Engine leak?

[Jn711]

Hi all, wondering if anyone has seen this. I’ve got a 65 HP Cummins Diesel, B3.3 with 170 hours on it Bought the boat this year - a 1973 Willard Searcher. I’ve put 130 hours on her this season and the engine has run flawlessly. Took her out today for about 3 hrs and inspected the engine room after returning. Noticed a light grey, greasy material along the top of the housing above the crankshaft pulley. I’ve included 3 pics. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[DDW]

Looks like belt dust to me. When combined with even a small amount of oil that's what it looks like. Did it appear suddenly or over time?

 

[Jn711]

Thanks for the reply. I’ve noticed belt dust before but today is the 1st time I noticed this material. Grey, not black and not dry. Viscous enough to drip down side of engine but did not wipe off like oil, smeared like bearing grease when I tried to clean it up.

 

[FlyWright]

Another vote for belt dust. Clean it up well and watch it closely after each run.

 

[jleonard]

And it looks like a lot of dust to me. More than there should be.

 

[Jn711]

Thanks again for the input. I’ll clean it up and watch it. Concerned that the misalignment that’s creating the dust may have damaged the Jansco raw water pump.

 

[Civilitas]

Are there mettalic flakes in it? Also, look below and see if some of the “grey” is being flung in a radial a pattern elsewhere.

I have seen an alternator that is eating the outer bearing set make that pattern from the bearing rotation and deflection/deposit from the belt. It will stick where there is oil or grease to trap it, but the metal flakes so small as to disappear effectively elsewhere.

You can take a large flat-blade screwdriver as a stethoscope and you can hear if the bearings are making excessive noise.

And it looks like a lot of dust to me. More than there should be.

Roger that. I would observe if the alternator is stable when running and not creating excessive belt wear, also.

 

[kenk]

Clean it up good and inspect the pulleys for alignment and make sure they all turn easy. If the alignment of the pulleys is good and they turn freely run it and see what is going on then.

 

[Jn711]

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I’ll clean it up, check pulleys and alignment then run it. I’ll circle back and let you know what I found.

 

[SoWhat]

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I’ll clean it up, check pulleys and alignment then run it. I’ll circle back and let you know what I found.

Make sure belt tension is correct.

 

[DDW]

Possible that it is belt dust mixed with a leaking fluid. If the boat is really that age with those hours, a bad seal in the water pump would not be unusual. They don't like to sit still.

 

[kchace]

It looks a bit to me like its line up with the alternator. If it is lined up with the alternator could be grease and metal from a failing bearing at the front of the alternator. One easy way to check that is to remove the belt and check the alternator pulley for looseness or roughness when you turn it manually.

Ken

 

[Lou_tribal]

Belt dust or anything else there is also obviously a leak of some fluid, this is what I would tackle first.

L

 

[sunchaser]

Jim
Possibly dried coolant mixing with belt dust? I have a curiosity though. What is the history of this engine? Is it a 3.9 rather than 3.3L? With only 170 hours there must be an interesting backstory.

 

[Jn711]

Thanks for all the info, as it turns out it was coolant mixing with belt dust. Looks like the problem is an over-tensioned belt that has damaged the shaft seal on the coolant pump. I’ll be fixing that as well as the alternator alignment this winter.

Sunchaser - engine is a 3.3, marinized by Trans Atlantic Diesels in VA. Backstory is that PO installed it soon after he purchased the boat but then spent most of the following years on a long of repairs and improvements, getting the boat ready for a Great Loop trip. Other positive happenings in his life took him in a different direction and he decided to sell.

 

[FF]

"Backstory is that PO installed it soon after he purchased the boat but then spent most of the following years on a long of repairs and improvements, getting the boat ready for a Great Loop trip."

I think he was probably one of the folks that enjoyed working on the boat , rather than using the boat.

Lots of folks enjoy problem solving more than they enjoy operating.

If he would have checked , the loop has been done with outboards since 1950 , and most anything that floats.

No real requirement for marine "perfection" .Anything comfortable works.