Sudden oil dump into Bildge in under 10 minutes Volvo D3

2017 R25 SC (297 hours on the Volvo Penta D3. We launched our boat at the ramp after warning it up at idle for around 20 minutes. Oil level checked before launching (it was fine) Motored out at just above idle and less than 10 minutes after leaving marina, the low oil pressure alarm came on. Shut down the engine, went and checked oil level, no oil registering on the dipstick but noticed oil standing in the bilge. Poured in almost 4 quarts of oil into the engine. Started engine and oil pressure came up. Motored slowly back to the ramp with oil pressure dropping. And by the time we got back to the dock the oil pressure dropped almost to zero and all the new oil was in the bilge. Clearly there is a massive oil leak somewhere. From basic visual inspection cannot see any oil leak anywhere above the bilge line. Has this happened to anyone out there? We’ve had no issues with the engine before. Does anyone know if there is a drain plug under the engine that could have come loose or any other points that could have come loose, or where to look for the leak? I’m currently sucking the oil out of the bilge and cleaning it up. Going to try to get under it with a bore scope, but I had to order one and I won’t have it until tomorrow. Looking for any advice if anyone has had similar problems/known issues or idea of points to look at for a leak.

Thank you in advance for any advice!
Andy

I would take all the panels off the front like you are going to change the impeller. Then you can get a good look at the oil filter housing. You can see the turbo. You can probably get a decent size mirror under the front of the engine as well. If you are leaking oil at that pace you should be able to locate the leak. Getting to it might be another matter.

The leak sounds like a pressure leak. It was not leaking before you started the engine. Engine had oil, started engine and oil leaked out. I would concentrate on external engine components that have oil pressure when the engine is running. Oil filter cap, o-rings and housing, Turbo has a oil pressure line going to the turbo shaft bearing and a drain line that goes to the crankcase sump,( there is a small hose about 3 inch long on the oil drain side along with a few fittings that could be leaking at the turbo lubrication lines, there is an oil pressure sending unit that if it became loose of the broke would have full oil pressure. There is a oil level sensor that may be leaking but I believe this would leak if the engine was not running. The dip stick if not properly seated will leak oil but not much at idle, it will leak if operating at higher rpm if the ring is damaged or not seated properly. This leak would be from a poorly sealed dip stick and crankcase pressure not oil pressure. I would clean the bilge as best you can and line the bilge with white oil absorb pads. This will help find the leak location and save you from having to clean the bilge again as you troubleshoot the leak.

Thank you for that advice! Sorry I'm not replying till now. I was LITERALLY up to my elbows in oil after posting, and then spent hours following both your advice searching out this leak... Unfortunately I still have not been able to identify it. I pulled the top cover, the turbo cover/insulation, and the bulkhead panels. I put some oil back in and ran it at idle. By stuffing my go-pro camera on wi-fi mode down into the bilge in front of the engine I was able to see the oil running off the block from somewhere above what I believe is the oil cooler on the starboard side of the engine (according to some images I found in the volvo D3 owners manual). I cannot get a look at what the oil pan is shaped like, but I also see more of a 'drip' coming off the pan on the port side of the engine. I checked all the points BB Marine mentions around the turbo, and I believe I found the oil sending unit (on the port side by the dipstick?) and checked both those too, and the oil filter housing. The only thing I can't see is the other end of the oil delivery line to the turbo. It disappears into some void behind the sea-water pump from what I can tell but cannot get a look in there. Based on where the oil is running out from below, it seems likely that wherever that line terminates is where the leak is. Does anybody know where the opposite end of the turbo oil line connects? and to what?

Thanks again in advance!
Andy

Oil Leak on Volvo D4
My Volvo D4 with under 100 hours on it started leaking oil into the bilge. I was unable to find the source of the problem so I took the boat to a highly recommended repair yard.The leak was found by using a video bore scope. It was under the engine where the dip stick tube enters the block. There is a Shark Bite type fitting that screws into the block. The dip stick tube is then inserted into the fitting. In my case, the fitting was defective so it did not lock down and seal the tube. As a result, oil was seeping out from around the tube and into the bilge. The fitting probably only cost $5.00. However, getting to it is difficult. The mechanic was concerned the the engine might have to be lifted. Fortunately, that was not necessary.

I had a similar problem on my VP D-3 200. Somehow water had gotten into the crankcase ventilation filter and literally gummed it up. It appeared that the crankcase pressure had blown out the dipstick and evacuated all the oil. We think we had firmly inserted the dipstick, but maybe not. Our mechanic cleaned the filter and no problems since. That filter is easily accessed and removed.

I replaced the Turbo on my D3 so I have had all these lines off. To get a better view remove the air cleaner, the turbo heat shield get a mirror and you will get a better view of the oil lines.
gallery2.php?g2_itemId=70537
gallery2.php?g2_itemId=70540

The black hose on the other side of the turbo charge hose is the oil return line to the pan. The is a hose clamp. There are also oil lines that connect to the block using copper gaskets. Remove the engine shroud, air cleaner, and heat shield and you will get a better look.

This show the return Lin when the turbo was removed.
gallery2.php?g2_itemId=70013


I had better access in the Cutwater with the step removed. This photo shows with the removal of the top shroud, Air cleaner and the turbo heat shield you will have a good look at all lines on the starboard side . Get a good light and mirror.

Well I finally found the leak.... The engine oil cooler on the starboard side of the oil pan is cracked. Thanks for your replies guys and especially BB Marine's images and info. Here's a link to an image of the failure (I'm not sure if this will work to view? Somebody let me know the proper way to post an image if not please)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IeY8eb ... sp=sharing

After also searching through some of BB Marine's other posts, I also found what I was hoping to find, and that is that this oil cooler is cooled with engine coolant/antifreeze rather than raw-water. That being said there should be now way this is a freezing issue. So I have no idea how this would fail like this? Has anybody else seen one of these crack or fail at all? The crack is where the cooler body meets the mounting flange. Vertical along that joint between the two mounting bolts. Its dirty and oily on the pan side, but best I can tell oil (and antifreeze) are only coming out from the cooler body side of the mounting flange, not the pan side of the flange.

There is a couple things that come to mind on this issue. (1) there is what appears to be some corrosion at the pan to cooler gasket slip line. The gasket area does appear to be leaking. I cannot see the crack in your photo but I can see the leak area. It looks like if there is a crack it is where the plate cooler meets the cooler flanged area or where the flange meets the pan at the gasket. This is where the aluminum pan seems to have some corrosion. (2) Inspect the coolant hose close the engine stringer. I started a thread about this a couple years ago. When Cutwater installed my engine and set the keel extension alignment it was set slightly to the starboard. This meant that the engine needed to be slightly off center motor favoring the starboard side.This put the oil cooler's coolant lines laying on the stringer.


gallery2.php?g2_itemId=70028


gallery2.php?g2_itemId=70031

With the engine running there is movement. This movement allowed the cooler hose to hit the stringer and cause stresses to the cooler. I had to notch out a section of the stringer and installed a protective shield on the hose to prevent damage. I would inspect this clearance on your cooler and hose to make sure there is no contact.

(3) When looking at the photo I look at the pan, the cooler, the cooler hoses and the engine bed. There is a witness mark that I believe is a water mark (IMO) My question is was there a time that you know of that the bilge pump did not function and the water level got to this point? If this water was salt water and not rinsed the aluminum may have started to corrode. If this was the case I would inspect other components that could have Benn damaged from the water level, Timing belt and belt tensioner comes to mind first, then the sea water pump belt tensioner.

If I found the cooler to be an issue I would first look to see what components need to be removed to gain access to remove and replace the cooler. I would then see what it would take to pull the engine and do all engine servicing , painting, cleaning and inspections. What is the best approach? Given that it is a 2017 boat I would not think any of this should be needed. But from looking at the photo given I believe it would be warranted. Just my opinion. If you have any question feel free to contact me.

This may be a bit of a Hail Mary pass but, I have a 2016 R25 . Last summer I took friends on a tour of Boston Harbor Islands. When we returned to the mooring one of the crew noticed I was pumping oil overboard. A quick check revealed that the bilge had quite a bit of oil splashed all over the bilge along with a I estimated to be a couple of quarts sitting in the bilge. When I went to check the dipstick I found that the dipstick was not seated, the familiar click was not felt when I checked the oil.

The pressure of the oil being forced out of the tube created a spray pattern that gave the first hint that the problem was the dipstick.

As I always do before starting the boat I checked the bilge and the oil level. The issue was OPERATOR ERROR. When I replaced the dipstick I failed to push it all the way in, did not wait for the familiar click that indicates it was properly seated.

As you know the clean up is a bear. I took oil and sea water out of the bilge using an oil change pump. It was a mess and took several hours .

I did not have the rapid that that you describe.

This ended up being a simple but messy lesson solution, however reading your post …..just maybe.

Good luck in finding the problem

Regards

Bob Flaherty