Oil Spray?!?!?

[JT1019]

Ok, I need help before I lose my mind! I have oily smoke in my engine compartment something awful and I can’t fix it. I only realized how bad the problem was after installing an exhaust wrap (bleached white) to find it covered in brown oil spots after only three trips. I have tried everything I can think of to solve my issues, here is what I have done thus far: new head gasket, aftermarket positive crankcase ventilation kit, exhaust wrap, painted the engine, new water pump & gasket and change oil three times. I am thinking that this issue is not a leak but somehow a spray of oil…maybe from the transmission? I get that idea from the pattern of oil on the new wrap. The engine is a late model in an Irwin 30.

Thank you so much for the help!

[Administrator]

Done a compression check?

Are you using Marvel Mystery Oil?

Search the forum for Don's checklist on tracking down oil leaks. Holler if you hit a snag.

Bill

[Don Moyer]

It seems to me that you should be able to see the source of the oil while watching the engine run. If you remove the oil cap, do you see smoke and oil droplets coming out while the engine is running?

Don

[baileyem]

Oil Spray.

Check the output shaft area on your 'transmission'. I'll bet you have a bad oil seal on the output shaft.

Mike

[duncan59]

You may have answered a question that I had, which is that I was getting a light "ring" of liquid in a line all around the engine "room", as though it was flying off from the propshaft, just aft of the reversing assembly housing, but way before the stuffing box. Is this easy to resolve?

[baileyem]

Leaking oil seal

Easy to resolve is totally relative to your abilities and the amount of room in which you have to work on the problem. I replaced my seal and output coupling in an afternoon of hard work and contortions in my 1966 Pearson Coaster. The hardest part was getting the 1 1/4 nut that holds the coupler to the output shaft loose. After that it was duck soup.
Don has all the parts and the tools necessary for the job, and believe me, they are worth every penny.
Good Luck.

Mike

[baileyem]

Leaking oil seal

Duncan
I forgot to mention that Don has all the directions on this site to remove the old seal and replace it. They are very complete and simple to follow. You can do it easily.
Mike

[Don Moyer]

Duncan,

Just a slight addition to the good advice already rendered by others on this subject. A leaky rear seal will usually manifest by oil seeping vertically downward across the face of the round rear oil seal retaining plate until it drips off of the low point in the oil pan (approximately 8" forward of the oil seal plate) and into the bilge.

Whenever a thin ring of oil appears on the side of an engine compartment that lines up precisely with the joining line between the output and prop shaft couplings, there is a good chance that the output coupling may have become loose on the tail shaft and oil is seeping back along the keyway between the output coupling and tail shaft and into the space between the output and prop shaft couplings. From there, it flings out and manifests where you are seeing it on the side of the engine compartment.

If the output coupling is only slightly loose, and the keyway slot is not too enlarged, you might be able to effect a repair by replacing the keyway and retightening the 1 1/8" nut (putting a good sealer on the keyway and both sides of the tab washer).

Don

[JT1019]

Yes!

Good Morning Gentlemen!
Thank you so much for the flurry of assistance! I really appreciate how everyone on this site tries to lend advice and knowledge. I’m going to answer questions as they appeared…
1-Yes I am using Marvel Mystery Oil, both in the oil and in the gas.
2-I have tried to look into the compartment but I’m unable to pinpoint where the spray/mist is coming from.
3-The output shaft seal sounds like a really good idea and it does line up directly with the exhaust wrap and where I find the most oil.

Judging by what everyone has said and what I know to be issues with the engine I’m going to assume that it is in fact the oil seal on the output shaft. That being said I’m completely unsure of what I’m going to need for parts and what it will take to make this correction. Are we talking about a complete shaft removal?

Don, you just nailed it, this would also explain the oil in my bilge! You are the man! Just tell me what parts to buy!

[Don Moyer]

I wouldn't buy any parts until at least separating the output coupling and prop shaft coupling to see if the output coupling is loose on the tail shaft. You might need only a few parts, or a lot of parts. Did you look for a thin ring of oil on the side of your engine compartment as was the case with Duncan's engine? Leaky rear seals do not normally result in oil being thrown around the engine compartment, as seems to be the case in your scenario.

Don

[JT1019]

It's Only Money... (that's what I tell myself anyways)

Don, here is my thought; If I’m going to get in there and check the parts I might as well replace them. I am a major fan of my Atomic 4 and want to take the best care possible of it in the hopes that it will continue to take such good care of me. If that means replacing some parts that still have life in them I’m ok with that. I should also say that this winter is going to be the winter of the engine. I am planning many things ranging from a new water jacket side plate to a repaint and tune so I don’t have a lot of time for this additional issue. That being said it looks like I’m going to need; Output coupling puller, Output coupling holding tool, Output coupling installing tool, Rear oil seal - for direct drive coupling and Direct drive output coupling. Please let me know if I might need anything else or if I should replace additional parts when I’m in there.

Thanks again for all the great advice!

-Jonathan

[duncan59]

Don, thanks for your help, and mostly reassuring remarks. Now I am wondering how I would "replace" my keyway? Isn't that just a slot in the coupling?

[Don Moyer]

Yep,

Don


xxxxx

[JackConnick]

Don, thanks for your help, and mostly reassuring remarks. Now I am wondering how I would "replace" my keyway? Isn't that just a slot in the coupling?

I too am tracking down an oil leak. It does seem like the oil is being flung off the couplings. I haven't seen a lot dribbling down the rear flange, but it's a little hard to tell. I'm in the middle of replacing the head and when then I'm cleaning everything and painting it. So afterwards I'll run it and see it I can pin-point things.

I am hopeful (ha!) that it's just a matter of re-tighten the coupling as Don suggests.

But can you be a little more specific as to how to "renew" the keyway? Does that mean making a new key from a piece of brass stock, like you would with a prop key?

Also the instructions are that you can somehow hold the flange (or something??) with an 18" pipe wrench when you go to tightening the coupling, but it isn't clear to me what exactly you're putting the wrench on. The rear flange is pretty flat. Can't you simply put it in gear to hold the output shaft/coupling?

I'm doing this in the boat and space is limited. I have no problem with buying Don's tools, but want to wait and see if a "cheap" fix will work.

Would appreciate a few more details or a pointer to some better diagrams or photos; there's not much that shows this assembly, even in Don's repair manual (at least in my 1st Edit).

TIA,
Jack

[Don Moyer]

Jack,

You can't really rehab a keyway; you would normally replace it.

While holding the rear coupling with an 18" pipe wrench, you remove the 1 1/8" nut holding the coupling on to the tail shaft.

Don