JCB 3CX 1400 1986 water in oil - from exhaust pipe?

[ekm]

I was looking to pick up a 1986 3CX and found water in the oil. The guy installed a new exhaust pipe and put the reducing adapter in backwards so the water that hits the exhaust pipe runs down and hits the outside of the reducing adapter (exhaust pipe fits inside the adapter). Hope I'm explaining that well. It should be inside the exhaust pipe. I'm assuming this configuration will lead to water in the turbo and that will drain into the engine oil.

He says he never adds antifreeze so thinking not a head gasket.

How much damage will water in the oil do to the engine? He says when he starts it after sitting a long time, rusty water spits out the exhaust and sprays the window....hard to imagine that he would let this go on.

It this motor junk at this point? He does cover the open end of the exhaust with a bucket (no flapper). Was thinking on putting a pressure gage on the oil sender spot to see what is going on and pullling an oil sample to see if any antifreeze is in there along with metal shavings. Its a good price but not if the motor needs to be rebuilt. I have a similar year 1700B and it runs great.

 

[Tinkerer]

A picture is worth a thousand words !

 

[ekm]

I didn't take a pic but worked up this instead. So the adapter is upside down.....so the exhaust pipe is inside the adapter. My PVC pipe is the exhaust pipe and the adapter is on the outside. Water will run down the exhaust pipe and enter the turbo. No risk of getting into the head as the turbo is lower.

 

[Tinkerer]

Dumbest set-up I have ever seen.
Couldn't a swaged pipe be slipped on the lower one and install a decent rain cap on top of it ?

 

[joe--h]

Sounds like BS to me. Water in the oil ain't gonna fix itself, but you will if you buy it.

Unless it's cheap enough to cover the cost of an engine repair, why buy something you know has an unknown problem?

It may be something as simple as that exhaust pipe, but if it's not you will pay to find out and you will pay to fix it.

He says he never adds antifreeze, why would he lie?

Joe H

 

[ekm]

Its not cheap enough to rebuild....I can work on the unit (change the oil a few times), fix the adapter, make sure its has oil pressure.

 

[Nige]

Don’t just walk away from it, run...!!

 

[joe--h]

Its not cheap enough to rebuild....I can work on the unit (change the oil a few times), fix the adapter, make sure its has oil pressure.

That's after you buy it?

And when changing the oil doesn't fix it, then what?

As Nige says, RUN. Why buy a potential problem, you don't have enough?

Joe H

 

[ekm]

pre-buy....do an oil analysis now. change the oil 2x...check the oil pressure. then do another oil analysis and see if you got it all and no metals in oil. run it for a few hours before the final oil analysis. or walk away and keep looking.

 

[berky]

Always assume it is multiple times worse than the owners says! I think, as others have said, that you should keep looking for something in better shape. Spend the money up front and it will be cheaper and more reliable than a fixer-upper.

 

[Nige]

He says he never adds antifreeze

So the first line of photos directly below are representative of what you can reasonably expect the inside of the inside of the engine to look like. Anti-freeze/coolant does not just prevent freezing, it lubricates, cools, prevents corrosion and cavitation amongst others. That engine is likely to be a piece of junk internally - IMHO (*other opinions are available)



Compare the photos above to these that were taken of the same parts from a disassembled engine with over 10,000 hours on it. The only difference being that the 2nd engine had proper coolant instead of water in the cooling system.