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Generator Inhaling Unfiltered Air
I was changing the oil in my generator today and noticed a hose end going nowhere. It was the hose going from the air filter canister to the engine I suppose. Here is a picture after I reconnected it.
The bracket that holds the air filter canister was loose. I had to loosen it much more in order to get the hose in position to reinstall it. It was a bear to get to for a fat guy and I wished, not for the first time, that the generator was on a slide.
I do not know how long the hose has been off. I last changed the oil and filter on July 19. I always clean the air filter canister each time and that oil change I also changed the air filter. I am 95% sure the hose was not disconnected then.
I do not want to create worries out of thin air, however, I do not want to stick my head in the sand either. The engine has been inhaling unfiltered air for an undetermined amount of time. Could/might there be problems as a result? What is the potential problem, if any.
Davy
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6 Replies
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If you still have the old oil this will tell you exactly where you are at.
blackstone oil testing
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Great idea. Thank you for that.
Anything particular I should be looking for?
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Silicon (Si), you want a low # like you see for our gen engine in the pic below.
If there is “real immediate” damage, there will be oil consumption and blow-by out the crankcase vent tube because of ring wear caused by dirty unfiltered air being ingested by the engine downstream of the air filter.
Silicon
A very common contaminant most often found in a very abrasive solid form, which causes increased metal wear numbers (especially Iron) in oil samples. . Its most common source is insufficient air filtration. However, in my oil analysis report it is actually harmless and due to leaching from a silicone sealant I used to seal a leaking valve cover gasket. Silicon concentrations in such cases as this will typically drop after each subsequent oil change
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Davy,
Unfiltered air to engines is never good, but what’s done is done, there is nothing you can do about it, and if there is any impact it might shorten the life of the generator. Maybe instead of getting 30,000 to 40,000 hours of life you will now get 29,000 to 39,000 hours.
If it had happened on mine I would reconnect the hose as you did, grumble a little, and move on without giving it a second thought.
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Thank you for the information and perspective. I needed both. I appreciate it all.
Davy
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I received the engine oil analysis from the generator today. All is normal with no unusual wear metals or particle count. Yay!
Davy
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