- Joined
- Oct 1, 2007
- Messages
- 7,331
- Location
- Texas
- Vessel Name
- Floatsome & Jetsome
- Vessel Make
- Meridian 411
I have Cummins 330B's. Just out of the blue, the left engine started smoking pretty badly on start up. It would clear to some degree after a few minutes but still I wasn't happy with it since it was a sudden new development. Of course my immediate thought was a fouled injector since it was white/grey smoke with a pretty good sheen of unburned fuel on the water. I called my local diesel guy and his first suggestion was to change the fuel filters. Now I don't know everything about diesels, but I didn't see how semi-dirty filters(60 hours since last change) could cause this smoking issue. So I humored him(and myself) and changed the primary and secondary filters on both engines since it was cheap and easy(my wife always said I like cheap and easy). I started it right after and the smoke was still there but it did seem to clear up quicker and cleared up better....back to the way it was before. Still not convinced, I let it sit overnight to let it get cold and went to start it this morning. It smoked just a teenie bit(a diesel mechanic would likely not even have batted an eye) and cleared up quite quickly...basically back to normal...although I am still not convinced. I am going out of town for 4 days so I will start it dead cold in 4 days.
Anyway, I am still having a hard time figuring how 60 hour filters could cause a smoking issue(poor fuel atomization). To me, the fuel either gets there, or it doesn't. And if it gets there it should be clean? I will admit, the 10 micron primary was pretty damn dirty. And the spin-on factory spec Fleetguard was not observable. Maybe I should have cut it open? The right Racor was significantly cleaner....most likely because I have been fighting an issue on that side and have been changing that side more often.
Anyway, talkst amonst yoselfs!!!...Discuss!!!
Anyway, I am still having a hard time figuring how 60 hour filters could cause a smoking issue(poor fuel atomization). To me, the fuel either gets there, or it doesn't. And if it gets there it should be clean? I will admit, the 10 micron primary was pretty damn dirty. And the spin-on factory spec Fleetguard was not observable. Maybe I should have cut it open? The right Racor was significantly cleaner....most likely because I have been fighting an issue on that side and have been changing that side more often.
Anyway, talkst amonst yoselfs!!!...Discuss!!!