When is it time to change that filter???

[stevecrout]

A question we all sometimes struggle with.

When to change that filter!

I suppose it's one thing to see the unit is good condition and not really that dirty but here's what I came up against when I did a look-over and checked the air filters on one of the two generators I use for auxiliary  power at my place in the Philippines. They hadn't been serviced for a while and this was on my honey-do list for my visit last week.

Granted the salty ocean air is responsible for a lot of corrosion and general disintegration of metals but the first question that popped to my mind when reviewing the unit was "Where did it all go?"

Yikes!

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[Donovan]

Steve it is probably floating in amongst the oil in the engine if not attracted to various moving parts like bearing, rods, shells etc.

[Rusty Bucket]

Maybe that filter was designed more to deter the crab-eating macaques from turning the airbox into a larder - a crankcase contaminated with a few particles of random airborne dirt (or bits of filter element) is a trivial matter compared one filled with mashed-up carapaces and odiferous crab-parts, after all.  Though I allow the hole might allow one or two crabs to be inserted, it would complicate matters after that...

[stevecrout]

I reckon the sharp intake of air upon start-up has probably injected the bits along with the air, straight into the combustion chamber!  (that's what all the fly-ash was about!!!)

I think I'll use the notion of being sucked into the combustion chamber and blasted out the tailpipe for disciplinary purposes and see if I can get the fellows to follow a maintenance schedule this time.
 

[MaximX]

And it still runs?  amazing.

[stevecrout]

Kholer diesel engines have been a favourite for generators for a while, I suppose this would be one of the reasons why. 

Built to take lots of abuse, still perform when needed and only paid attention to a few times a year. 

Lots of parallels there........