gas in generator oil

Spyderweb

Changed oil in Fuel Injected 5e Kohler generator yesterday.  Oil capacity is 1.44 quarts but I drained out closer to 1.75.  Genny only has 115 hours on it.  I've had it 2 years, putting 5 hours per year, just by running it 20 minutes each week when I'm up to boat.  Oil container has tell tale gas smell.  Near spark plug show wet, back plug dry.  How serious is this and how fixable?

PickleRick

The tips of fuel injectors are basically fuel cut off solenoids. They open for fuel to come out from pressure via the fuel pump.  The seat surfaces can become pitted  from water contamination or gum/varnish/trash can keep them from shutting completely.  Even when not running on a hot day your fuel tank will vent gas, i dont know what psi these new charcoal charged EPA tanks breath but the ones i work on are @5 psi.  That's enough to push fuel into the engine while sitting. 


This is based on my experience with efi 26 hp kohler air cooled motors.

The carb engines could do the same from both the carb needle leaking as well as a damaged diaphragm on the mechanical fuel pump.


I have never cleaned kohler injectors. I have cleaned honda injectors, they run off of 1.5 volts. I removed each one, took them apart to clean the screen and surfaces with brake clean.  I then re assembled and pressurised with 45 psi i from air compressor and energized with an AA battery pushing a tube full of brake clean through each injector until i saw a clean spray.  I then reinstalled with new o rings.  

Hope this helps!  

Black_Diamond

The 5e eats plugs.  It will run one one cylinder...until you put a load on it. You might have been washing gas in. Although that is a lot!  I have the best results with the NGK plugs. 

Are you checking the oil level correct?  You do not screw in the dipstick. Just an FYI. 

Spyderweb

@PickleRick whoa, that’s above my pay grade. Wish I could do more of that kind of stuff.  If this becomes more serious, or I should start really using the generator, I will have to find someone up this way that does that kind of stuff.

@Black_Diamond  Plug had just 5 hours on it from this years use.   Still looked new.  I was wondering about correct method to check oil.  When finished yesterday, and after running genny to distribute oil, it showed dead on full not screwed in, over full when screwed.  I will need to check that closer going forward.

Black_Diamond

You really need to use that genny. With a load on it. I run mine weekly for an hour or more at times. You will have far fewer problems doing so. 

As for that plug: do not discount it being bad.  They can look like new and not work well in that genny. 

Dream_Inn

Yes, run that thing!  I just hit 1300 hours on mine!   Had 300 when I got the boat back in 2012.  I never (only once) run it over night, but I do run it almost every weekend.  

If you start using it more, especially under a full load, you might just clean out some carbon as well.  Just continue checking the oil.  You may just have to get the injectors cleaned.

PickleRick

Its a twin. To verify its running on both cylinders unplug one spark plug wire.  Zip tie if safely out of the way where it wont arc to any grounds.  The geneator should start.

Then plug it back in and unplug/zip tie the other side.  It should also run.  


Do this with no load.  The side that doesnt run is the culprit.

I check for gas in oil with a lighter.  Push dip stick in then, remove then move safely over water or a bucket of sand.  Make sure you are clear of any fuel source or your engines dip stick tube.  Hit the oil on dipstick with lighter flame, if it burns then you've got gas in there.

Dream_Inn

Yeah, dipstick is plastic, so I don't think I'd hit the oil on it with flame.  

I did have my genny, years ago, running on basically one cylinder.  Culprit was a tight rocker that basically caused a build up of carbon.  Adjusted it, put a carbon cleaner in and she's been running perfect ever since.  Think it was that way since manufactured.

Liberty44140

Agree on running it. After all of the stories on this site I run mine whenever we leave the dock. If we run somewhere, the genny is on while running. 30mph, no problem Genny runs fine, I've run at 19mph in 4 ft waves, no problem genny runs fine. On the weekends that we dont leave the dock it gets run for an hour with a load. I'm still under 300 hours but she's getting ran!

PickleRick

Dream_Inn said:

Yeah, dipstick is plastic, so I don't think I'd hit the oil on it with flame.  

I did have my genny, years ago, running on basically one cylinder.  Culprit was a tight rocker that basically caused a build up of carbon.  Adjusted it, put a carbon cleaner in and she's been running perfect ever since.  Think it was that way since manufactured.

So are all kohler courage and many kawasaki dipsticks.  An engineer would refer to them as a polymer.  You just hit it with the lighter and then stuff it out immediately with a dampened rag if it lights.  It burns no bigger than a Zippo flame.  You're not going to hurt it unless you sit there staring at it like a moth. In the shop i just give it a quick shake to put it out but im on concrete and not a boat.  


Ever seen someone spray hair spray or lighter fluid on a finger tip then light it?  It doesn't hurt unless you keep it there burning, same concept only that dip stick is built to withstand engine running temps. The engine oil is about the same temp as the water temp.  Imagine your finger in 190 to 220 temps.  

PickleRick

Before

PickleRick

Fire!!! I only have dead gas so I really had to hit it hard with a grill lighter to make it burn

PickleRick

Deleted because i double posted a before pic

PickleRick

Sorry, this is the after. I suck at intetewbs

Spyderweb

@PickleRick good trick to check for gas. Though in my case, with getting more "oil" out than I put in last fall, and the obvious tell tale gas odor in my collection jug, I know it's there.

I do purposely run it 20 minutes a week with a load based on what I've learned on this site.  But I honestly don't like the noise at anchor and feel it's disturbing to others.   @Liberty44140, good idea to run while underway. That might kill 2 birds with one stone for me.  Will try that next season.

PickleRick

Most engines in my line of work are both carbed and gravity fed. Not many manufactures put in line fuel cut offs so we see engines that hold 2qts of oil with a gallon of gas in them.  Its always fun to service a mower for the spring on a Friday, when the customer comes to get it on a Monday all the fuel from the tank is in the engine.   That's fun to explain to the customer how if we could predict these things we'd not be running a lawn equipment repair shop.