<VV> Oils and moisture in engines

[Mark Durham]

Jay, I do not think a oil heater will heat the entire engine enough to get
rid of all the moisture, unless it was driven enough to get it dry, first,
then kept in a dry garage and so on. But once it is dried out, there is no
need to do more. Engines won't collect moisture any more than the rest of
the car would.

The internal condition of the engine determines how much moisture is in the
crankcase as well. So a healthy engine with good even compression and
correct valve guide to valve stem clearance that actually lubricate but
more importantly seal them, stops most moisture.

For instance, a new engine like mine, I have close to 2000 miles on the oil
and it still is looking a pretty amber color, but just before I overhauled
the engine, 2000 miles and the oil was almost black already. So, the amount
of combustion byproducts that get into the oil is in direct proportion to
engine condition.

Mark





On Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 10:13 PM, jay m <jaysplace at laserpubs.com> wrote:

> On 3/23/2013 4:02 PM, Mark Durham wrote:
>
> > How often you need to change oil is more dependent on the condition of
> > the motor and how it is driven than oil type. If you are not out on the
> > highway enough to keep the oil hot when you do drive it, then
> > combustion by products will built up and cause corrosion on internal
> > engine parts.
> Just an off-the-wall thought or two:
> I wonder if an engine heater (maybe dipstick style?) could be used to
> bring a motor up to temp every month or two to drive out any moisture?
>
> I guess you'd have to circulate dry air through to carry out any
> moisture anyway - or bleed some Nitrogen through the crankcase when
> putting it away for the winter?
>
> fwiw
>
> -- Jay
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