What is this?

[bbwhitejr]

A dock neighbor has a Four Winn’s, twin 5.7 Volvos, twin Volvo outdrives. Has a Kohler 5 ECD gen. Comes in after running the gen all day. Lets it run 10 min or so in his slip and shuts it down. Floating on the water is this black carbon looking stuff that is so fine you cannot really capture it with your hand. This si the 2nd time he has seen this. One giveaway may be that the plugs were recently changed using the ones that Kohler puts in the spares kit. Oil just changed and look perfect. Gen runs perfect as well. This is not oil nor gas as there is no sheen whatsoever. If it were dry, it would have the consistency of very fine baby powder. What is it?

 

[Jimmy Buoy]

Carbon from the engine having too rich a mixture, either from lack of oxygen or an abundance of fuel.

 

[fwebster]

Small generators, both gas and diesel will do this when they are not fully loaded. Generators are set/jetted for running with a full load so when the A/C cycles off, the refrigerator compressor is off, etc. the engine will run rich because it is getting more fuel than it needs for its current load.

This is one of those "Don't fix stuff that ain't broke" things............

 

[bbwhitejr]

Small generators, both gas and diesel will do this when they are not fully loaded. Generators are set/jetted for running with a full load so when the A/C cycles off, the refrigerator compressor is off, etc. the engine will run rich because it is getting more fuel than it needs for its current load.

This is one of those "Don't fix stuff that ain't broke" things............

Thank you Frank. I will pass it along.

Bennett