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Billesp · 15-07-2023, 10:48

First, let me say how pleased I am to be a part of your group. I do hope someone can help me.
After a passage from Greece, to Sicily I found I was low in coolant and oil, and there was oil and water in the bilge. At first, I thought the head gasket had gone, but there was no water in the engine. The oil was in the coolant. I cannot get a mechanic for love nor money, so if anyone could enlighten me as to what to do, it looks like I will have to do it myself.
Show my new friends I love you with bated breath and await your replies. Thank you in advance BillESB

Billesp · 15-07-2023, 10:52

The post should read leave not love but if anyone can solve this, it may be a write it in the first instance 😀

**skipperpete** · 15-07-2023, 16:07

Hi Billesp and welcome to the forum. So about your engine, if it still starts and runs ok, top up the oil, clean and flush the cooling system (coolant side only) and top it up......then clean the bilge and give the engine a run but keeping a close watch on the coolant level and behavior in the top tank. If you see a lot of bubbles or ejection of the coolant it’s possibly a leaking head gasket.
I’d probably take the precaution of rotating the engine manually with a wrench on the crankshaft nut just in case the coolant is leaking into one of the cylinders, don’t use the electric start until you’ve managed one or two full rotations.

Ballsnall · 15-07-2023, 17:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billesp

The oil was in the coolant.

You have a blown head gasket. Remove, clean and replace.

**skipperpete** · 15-07-2023, 18:58

I wish I could be that confident in my diagnostics, I like to explore the options before dismantling the engine.

Billesp · 15-07-2023, 23:47

Hi skipper, Pete
Thank you for your prompt reply.m. I was thinking exactly the same lines as you, but I realised early this morning that my engine was fitted new in August 2011 so it should still be under guarantee. There is a Yanmar Agent here in Sicily so that is my first stop tomorrow morning. I will post the results.cheers again.

Billesp · 16-07-2023, 00:36

Hi Ballsnall,
Thank you for your prompt reply, I agree it is a possibility. There isn’t any water in the oil in the engine so there may be other possibilities. As the oil is in the coolant, it could be a seal in the heat, exchanger or something similar. I have just realised that it is still under guarantee, so apart from having to stay where I don’t particularly want to be if I can get it fixed quickly and it doesn’t cost me anything apart from Marina fees, that’s good!! I

Billesp · 16-07-2023, 00:39

I agree

**skipperpete** · 16-07-2023, 00:47

I’m not sure about the warranty that applies to your engine but generally Yanmar offers a 2 year + 3 year extension warranty on first owner engines, don’t be too surprised ,annoyed or disappointed if your warranty claim is declined.

Tin Tin · 16-07-2023, 04:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billesp

Hi skipper, Pete
Thank you for your prompt reply.m. I was thinking exactly the same lines as you, but I realised early this morning that my engine was fitted new in August 2011 so it should still be under guarantee. There is a Yanmar Agent here in Sicily so that is my first stop tomorrow morning. I will post the results.cheers again.

Did you mean August 2021?

Billesp · 16-07-2023, 06:42

Yes I have a video of it being fitted on the 24th august 2021.

Boatingbutch · 16-07-2023, 12:18

There's a tool a carbon monoxide tester you can buy its like a syringe you put a blue liquid in it .suck some of the fumes of of the coolant where the cap goes if you have a head gasket leak it will change color's.

Billesp · 19-07-2023, 07:27

This afternoon I had two mechanics from Yanmar around to check my engine. After an hour of running the engine at various speeds, they could not reproduce the problem that l had. They said for me to run the engine for two hours tonight and they will come back at 9 o’clock in the morning to check it over again. One thing I don’t understand is I topped up the coolant and engine oil as they were low two days ago and left it like that. I had also completely clean the bilge of any residual oil and coolant yet there is now oil and water in the bilges now. I will clean it once more and see how it is in the morning .
Thanks for all you replies.