Hoping it's not the obvious, however, figured I'd give it a shot here in this forum. Please keep in mind, this is my first boat. Quickly, it's an 18-foot, 1976 Kona Makai powered by a 455 Oldsmobile and Berkeley 12JC...
I just purchased this boat a week or two ago. It has not seen water in a two or so years. I've been creating somewhat of a checklist of things I'd like to address before I can actually plan a trip. This included getting the thing in the water to even make sure it floats! Unfortunately, I haven't gotten that far. I went to check the oil and it's creamy - yeah, I said, creamy.
Initially, I assumed the worst: cracked block and or cylinder head(s). However, I've been doing some research and found out the Bassett Headers on this 455 Oldsmobile could be the culprit.
According to the Bassett Headers website, "If you have an overlapping cam, the cam will actually pull water into the cylinders. In most cases, the water will pass by the pistons or valves and end up in the oil pan. So, it is important that you check the water system each time you start the motor. Tons of water should not be coming out of the weep holes at idle. The bigger the overlap of the cam, the later you want the water to inject. However, the bigger the cam, the later the water injects, and the bluer the headers."
My question is, has anyone experienced a similar issue? I'm kind of at a loss. I was told there is a higher lift camshaft in this engine and could be contributing to the water issue, however, am unsure of the cams actual lift/duration specs.
Of course, here's an image for views. Thanks in advance, guys!
