Low oil pressure and oil in the bilge

[greeneng]

1995 PS190 with the LT-1.
Winterized last fall and changed the oil and filter. I don't remember if I ran it after that.
Getting it out for the summer. Put the drain plugs back in, changed the impeller, checked the tran fluid, put the fake a lake on it and started it up. Watched the guages until the oil pressure came up, then went to look at the engine, then in about 20 seconds back to the guages. The oil pressure was very low, and I shut it down right away. Now, I have a lot of oil in the bilge. I can't find where it came from, but the outside of the oil filter is very slimy.
Could I have not seated it enough and the oil is leaking around the outside? Could it be the wrong filter, and it won't seat? Any hints, help or clues here will be greatly appreciated. The boat was in the garage all winter, with light bulbs under the cover, and a thermometer in there. The temp never got below 40 F.
I am not going to put more oil into it and start it up until I try to understand this some more.

Jim.

[TMCNo1]

Remove the oil filter and check to see if the rubber seal from the filter from last falls oil change remained stuck to the block. If it was then the new filter would not seat properly and would leak real bad. Go ahead and install a brand new filter and add about 1/2 qt oil to make up for what was removed with the filter you just took off. After you run it some more, check the oil level and add if necessary.

[bigmac]

Originally Posted by greeneng

The oil pressure was very low, and I shut it down right away. Now, I have a lot of oil in the bilge. I can't find where it came from, but the outside of the oil filter is very slimy.
Could I have not seated it enough and the oil is leaking around the outside? Could it be the wrong filter, and it won't seat?

I vote yes. Wrong size filter, filter too tight, filter not tight enough. And, I don't know about your particular engine, but if your oil filter requires a gasket to be applied, a common cause of leaking oil filters is accidentally leaving the old gasket on the filter seat and applying a new filter/gasket over it.

[greeneng]

Both of you: Thank you. Those were quick responses and I will try that right now. You will hear one way or another.

Jim.

[TMCNo1]

Most all oil filters today come with the bubber gasket glued to the filter @ the factory. Last time I changed oil in my wife's Explorer, I removed the old filter, dropped it in the oil drain pan, gasket side down to drain and wiped the block where the oil filter seats and somehow did not notice the gasket from the old filter was stuck to the block. Installed new filter with a light film of oil on the gasket, drained the oil pan, put in 5 qts and cranked it up and oil poured from the filter area. Thought I knew what happened, removed the new filter and there was 2 gaskets and the old gasket from the old filter actually tore the gasket loose from the new filter. Cleaned everything up got a second new filter installed as normal with a light coat of oil on the gasket and all is fine. Topped off the oil to compensate for the lost oil and was done. Stuff happens, Duh Huh, that will never happen again!

[greeneng]

The jury is still out.
I took the filter off, carefully. I tried to keep it in a baggie to contain the oil. But, because it was slick with oil, I dropped it in the bilge. Picked it up and put it aside. Then I looked for a gasket still in the seat. None there. Then I looked for two gaskets on the filter. None there, not even one. Found it in the bilge under the baggie. Either it came off the filter when I dropped it today, or it came off the filter before I installed it last fall. Seems to be keeping pressure now, and the filter is not getting slimy, but I have a bilge full of oil. Just like last May, it overheats and I can't run it very long to see if the oil level goes down. Just boiled the upper thermostat, and it seemed to work. Next, boil the lower thermostat and see what happens. More as the plot unfolds.
Jim

[bigmac]

Originally Posted by greeneng

The jury is still out.
I took the filter off, carefully. I tried to keep it in a baggie to contain the oil. But, because it was slick with oil, I dropped it in the bilge. Picked it up and put it aside. Then I looked for a gasket still in the seat. None there. Then I looked for two gaskets on the filter. None there, not even one. Found it in the bilge under the baggie. Either it came off the filter when I dropped it today, or it came off the filter before I installed it last fall. Seems to be keeping pressure now, and the filter is not getting slimy, but I have a bilge full of oil. Just like last May, it overheats and I can't run it very long to see if the oil level goes down. Just boiled the upper thermostat, and it seemed to work. Next, boil the lower thermostat and see what happens. More as the plot unfolds.
Jim

If I had a lot of oil in the bilge, the way I'd clean it is to leave the plug in and put several gallons of water in it from the hose, then add a generous amount of some kind of detergent. I'd then take my boat for a little drive with all that water/detergent sloshing around in the bilge, driving to the nearest oil-recycling drop-off. Remove plug, empty bilge into big buckets and dispose of effluent.

As to thermostats, I've never bothered to test 'em. If I'm going to all the work to pull them out, at $10 each I'm gonna replace the suckers.

[Brent]

Try running it without the thermostat to see if it still over heats , you may have a impeller or water pump problem.

BTW . When I purchased my boat , they guy before me left a extra seal on the filter & I was not as lucky as you (Rebuilt the engine).

"Boat are holes in the water that you pour money into " That was a placard my uncle had on his wall ( he owned boats for over 40 years ).

[greeneng]

One of the tasks this morning was to replace the impeller. It is working fine. I took both thermostats out and boiled them, and they are OK. There is something about this boat which I still do not understand about getting it to initially cool properly after it has been completely drained. I never used to drain the block for the winter. I just warmed it up and sucked about five gallons of 50:50 antifreeze into it, and left it. Then I was convinced, mainly by Jimn, to just drain the block. I did this after the 04 season and had the same problem last spring. I also had this problem in the middle of the season a couple of years ago when I had to replace the circulating pump. Right now, I just can't run it long enough to be sure I am not still losing oil somewhere. Have to get it to cool first. Any suggestions?
By the way, in both cases, it just mysteriously started to cool properly. Two years ago, just after a friend spilled a beer on the block. I have not tried blessing it with beer yet this year.

Jim G.

[greeneng]

OK. So the oil loss may have been my fault for losing the filter gasket before I installed it last fall. But I now have the latest edition of the recurring problem: overheating. Two years ago, when I had to replace the circulating pump, it would overheat until, finally, mysteriously, it started cooling normally, and then ran great the rest of the season.
Last spring, after de-winterizing, (I had drained the block for the winter) it would overheat. Then, finally, mysterilusly, it started to work correctly and was great for the entire season.
This spring, after de-winterizing, the exact same things. There seems to be an issue with getting water where it needs to go. Don't say impeller: I just changed it. Maybe there is an air trap; maybe something else. The last two times, once it starts to work right, it is fine for the duration until I open the system again.
1995 PS190 with LT-1, and the two thermostats.
Any ideas, anyone?

Jim G.