskt or head gasket. If this condition started as soon as intake was done for whipple then you have your answer and it will be a easy fix, if it started after 5 or 10 hours of running boost,you also have your answer(head gskts) although its probably not the answer you want to hear. I have 4 years of running procharger on 2 different motors,with no t-stat on motor,flow to intercooler at idle w/cold mi water and iv'e never had a condensation issue so i wouldn't buy that answer,Smitty

Grog

I left off what may be an important detail. As part of the Whipple install, AZ Speed refreshed the heads, installed ARP bolts, and Cometic (spelling?) head gaskets. So in other words, more than just the intake was disturbed. Maybe they torqued the heads wrong.

I think the sudden power loss is a clue also. Right now I am only pulling 5050 rpm with 6 lbs boost and the stock prop. I did 4900 rpm w/o Whipple. Right after the Whipple install I turned 5400 rpm.

New question:
How much water can you ingest through a blown head gasket? Would you see it in the pan or would it blow out the exhaust?