What kinda shenanigans is this?

[Birken Vogt]

All is speculation at this point but plain water did not get in there from a blown head gasket. Either it is rain water or it got in there somehow else if you know what I mean.

Silica, same thing. Either the air filter is not working or it got in there another way.

 

[funwithfuel]

Well, that goes back to the original thought of sabotage. I just have no way of proving my theory.

 

[f311fr1]

Condensation from high humidity and high heat? Silica from slag dust?

 

[funwithfuel]

Sealed crancase ventilation. Gases get pulled back through pressure regulator valve on back of valve cover through passage to turbo inlet elbow. All in tact. Air filters and piping all in good order. Relatively short run time. .
I appreciate everyone's input.
That's what I love about this place. Everyone has experience and thoughts of their own. More thoughts and ideas than one person can achieve.

 

[Delmer]

Silica gel?

I can't see how plain water would do that to oil, water evaporates out of oil or forms foam, unless there's some odd contaminants.

 

[funwithfuel]

I'm still in disbelief. I thought the same as everyone else. Had to be coolant intrusion or some other something, but just plain old water.
And that's why I'm losing my hair.

But not from tasting coolant, been doing that since I was just a little squirt. No problems at all.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Silica gel?

I can't see how plain water would do that to oil, water evaporates out of oil or forms foam, unless there's some odd contaminants.

A little bit of water evaporates. A lot of water and this is what you get. I've seen it happen even with used oil left out in the rain, shake it up and it never will separate again even if left in a bucket in the hot sun for months.

 

[kshansen]

Well I thought that looked familiar to what our little Detroit had in it.

Is this the only one that has done it or are there others? I know I would be checking the oil supply that is used for the engines. could there be a problem in how it is stored? Or are the engines exposed to a wash down to cool them down from the hot slag?

 

[funwithfuel]

No further information at this time. No wash down. Machine has less than 150 hours, looks like it has 25,000 at a scrap yard. It almost appears as though the operators are deliberately trying to destroy them. There are 3 machines, one gets the counterweight knocked off regularly, this one with water in the oil, and lastly, the last one I believe caught fire once already.

 

[Bluox]

Anyone change oil in it lately ? Maybe added oil out of a bucket with water in it ? Seen that happen a time or two.
Bob

 

[funwithfuel]

No, no service. Hasn't put enough hours in to even reach the first service interval.

 

[hvy 1ton]

I don't know much about steel mill operations, but there isn't any water cannons/sprinklers/etc used for cooling near the excavator is there?

 

[funwithfuel]

To my knowledge, nothing of the sort. I'm sure they have tools available should the need arise, but I don't believe that they use them to regularly cool the machine down.

 

[Mjrdude1]

Likely no water around the molten metal, one ounce of water submerged is equal to a stick of dynamite in molten metal, and if you ever been near a furnace open hearth when it blows, you'll never want to see it again. Water is very dangerous in those conditions. No way they would use it to cool the machines down. You are more likely on the right track with someone doing intentional damage.

 

[John C.]

The steel mill here uses water to cool the slag all the time. There are sprinklers overhead and a fire hose is shooting not the hot pile all the time. Here they use wheel loaders to pick the hot slag out of the mill. The have all kinds of modifications on the machines with special buckets and guard packages to keep the stuff from burning up the machines. They have two loaders. One works until the temps get hot and then it is parked. The other one is then worked until it gets hot. Both machines look like wrecks within a month from new. The local Cat dealer keeps a mechanic on site all the time. Both machines have telematics and a guy in the office monitors the alarms. The operators will work them till they overheat if someone doesn't tell them switch when the alarms ring.

 

[Hobbytime]

No further information at this time. No wash down. Machine has less than 150 hours, looks like it has 25,000 at a scrap yard. It almost appears as though the operators are deliberately trying to destroy them. There are 3 machines, one gets the counterweight knocked off regularly, this one with water in the oil, and lastly, the last one I believe caught fire once already.

hidden cameras will tell you the story on what employees are doing, its a small investment to save machines that cost tens or hundreds of thousands...

 

[Tinkerer]

Sealed crankcase ventilation. Gases get pulled back through pressure regulator valve on back of valve cover through passage to turbo inlet elbow. All in tact.

But is it functioning as it was designed to be ?
Maybe pull the dipstick while the engine is running and look for excessive pressure build -up.

 

[Brodiesel]

Reminds me of the pics I posted a while back. 6V92 Detroit, oil pan full of waxy sludge. Forgot how it happened.

 

[hosspuller]

Silica = Dirt. Someone dumped a pail of dirty /muddy water into the oil. Or the machine was driven through a deep puddle as in someone was four-wheel'n. Or the muddy machine was washed with a filler cap left off or open. Or contaminated oil was introduced. Oil drums are notorious for collecting water when left bung up instead of being stored on their side.