Sheen in exhaust water from Kohler generator

Thanks for the feedback guys. I just started searching Amazon for a compression tester and spark tester - any particular ones you might suggest (preferably inexpensive of course :) ). Is there much difference between an "inline" spark tester vs and "adjustable" one? I'm starting to lean towards maybe a weak spark on one of the plugs.
 
White Shadow said:
Thanks for the feedback guys. I just started searching Amazon for a compression tester and spark tester - any particular ones you might suggest (preferably inexpensive of course :) ). Is there much difference between an "inline" spark tester vs and "adjustable" one? I'm starting to lean towards maybe a weak spark on one of the plugs.
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I’m still using a craftsman compression tester that I got for Christmas when I was a teenager.

I use a Lisle adjustable spark tester that seems to work OK.

I used to have an old one with eight leads that you could ground out and watch up to an eight cylinder engine spark. I can’t prove it, but I think one of my apprentices absconded with it.
 
Most all of my tools are Snap On, so I don't think you would like the prices of any of my recommendations on those.
Please be extremely careful with proper ventilation in a gas bilge/engine room while testing spark. Which reminds me about ALSO disabling ignition spark while performing your compression test.
 
Definitely keep that blower on the entire time for sure!
 
All good safety advice which I will follow. You've mentioned disabling the fuel and disabling the ignition spark. Is there a simple way to do this? Is there a fuel shutoff switch going to the genny? How best to disable the ignition spark? Do I just unplug one of the wires feeding the coil?

I've ordered an adjustable spark tester from Amazon. Still looking at the compression testers (also going to ask a neighbor if he happens to have one I could borrow for a bit).
 
Don’t know about the 5e, but the lift pump on my ECD unplugs. Unless you’re draining the bowl with that pump disconnected you’re going to get some fuel vapor when you crank it. You could unplug the coils for the spark, and that will be fine.
 
All good advice. I hope to get back to the boat in a week or so to work on this. It’s kinda cold around here so I’m not rushing back just yet

Cheers!
 
LOL, I was going to say that Little Bitch works since Little Satan had already been taken. :cool:

Here's a general pic I took a while back:

1709265626280.png
 
White Shadow said:
LOL, I was going to say that Little Bitch works since Little Satan had already been taken. :cool:

Here's a general pic I took a while back:

View attachment 159830
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Well, somebody decided to replace the exhaust manifold. I am replacing mine right now, because the manifold to catalyst joint was completely rusted out. There wasn’t enough bearing surface left for the O-rings to seal, dripping on my ECM
IMG_4391.jpeg


There is the pigtail going into the fuel pump that you will be able to unplug the shut down fuel supply while you’re working on it.
 
Thanks for the tips, I will likely disconnect the pigtail from the fuel pump as well as pull a wire off the coil (and yes run the blowers too).

Since I'm picking your brain about this generator - I had another thread going where I had installed a battery monitor and noticed that the genny was charging the battery at 16.7 Volts. (https://clubsearay.com/index.php?th...itor-bmv712-now-i-have-more-questions.115442/) I ended up just pulling the fuse from the battery charger circuit as an easy fix/workaround. I'm curious what your thoughts are on doing this, or would you suggest I fix the underlying problem? If I were to try to fix it, what would be your best guess - either the alternator or the DC voltage regulator? I found a DC voltage regulator for $88 (https://www.partsfortechs.com/volta...-regulator-for-kohler-aftermarket-p-1644.html) - should I try replacing that? Or am I OK just running with the fuse pulled?
 
White Shadow said:
Thanks for the tips, I will likely disconnect the pigtail from the fuel pump as well as pull a wire off the coil (and yes run the blowers too).

Since I'm picking your brain about this generator - I had another thread going where I had installed a battery monitor and noticed that the genny was charging the battery at 16.7 Volts. (https://clubsearay.com/index.php?th...itor-bmv712-now-i-have-more-questions.115442/) I ended up just pulling the fuse from the battery charger circuit as an easy fix/workaround. I'm curious what your thoughts are on doing this, or would you suggest I fix the underlying problem? If I were to try to fix it, what would be your best guess - either the alternator or the DC voltage regulator? I found a DC voltage regulator for $88 (https://www.partsfortechs.com/volta...-regulator-for-kohler-aftermarket-p-1644.html) - should I try replacing that? Or am I OK just running with the fuse pulled?
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I don’t know if you follow my thread for my boat at all, but I am on voltage regulator number three on this generator. The one that was on it when I bought it failed shortly thereafter and was pushing out very high voltage. Can’t emember the number but it was up in the neighborhood of yours.

It got so hot when it failed, It burned up the harness, and I had to make my own 105 Celsius pigtails.

I just had it happen again last August, and the wire actually looked like it caught on fire in the bilge. Coincidentally, I had a battery that completely let go. I’m not sure if the failing battery caused the charging system to smoke or if the charging system smoked the battery, but the water levels were good.

I trimmed back my 105 Celsius harness and installed the new reg and hadn’t had any further issues but it still charges in the mid-fifteens if you read it at the solenoid. I get 13.2 at the dash per Simrad sitting all lit up with the blower on.

I would have disconnected it entirely, but my converter isn’t quite big enough to leave the boat sitting lit up with the underwater lights and cockpit lights and blower on. With the generator battery, charger circuit enabled it contributes 3 amps net charging power. With the generator running without its own charging circuit, it is an 11 amp net loss to power its electronics. Yours is probably considerably less being carbureted.

Me personally, I would fix it, but I’m clearly a nutcase about things…
 
I do actually keep an eye on your thread, although I think I’ve only read the last 10 or 15 pages, I’m going to have to go back to the beginning now and read it all.

Coincidentally I am having a new converter installed shortly (Pronautic 1240p) which is an upgrade from the original PD2030 currently in place. After that is in, and now that I actually have a monitor installed, I will keep an eye on how my charging seems to be doing. I’m kind of like you in the sense that I just like things to work, so I will probably also change out that DC regulator as well.

Right now I have an Inverter/Charger which is charging the Stbd (house) bank and the PD2030 is charging the port (start) bank which is where the genny is hooked up to. I’m having the inverter/charger removed because it really does not belong in the engine room of a gas powered boat (not sure who thought putting that in there was a good idea?!?!). This is the main reason I’m also getting that new converter installed so it can (hopefully) handle both banks.

It’s funny how one thing always seems to lead to another.
 
White Shadow said:
I do actually keep an eye on your thread, although I think I’ve only read the last 10 or 15 pages, I’m going to have to go back to the beginning now and read it all.

Coincidentally I am having a new converter installed shortly (Pronautic 1240p) which is an upgrade from the original PD2030 currently in place. After that is in, and now that I actually have a monitor installed, I will keep an eye on how my charging seems to be doing. I’m kind of like you in the sense that I just like things to work, so I will probably also change out that DC regulator as well.

Right now I have an Inverter/Charger which is charging the Stbd (house) bank and the PD2030 is charging the port (start) bank which is where the genny is hooked up to. I’m having the inverter/charger removed because it really does not belong in the engine room of a gas powered boat (not sure who thought putting that in there was a good idea?!?!). This is the main reason I’m also getting that new converter installed so it can (hopefully) handle both banks.

It’s funny how one thing always seems to lead to another.
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You’re not kidding with that last part. I swear I feel like Alice anytime I take ANYTHING apart.

I think you might be ok with a 40 amp charger.
 
Back at it again today. I picked up an adjustable spark checker as well as a compression tester.

The compression test showed both cylinders at around 105-110 PSI which seems good to me.

After testing the spark on both the front and back plugs it seemed to show that the front one was not as strong or consistent as the back one.

Front plug would really only fire up to the “SE” mark (SmallEngine) whereas the rear plug reached halfway between 20 and 30 (20,000V & 30,000V) - pic below is testing the front plug.

I suspect maybe the coil for the front plug. I pulled this one off and cleaned up the connections a bit, but it was basically the same when I put it back in.

This seems to match what I am seeing on the plugs. The front one comes out basically all shiny and new, where the back one comes out a little blackened as I would expect it to look.

I’ve ordered a new coil which I will receive in a couple of days (what did we do before Amazon?). Hopefully this resolves my dilemma.

Stay tuned!!!

1710298365883.jpeg
 
In my last post I asked what we did before Amazon - I remember now - we’d buy good quality North American made parts that just worked properly instead of the Made In China crap. I purposely ordered a coil that showed in the picture as fully assembled (so the spark plug wire was all one piece). Needless to say it showed up with no end on the spark plug end, and 2 supposed ends that could be pushed in or screwed in I’m not sure. Regardless neither of those ends would fit on a spark plug (not sure what they were designed for?!). Anyways this is going back and I will now order in a proper OEM part (actually maybe 2 and I’ll replace both sides) that I hope will come all in one piece. I was hoping to just get this fixed now, but I guess I will just have to be patient and fix it right.
 
So after my rant last night I cracked open a beer and started thinking (I do my best thinking over a beer), and while I was thinking I started shopping for a new coil. I discovered that even the OEM coil comes without the spark plug end attached to the wire. I then wondered if the existing coil/wire had an end that screwed on/off like the new one. So today I pulled the coil off the genny and was able to unscrew the spark plug end. I then screwed this into the new coil wire and reinstalled, and since this was a proper spark plug end it worked properly (still not sure what those boots were for that came with the coil). Anyways, I fired up the genny and after about 5 minutes the exhaust looked perfectly clean. So I am happy to say (fingers crossed) that my issue with a sheen in the exhaust has been resolved!!!

Thanks everyone for their input!!!

PS: I did do a spark test on the new coil and it seemed to clear the gap up until almost 30KV.
 
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