Starter full of oil

[danlindstrom]

My starter has been getting flaky so I took it out and had it rebuilt. I noticed it had a bunch of oil in it when I pulled it out, and the mechanic who rebuilt it said it wasn't supposed to be wet with oil. My question is: is this normal or do I have a leaky seal that needs to be replaced? My plan was to just put the starter back on, change the oil, and hope that it runs another 30+ years, by which time I'll be long gone. Any observations from others who have removed their starters?

[Dave Neptune]

First, welcome to the MMI Forum.

The starter should be "dry" and really has nowhere for it to get oil inside unless it was a spill or such. Perhaps if the oil was to high and ran out the open front of the engine it may get on the flywheel and get there via being "slung". Can't really think of any other way for oil to get in.

Dave Neptune

[BadaBing]

Ditto.
What kind of vessel? Wondering about the mounting level of the engine.

[hanleyclifford]

Check the joint where block, oil pan, and flywheel housing meet. There is a large gasket in there that could be leaking. Try running your hand under the flywheel housing and reaching aft to the oil pan. If it is oily the gasket needs to be inspected.

[BunnyPlanet169]

First, welcome to the MMI Forum.

The starter should be "dry" and really has nowhere for it to get oil inside unless it was a spill or such. Perhaps if the oil was to high and ran out the open front of the engine it may get on the flywheel and get there via being "slung". Can't really think of any other way for oil to get in.

Dave Neptune

+1.

Way too high, or if the motor was tilted significantly forward toward the flywheel end, like >15 or 20 degrees. This usually only happens when the motor is moved out of the boat. DAMHIKT.

And welcome to the forum!

[Al Schober]

Let's see.. Oil floats on water, oil & water in bilge, bilge level gets high & floods the starter.. Maybe?
But I think you'd see evidence of this sort of thing elsewhere in the boat.

[BadaBing]

How much overcooked would an A4 have to be for the flywheel to start kicking up oil?

[JOHN COOKSON]

Grasping At Straws.....

First, welcome to the MMI Forum. Perhaps if the oil was to high and ran out the open front of the engine it may get on the flywheel and get there via being "slung". Can't really think of any other way for oil to get in.
Dave Neptune

Leaking diaphragm on a mechanical fuel pump?????

TRUE GRIT

[hanleyclifford]

How much overcooked would an A4 have to be for the flywheel to start kicking up oil?

Trust me, guys; the bolts holding the flywheel housing can loosen up allowing the oil to leak into the cavity and get slung by the flywheel into the starter; meanwhile the engine is running fine - damhikt!

[Dave Neptune]

John, by the time the pump leaked enough fuel I think the engine would of long since died do to fuel starvation. A slow leak will evaporate off faster than it accumulates in the hot oil, you should be able to smell it though.

Water could get it to that point. From the "full line" on the dipstick even sitting flat I would think it would take more that an extra gallon to get high enough to run out and get slung.

A loose flywheel if it blocks an oil gallery is a good suspect, never had one of these apart to play.

Dave Neptune

[BadaBing]

A loose flywheel ? Ouch, if one of those bolts backed out enough it would make a very bad sound.

[hanleyclifford]

A loose flywheel ? Ouch, if one of those bolts backed out enough it would make a very bad sound.

Correct - but it isn't the flywheel studs that I'm talking about, but rather the bolts holding the flywheel housing. If they back out even a tiny bit, or the gasket wasn't bedded, it can allow oil to drip into the base of the flywheel housing, and the ring gear will pick it up and sling it right into the starter.

[rjkerby]

Oil in starter

Over pressure in engine can force oil past the front air seal and cause oil in starter. That little fact cost me several days in Port Townsend.