Oil Pan Totally Filled with Water?

[Fastback]

Well, not on any of my cars. I was helping my friends dad fire his new motor a chevy 454. We just finished puting the distrbutor in and got the wires attached and got the radiator in. We then started to fill the radiator and It took alot of water. Which it being a dry motor I thought nothing of. As we stopped filling it up we herd the water in the engine which was odd.

Then water started to leak from the timing chain area and also in the rear of the pan. It was odd. pulled the dipstick and water came out the dipstick tube. Yeah, all the water that was filled though the radiatior went into the oil pan and where ever elso it got. How would something like this happen. I was thinking head gasket but how the hell would the water get in so quick in a matter of 5 min filling up the radiatior. Your expertise is appreciated.

Mike

 

[01cobravortech]

Let me make an educated guess. Its called a leak!

 

[Fastback]

All the water that was put into the radiator went right into the oil pan. That is more than a leak. A leak would be if the radiator drain valve was loose. It has to be something enternal in the motor. The water is where it is not supposed to be how did it get there.

 

[piss&vinegar]

Intake manifold gasket? I just changed mine on my 4.3 but it was not that bad but was starting to leak into the oil pan because when I changed my oil I noticed coolant in the oil. Just a guess on your problem but it something I would look at.

Good luck!

 

[ford_racer]

Did he put a head on, then need to take it off for some reason, and forget to replace the headgasket?

 

[Fastback]

Maybe, I was just amazed on how quick this happened. No slow leak or waiting and comming back and finding it leaking. There was no activity in the motor. Didnt even get to turn it over so the pump wasnt even pumping, it was only filled with water. Very odd.

 

[Fastback]

ford racer, no, the engine is just the same as it came back from the engine builder. Took off the valve cover and no water. I could see the head gasket through the hole in the head for the oil to drain back to the lifter valley, so its there.

 

[ford_racer]

Why would there be water in the valve cover? That's way too high for any water to go.

There's only 2 ways water can get to the oil pan.

Leaking into the cylinders (bad, bad, bad).

And if the block has been semi-"windowed" due to being blown (very bad, bad, bad).

Has the motor ever been blown?


Edit: A third, has it ever been kept with little to no anti-freeze? It could be cracked, but that shouldn't let the water get to the oil pan that quick...

 

[Misfitflesh]

bad headgasket. I just had that happen with a 350 i worked on. Costumer brought it in and said it didnt have any coolant if i could put some in. Started putting some in and it never filled, checked the stick and there was water in the motor. Sent the heads out and replaced the gaskets and it was good to go. All the intake gaskets ive seen usually leak water outside of the motor.

 

[T-Bolt]

Head gasket or a cracked block. Just because the head gasket is new does not mean it's not the source of the problem.

 

[Stavesacre21]

wow...cracked block would totally be bummer considering it sounds new...but i'd have to second the block or gasket. better hope for the gasket...

 

[kirks5oh]

somewhere there's an obvious connection between the water, and oil passages. maybe a threaded plug somewhere that was not put in??--that would be my best guess. i doubt its a cracked block/missing gasket--those would cause slow leaks of water into the oil pan. if it was truly audible like you said, there's a lagre hole that's connecting the two compartments---threaded plug not installed somewhere??

 

[Zorabot]

Damn a leak that big sounds like a busted water jacket or something huge not just a mal-aligned intake gasket or something.

Atleast it didnt start, that would have possibly ruined the good parts like the crank, bearings and slugs.

 

[Fastback]

Thanks for the imput guys. Yeah It sucks for Dale, got the motor back oh maybe six months ago and already had problems with the guy that built it. We had to go back and re torque the intake manifold and the timing chain cover. He was supposed to do it but must have gotten lazy. The head gaskets are there when I removed the plugs and the valve cover from the drivers side the plugs were dry. So no water through the cylinder. and none in the valve area. You can see the head gasket through the drain back holes in the head, so its there. As fast as we poured it in it seemed to go directly into the pan. very odd.

 

[Blk04Snake]

i was putting a 350 together once and a friend set the head gaskets in place for me, i didn't pay attention, put the heads on, torqued em down, etc, got same results as you. Turns out he set the gaskets on upside down which unblocks a couple passages that let water flow down into the bottom end.

 

[SHOgun92]

could be an intake leak