Moisture in crankcase? (Newbie question)

[KilroyJC]

Good Morning!

1962 Case 430 Diesel, first diesel I have ever owned. It lives in a dry enclosed building, which is well ventilated and unheated. It got an oil/filter change about two weeks ago, and had maybe two hours put on it since.

I normally don’t get to use it until the afternoons, but yeaterday I got out early to beat the rain and work a small plot that I just finished clearing (1/4 acre or so). i let th machine come up to about 140-150F before moving it, it normally runs at 180F. I noticed some vaporous discharge from the oil fill/breather cap, and it continued for the three hours I was working.

When I checked the radiator, it was full right where it needed to be, and where it had been for the last 8 months. The oil was still clear, no whipped cream.

But there was plenty of condensation on the hood near the breather, and it was clear, clean water (or at least as clean as it could be coming from a diesel crankcase) - photo is what was on hood when I put it away:

is this anything I need to be concerned about? What could be causing this? It has been rather humid the last couple days, but that shouldn’t make that much of a difference?

Oil change was Rotella and Wix filter.

thank you for any advice!

 

[DJ54]

Could simply be condensation from humid air inside the engine block. You'll normally see something like this in early Spring/late Winter when temps go from upper 20's to a 50º-60º day and you'll get Spring sweats on the outside of the cast iron block, and transmission case, etc. But with humid conditions like you described, it may collect inside the engine block, then come out the breather cap. It should stop once the engine warms after working a while to get it all vented out.

Just keep an eye on the coolant level. If it drops, you could just crack the oil pan plug to see if any coolant comes out first. It should settle to the bottom, as oil will float on water, or coolant.

 

[KilroyJC]

Could simply be condensation from humid air inside the engine block. You'll normally see something like this in early Spring/late Winter when temps go from upper 20's to a 50º-60º day and you'll get Spring sweats on the outside of the cast iron block, and transmission case, etc. But with humid conditions like you described, it may collect inside the engine block, then come out the breather cap. It should stop once the engine warms after working a while to get it all vented out.

Just keep an eye on the coolant level. If it drops, you could just crack the oil pan plug to see if any coolant comes out first. It should settle to the bottom, as oil will float on water, or coolant.

First thing I thought of was checking coolant and dipstick! But it was rock-solid on levels.

Funny story reil change.

I have no idea when the last oil change was. But is wasn’t for quite some time, as the breather cap had the prongs wear a ring inside the tube and it was virtually impossible to get off - I had to rig tackle to the rafter and apply serious upward pressure while cranking the cap back and forth with a pipe wrench to walk it off the tube! Then, when I went to drain the cranckcase, I pulled the plug and NOTHING HAPPENED. I PULLED THE DIPSTICK AND it WAS FULL.

Then, a thick rope of sludge s l o w l y emerged from the drain hole and dropped off at about 5 inches and then the oil drained out.

but no water.

I need to order a gasket and drop the pan next oil change and clear out the sludge!