Heavy Carbon Sooting On Transom

It can be, what speed are you running at 2000 rpms, and what speed at cruise. It could be if you're running at a plow. It could also be dirty fuel filters or air filters.

Gosh, now that you're an expert on fuel additives, you might call your local Volvo shop to become an expert on engine smoking. As in puh-puh-puh pay.

Soot is likely the result of incomplete combustion; partially burnt fuel. This could be from any number of causes including fuel or fuel additives, problems with injectors or the fuel lift pump, fuel or air filters to name just a couple. I've had a lot of success working with Jeff Dykes at Cook Engine on Hayden Island when I had my Volvo's.

I know on my boat (deep vee) if I run less than 80% of my topend rpm number the boat lugs and the soot is heavy. If your top rpm number is 2850 then I think 2000rpm is low and could cause the problem. What type of hull are you running.

Read the October issue of Dockwalk for real life trials by experts. The PM was just to be polite and avoid coming across as a salesman.

The only thing worse than a narrow mind is a closed one.

Isn't he the expert that thinks adding Algae X units, AKA magnets, to your fuel system will help keep your fuel clean? Talk about selling snake oil.

Would you be kind enough to pass that link along Marmot?

Hi,

The October issue doesn't seem to be available online so maybe Marmot was able to see what's coming through one of his contacts in the business, the rest of us mere mortals will have to wait a while yet.

As for the Magnetic things being Snake Oil, I have encountered folks who have no reason to lie who swear by these things and read a very in depth report of a test carried out using CAT 3306 Engines and measuring the flue gas contents very accurately. The general consensus is that they do make a difference.

In the meantime till something better comes along I will continue to use the system that has worked well for me, - Biocide and centrifugal separation.

Yes, the same guy who wrote for years that sulfur was a lubricant in diesel and wrote that steam blew the tips off injectors. His "expertise" is about a mile wide and an inch deep.


www.cerionenergy.com/http://www.cerionenergy.com

The Dockwalk issue has not been published yet, maybe another 4 weeks or so.
It details a set of trials on a large yacht that were monitored by EPA approved emissions test equipment operated by professionals under con tolled and repeatable conditions. There was no controversy about the results, objective, scientific, or subjective. The owner is delighted. Another boat ran from Panama to Tahiti and reported "no soot"

I can guaranty that Steve D does not conduct any of his "tests" over an extended period or to recognized engineering standards. He is barely more credible than Pascoe or our favorite technical editor who has been exiled to Asia.

On one yacht I used to run, the primary filters would be ok and the secondary's would be packed with algae causing it to run sooty and black smoke a little. It had 30 micron dahl's and DD secondaries, so change your secondaries as well.

Detroit Diesel engineers told me that water in fuel will split the tip on injectors (which makes sense since you cannot compress water), I'm not sure if that's what the other guy means by steam, but water molecules in a combustion chambers heat would likely turn to steam instantaneously.

I've heard the Algae X things work from a few sources, BUT you have to periodically take them apart and clean them or they stop working.

I do like the Diesel Kleen brand of fuel additives and have found that they work in regards to Algae and such.

Hi,

Would the Chief Engineers initials on this particular boat be TH by any chance?

The only independent test I saw on them showed zero positive results. I remember the claim used to be for fuel magnets that the magnetic field tore the cell walls of the bacteria/algae apart thus killing them. I often wondered if that were true, how people manage to survive an MRI.

Hi,

Do you have a fuel pressure reading for the engines themselves - either after the on engine filters or a differential across the filters?

If you do find that your Racors are still pretty good and your secondary filters are fouled try to find Racors closer matched in filter Micron size to your secondaries, this will make the secondaries last a bit longer at the expense and ease of changing the Racors.