generator spilling engine oil

Hi Ropo. Your problem is a classic caused by the engine running on light or under load conditions. Diesels require about 60% load as a minimum ...(OK, don't all shoot me down on this figure, it does vary). What happens is that the cylinder walls do not get up to the design temperatures and the lube oil forms a lacquer in the surface. This the lets the piston rings slip over the nice smooth surface, rather than scrape over, and remove the minute oil particles from the cylinder walls. This is referred to as "glazing". It then lets some compression pressures leak past the rings thus pressuring the crankcase, and the result is that oil gets blown out of every little leaky fitting as well as the unburnt muck going out via the exhaust pipe ( I bet yours is a filthy oily exhaust outlet?).

How to fix... sorry to say its not cheap. You can try by increasing the load across all three phases, but once glazed badly, the correct procedure is to hone the cylinders and fit new rings. Now I know other contributers will tell you that you can simply chuck some powder down the inlet manifold, but this is a bit dodgy as it will probably add to the problem by gumming the rings in the grooves. The engine manufacturer, and only them, may be able to get a running in additive for the fuel supply, but its pretty powerful stuff (I know BP have some), and can wreck even a new engine in a matter of hours.

The proof that it's this is when you get someone to take the dipstick out whilst the engine is running, they will get hot dirty oil squirted all over them. It's always good for a laugh...providing you are not within range.

Of course if your pistons or rings are broken all the above holds true, except that you can delete the words "not cheap" above, and substitute "very expensive"

Hope this helps

Regards, Skippy