[Christ]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Or if you've ever had a cylinder head crack, so that coolant mixes in with the oil while the engine's running. Turns into this creamy gunk, which doesn't separate out again. I kept a bottle of it around for years, just to see if it would...

BTW, the naivity I meant wasn't about the diesel-water emulsion, but the idea that a high official wouldn't lie.

I caught that. Thanks for being clear, though.

So that coolant/oil mix never separated? Interesting...

I know that high temps and churning will emulsify oils pretty well with water... I see it happen all the time in log splitters and such that sit for the Summer, then suddenly get used for short stints in the Autumn. The hydraulic fluid is hygroscopic, and attracts moisture like crazy... the water will sit in the bottom of the reservoir, though (some is absorbed, but most of it separates into water vapor with heat, then drips into the reservoir and settles at the bottom.) Most people don't drain/check their hydraulic fluid before using the equipment, and the end result is a creamy water-infused mess that usually leaks past seals and requires a full cleaning/flush and refill.

I haven't found a good way to un-emulsify the water from the fluid, else I'd be reusing the old fluid instead of taking it in for recycling.