455 water in oil

[77taylor]

Hello, i bought a 77 taylor with a 455 olds, freshly rebuilt with an oversize cam. 100 hrs and its was getting water in the oil, i replaced all the gaskets and no help. I assumed a cracked block. So i purchased a second motor and i now have the very same problem. I have a berkeley jet drive no water pump on the motor. Could it be my water jackets? I connected the water jackets cooling lines together and hooked up the hose. no sign of water out the exhaust? im stumped the guy i bought the motor off of swears up and down theirs no problem with the new motor.

[mr curious]

cracked head maybe

[77taylor]

no i dont think so the motor was just rebuilt, and besides the last motor had the same problem. Can i have that bad of luck?

[Jango]

I believe, if your cam shaft has too much overlap with stock type exhaust manifolds, it is posible to get water into the motor thru the Exhaust valves.
See :
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQK/is_1_8/ai_96379178

[77taylor]

The last time i took it out i gained about half a quart in 30 minutes.

[Markster]

While you probably solved the water in the oil issue by now, I had the same problem. Had the head magnefluxed and was told no cracks. Turned out it was a cracked head. Found the crack by removing the valve covers, taking off the water lines where the hose goes into the riser and then crimping and clamping the water lines so as to stop the water from exiting the engine. Then connected a water hose to the engine (like I was going to run it on land), and with the engine off I turned on the hose. Nice 80 lb or so pressure test. Leak showed up right away, dead center on one of the heads. Would not have seen the crack without the water test.

Water in the oil also caused a spun bearing earlier.

[ABBOTTCRAFT]

My money's on an "Intake Leak"...It happens alot.. Are you useing the rubber end gaskets supplied in the gasket set... If so, that's the problem...Throw them away & use RTV Silicon on the intake ends & alittle around the water ports..Problem solved..........;)

[Frosty]

Well this is easy,--its probably some bits that were on the old engine and now on the new. Logical my dear watson.

[gonzo]

A larger than factory cam will almost surely make water get back into the exhaust. A crossover pipe from one riser to the other helps.

[Frosty]

But hes getting water in oil!!!

Water in the cylinders due to reversion would cause a misfire and stop it, would'nt you agree?

Quote --a quart in 30 minutes.

[gonzo]

The overlap causes suction mainly at lower speeds and reverses the flow at the risers. It is like having a head gasket leak or a cracked head. Also, when the engine stops it sucks water back. The GM8.2 had the same problem even with factory cam. The fix was a pipe between the right and left exhaust.

[Frosty]

I can understand the reversion being helped by a cross over ( common on motorcycles too)

But hes getting lots into the oil.

I'lle go for the inlet manifold too.

[Rangerspeedboat]

There could also be a seal or a fitting inside the engine leaking oil. This happened to one of our engines, the rebuilder just didnt tighten the fitting.