PSS Shaft Seal White Powder/Spring woes

[jddj]

I noticed for the first time today that the black carbon part of the PSS shaft seal was coated with a white powder that rubbed of easily and was not salt (taste test). The seal had worked flawlessly on the 1" shaft of my CD25D/Yanmar GM10 now for 2 years. I'm trying to find out if the yard ran the engine in gear out of the water while winterizing. They claim they don't run in gear but a new guy was on the job. I wonder if anyone else has seen this and if I have fried the seal. It has always been dry and shiny.

Also, I was changing the water pump on the GM10. Normally, nothing comes out the aperture in the block when you pull the pump. This time, about 1.5 qts of black engine oil spilled into the pan and the dipstick was about 1" above full even after that. Somebody put in way too much oil during winterization. I hope they didn't run the engine. Sucked it all out and put the right amount of fresh oil in the sump. Anything I should look for?
thx
jim in Guilford who thought he was ready to launch.

[Oswego John]

Hi Jim,

I'm sure that there is a simple explanation to my question, one that I am overlooking. How is oil from the lubricating system getting into the cooling system?

Another wild thought. Oil floats on water. Could your oil level be extremely high because of water sitting in your oil pan?

What did the oil that came out of the block when you removed the pump look like? Was it clear like new oil? Was the oil filter changed? What were you billed for?

What did the oil you sucked out look like. When coolant mixes with oil and the engine has run for a while, the mixed oil/coolant usually looks like a creamy, dark milky fluid. Sometimes you can see water droplets on the dipstick.

Before running the engine, remove the oil filter, pour some oil residue out of it and check its color and appearance

You don't want to spin the engine with any water in the combustion chamber. Have a compression check done. Depending on where it is blown, a blown head gasket can lower compression as well as allow coolant fluid to enter the lubrication system.

Take it from there for now. The solution may be very simple. It usually is. There are other advanced tests that can be performed later down the road.

Good luck,
O J

[jddj]

Thanks OJ. I have no idea for the path for oil into the cooling system - maybe ran down from the outside. I looked for water: the suction tube goes to the bottom of the sump and no water was sucked up. The oil on the dipstick was clear; the stuff I sucked out and spilled out of the pump aperture was thick and black - no water droplets that I saw. Now I have to see what is in the muffler.
thanks
jim

[Jim Davis]

Not a direct answer for either question, but I have had success at geting reasonable answers at Yanmarhelp.com Message Forum
http://www.freeboards.net/?mforum=yanmarhelp