stumped and getting balder

[frankentrike]

help!!! my trike is not garaged so i keep the engine covered.used to use a big sheet of vinyl with weights on the corners.worked fine untill it started leaking water through to the engine.changed oil and went to two layers of picnic table cloth.no leak through.big rain came [lots and lots of rain.very windy also]found water in oil.no big deal[lots of rain remember].changed oil 4 or 5 times,clean oil,every body happy... rain again,not much wind this time.WATER IN OIL!!!!!!!!!where's it coming from? no possible way it's coming through carb intake into oil pipe from air filter.totally dry right after rain.no oil leaks that i can see.i've done the air leak test for the intake system and no leaks.totally stumped.its got me pulling my hair out[and i dont have much to pull without going to other areas]so please help before i go completely bald

[Gorilla]

Boy this is hard to answer without seeing the engine and how you have it covered. May I suggest that you just get a big enough cover that is waterproof to cover the whole bike, being that it is outside. Wish I could of been more helpful.

[frankentrike]

what is so frustrating is that all parts of engine are covered.could it possibly get in through alternator-cooling fan or transmission[automatic, torque converter is seen as it turns] where it connects to engine ?those parts are more open and exposed.by the way.great compression and no loss of power due to leak from jugs or heads.

[KDHUFF]

Do you see actual water or is the oil creamy looking? condensation will cause the creamy oil I have heard. still need to change it, but...may not be water getting in.

[frankentrike]

creamy and water.the first time i took a gallon and a half out of it.second time it was about 1\2 quart over the proper amount.i cant see THAT much condensation occuring in that short amount of time.grey gravy.the color of cement for a wall.thin grey milk.unless its coming in through the transmission connections i dont see any other way it could get in.getting less hairy by the day.

[KDHUFF]

dont have anyone nearby you have upset lately have you ? I had someone pour water in my carb a long time ago......

[KDHUFF]

that amount of water, just seems too much to get in by rain and covered too.

[tfdeputydawg]

Any chance you have "friends" messing with you, since it's parked outside?

[frankentrike]

no nothing like that.i'm loved and adored by millions. [in my own mind anyway,oh and known for my modesty too!HAHA]no don't believe anyone actually hates or despises me[unless you count jealousy].could be just one of those freaky incidences that happen .am changing oil to clear out the water again. will keep a look out for more water.would include a pic,but cant figure how in these quick replies.look at other posts under my name.i have several pics of my baby

[Frozenshrimp]

Check your valve cover gasket's you may have a spot on the top of the valve cover thats letting the water in...Also you might get you a boat cover to cover your trike with, I got mine at academy Sports and outdoors! Good Luck

[frankentrike]

that is a distinct possibility.my cover dosen't go all the way down both sides of the engine.possible drip onto the valve covers.will check for cracks or open spots on cover gaskets.shot of silicone across the top maybe.just that i don't leak oil from the gaskets now and hate to break that seal.thanks for the tip .appreciate it.:yes:

[trikeman]

Have you checked water level in radiator?

[Ol' Grey]

Have you checked water level in radiator?

:wtg:

If it's not water coming in but a mix of internal fluids, it's possible that it's mixing in both directions. You could drain the radiator, oil and gearbox to see if that offers any clues to narrow it down.

You could also make a small mixture of whatever gearbox fluid you use and oil and see if it resembles what you've been draining out.....

[stockhatch]

Wait, radiator? Just what kind of VW engine is this?

That is a ton of water for sure. Even in the garage, dads trike has water dripping off the engine and trans case if the temps and humidity are just right. Not sure if it could ever generate a gallon internally though...

[Ol' Grey]

I'm no expert on trikes or VW's and "frankentrike's" VW may well be a traditional air-cooled one and not one of these newer water-cooled models:

T-2000 Trikes

A gallon and a 1/2 on the first draining is scary. Can't even imagine the amount of rainfall required to provide THAT much over-fill. My thought is that if there's any possible way that another stock fluid could be coming into the oil pan via a cracked passageway or cavity wall, it'd be good to check whatever fluid that "might" be to insure that there isn't an internal break somewhere. Beyond that, I'd have to lean towards tampering as others have suggested above.

[frankentrike]

1 gallon and a half.this was with the original cover which had [i'm assuming]went bad and leaked.must have been leaking for a while to get that much water in there.second time it had the new cover on it [remember lots of rain and wind ]possibly blew under the cover into breather,drained into oil vent hose[at least i believe thats what its for .goes from breather to oil fill.just had two more days of good solid rain but,very little wind.checked it out no extra water,level is what it should be.will clear the rest of the water out and see about tying down the cover better so no wind picks it up.will keep an eye on it.i believe that was my prob the second time.all other fluids are nominal.no extra or less than required.i appreciate all your help and suggestions folks,,,oh yeah i'd check the water level in the radiator but,,,don't have one.must have lost it somewhere down the road,,,just kiddin'.:giggle:no really ,i appreciate your suggestions.thanks!bob :GrpHug1:

[Ol' Grey]

Sounds good, Bob......Maybe it was simply due to rain. Have seen a driving rain without wind cause no ill effects, but add some heavy duty wind pushing the rain sideways and it can get into some weird places.

Did a quick search on http:Bing for "VW water in oil" and saw various mentions of leaking head gaskets (although I understand you don't have any complaints of oil leaks) and apparently the oil filler cap is known to show a milky substance from slight water intake, but from what I've read, that's considered relatively normal. The other area they mentioned for water getting in was a bad oil cooler, but not sure if you've got one on your VW or not.

Either way, it sounds like you've gotten it managed and that's great! :yes:

[frankentrike]

i guess i've got the standard one under the tin.don't really know.how could water get into it through the oil cooler?isn't it on top of the engine and protected by the tin also?at any rate the only leaks i have ever seen are from around the pully or oil pump cap[somewhere in that area] and thats VERY slow seepage.i'll keep an eye on it....by the way ,on another question i've got.i have an electric choke with no wire on it.should i hook it up?engine runs fine .would it throttle down as it heats faster with the choke hooked up or not.don't know if it makes a difference or not.also fuel cutoff selenoid isn't hooked up.never have had a problem with runon or dieseling before.

[Ol' Grey]

I've never owned or worked on VW's, so other VW owners would be more qualified to answer from their own experience. Only skimmed thru some links as regards the oil cooler and the info may not even apply to your model, but here's a couple of them:

CAR Problems VW Vanagon 1985 water/oil mix in motor and exhaust? - Yahoo! Answers

Volkswagen Golf Water in the oil - Problems and Fixes from Auto Insider

As regards the electric choke, it'd be your call. If she runs fine without, it might not be a problem. I do know that many vintage Brit bike owners in this state remove the choke entirely as it's not cold enough to need one for those bikes (not the case with Harleys or Japanese) and, again, other VW owners would know for sure. Have also seen owners of older vintage American cars and trucks remove the thermostat from the cooling system as it's an item that some choose to live without since the ambient temperatures will reach triple-digits in the Summer and they don't want a thermostat to stick closed on them.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but I simply haven't owned a VW (although the thought of owning a VW trike has tempted me before over the years )

[Loner]

A photo of the engine installation would be worth a lot more than a thousand words here. Not mentoned here is exhaust. My bet would be that at least some of your exhaust system is higher (on an upward angle) than the outlet ports. That's a direct path into your engine cylinder, and rings are by no means watertight. With a cover likely draped over the tips of the exhaust, each one acts as a wick to pull the water in.

But, again, a photo will lend great information.