Water in Oil/ Oil cooler water leak. 2008 Suzuki df140

[fdcarlin]

I just bought a used boat, knowing it had engine issues because i have a spare to put on. But maybe i can save this one… previous owner claimed “ water in spark plug hole, engine needs major repair and welding”. Not sure what that means, but i confirmed there is water in the oil. Engine will run when i give a little throttle in neutral. Water is coming out from behind oil cooler when running. Would a bad oil cooler seal cause this water leak and water in oil?


9E6AB2C8-BC65-4425-AD48-429CF238375F.jpeg

[Ole Joe]

Yes and yes,

The oil cooler is held in place against the engine block by the hollow fastener (#1 below) that the oil filter is mounted to. That fastener may have loosened during the removal of the oil filter at some time or the o-ring (#4) may have failed.

Oil Cooler2.jpg

I had a similar problem several years ago and rebuilt the assembly. Here is a link to the discussion.

https://www.suzukioutboardforum.com/...-crankcase-oil

That rebuild was in made at the end of the season in 2017. The engines have about 200 hours more on them now and the problems have not returned...never did replace the coolers. Seems to me like I spent about $6 or $7 on o-rings at a local hydraulics shop and $20 on the MetalSet to rebuild the coolers on both engines.

So, yes, if it were my engine I would pull that assembly apart and see if it can be rebuilt.


Good luck on your repair. Let us know what you find.

[fdcarlin]

You are exactly right. The hollow fastner was loose enough to remove with my fingers.

I just noticed previous owner had record of new oil cooler in 2018, so when i took it apart it was very clean and orings were good.

ive drained all the milkshake oil, gonna fill it up with cheap oil, run and drain a few times to see it this was the only source of water intrusion.

is motor oil the best thing to use in this case.

thanks.

[fdcarlin]

Well… i ran it again with fresh oil and ended up with more milky oil. There is water getting in somewhere else.

[Ole Joe]

I have some links concerning water in the oil saved on my home computer. In the morning I see if there are other ideas in them for you. Not sure I can help much beyond that.

[Moonlighter]

Have you pulled spark plugs yet?

If the previous owner said water in spark plug hole, then its not going away!

Head gasket, cracked head…..

[Ole Joe]

All the threads that I copied relate to the oil cooler and/or o-ring failures....except this one which parallels Moonlighter's comment.
Leaking intake cooling water jacket damage.docx

You removed the cooler assemby and know it to be good. But it sounds like you did not replace the o-rings because they also appear to be good. Would it be worth pulling it again and replacing those o-rings? You can probably get them at a hydraulics shop if you can't duplicate them at and auto parts store. And while you have it apart, inspect the surfaces that the o-rings contact to make sure they don't have corrosion. It would be a last ditch effort that would be quick and easy. If it were me, I'd do that before tearing into the intake and head. Just my two cents worth.

Anyway, here are the other threads if you are interested.
DF140 ...Oil in water HELP.docx
DF140 carbon build up causing oil leak.docx
DF140 Water in Oil.docx Motor oil in water DF140.docx

[fdcarlin]

Would it make sense to remove the oil filter and just send water through the cooler to inspect if this is the entry point? Seems like a way to trouble shoot without draining and refilling with another $20 worth of oil

[fdcarlin]

I did that but also with the spark plugs out. no water coming from the oil cooler. but it comes pouring out of cylinder 4

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[Ole Joe]

That doesn't sound good, but I guess you know that.

Sorry it wasn't the cooler.

[fdcarlin]

Its ok. I bought the boat knowing this was a possibility. Ive got an older 2 stroke to swap.

now my contemplation is; do i sell it as is for parts, or keep it in the garage to wrench on. ♂️

[catacom225]

Fd their basically a small stroke engine, If your mechanically minded i would remove the head and see what's going on, could be as simple as a head gasket

[fdcarlin]

Post Revival!

I have been running my boat with my trusty old 2 stroke mercury. I ended up keeping The Suzuki 140 and it has been sitting on a dolly in my garage. Im would like to get it up on a stand and start wrenching to see if i can figure out what happened to it. Im not a master mechanic, but im decently handy and enjoy tinkering.

First things first, anybody know where i can get a decent stand for a good price. I would like something metal and on castor to be able to roll around

[fdcarlin]

I found a stand on local market place and just ordered a service manual.