Yanmar blowby or normal?

[JimP]

I looked at a Volvo ECR88 excavator with a four cylinder Yanmar 60 horsepower engine today. The engine is early emissions so it has a sealed crankcase vent rather than a drip tube. 3100 hours and maintenance looked good. It was stored outside and started up in 30 degree weather with just a few seconds of preheat. The engine ran well at idle and higher throttle with no exhaust smoke. BUT - when I pulled the dipstick at idle a lot of oil droplets started blowing out, coating my finger in a couple seconds. Oil droplets also blew out when I pulled the oil filler cap. There was no visible smoke from either the dipstick tube or oil filler and the crankcase vent is sealed. There was a light pulsing over the dipstick tube but no pressure if you put your finger over the tube. The dipstick tube and filler do not leak when closed and there is no other visible oil leakage anywhere on the engine.

The excavator is at a dealer and the mechanic did not believe the oil droplets were due to worn rings or blowby. They were going to check for clogged crankcase vent and do a compression and leak down test.

Any comments on whether this oil slobber is normal for larger Yanmar engines. Any comments on the Volvo ECR series and the ECR88. I am looking for a midi excavator for land clearing. TIA Jim

 

[bmckenzie]

I would have to vote for not normal , do the leak down test.

 

[mikebramel]

I looked at a Volvo ECR88 excavator with a four cylinder Yanmar 60 horsepower engine today. The engine is early emissions so it has a sealed crankcase vent rather than a drip tube. 3100 hours and maintenance looked good. It was stored outside and started up in 30 degree weather with just a few seconds of preheat. The engine ran well at idle and higher throttle with no exhaust smoke. BUT - when I pulled the dipstick at idle a lot of oil droplets started blowing out, coating my finger in a couple seconds. Oil droplets also blew out when I pulled the oil filler cap. There was no visible smoke from either the dipstick tube or oil filler and the crankcase vent is sealed. There was a light pulsing over the dipstick tube but no pressure if you put your finger over the tube. The dipstick tube and filler do not leak when closed and there is no other visible oil leakage anywhere on the engine.

The excavator is at a dealer and the mechanic did not believe the oil droplets were due to worn rings or blowby. They were going to check for clogged crankcase vent and do a compression and leak down test.

Any comments on whether this oil slobber is normal for larger Yanmar engines. Any comments on the Volvo ECR series and the ECR88. I am looking for a midi excavator for land clearing. TIA Jim

The fact that it started so easily would not make me worry

 

[yanmarman]

Hello JimP Something wrong?Ihave been running yanmars for a long time.and have never seen anything like this,I would stay away from this machine. All yanmars start easy,but at 30degrees should not have to use preheater.Don;y get me wrong I love Yanmar equipment. I think that's why somebody got rid of this machine. well good luck Yanmarman

 

[JimP]

Compression results came back. High spec is 498. Low spec is 398. Tested at 440, 420, 420, 440. Doesn't seem like blowby given compression and lack of smoke. Do some engines just slobber more oil than others?

 

[Lil' Puss]

The oil dipstick tube probably doesn't go down into the crankcase very far so oil gets splashed back up through it by the crankshaft. Very common on a lot of engines, same with the oil fill on the valve covers if there isn't a baffle in place. Oil gets kicked back up by the rockers.