Yanmar 2Gm20F black soot on engine

[Brinky63]

Found this black soot on the front end of the engine. I had an issue with the exhaust elbow a couple of months back which was resolved with a new one.
Could this be remnants of that problem?

 

[Ken13559]

Could it be belt dust?

 

[Ted]

It looks like belt dust to me also.

 

[Tom J]

Yes, probably belt dust. I had that issue for a while. I bought a v-belt at NAPA that was the right length, but the v was not correct. It did not completely fill the groove of the pulleys, and wore prematurely.

 

[HMT2]

I had some stuff that looked like that and it was the insulation inside the engine compartment. All of the islulation was kaput, and made that kind of fine black powder.

 

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[Maine Sail]

That is belt dust..

 

[Brinky63]

Thanks. The belts are new. We checked them and found no wear and tear.

 

[Brinky63]

It is time to replace the insulation. Would the heat cause it powder up that way? It's only in the front and top of the engine.
A mechanic told me it could be from the vibration damper of the flywheel. Does this engine have one of these?

 

[Maine Sail]

Thanks. The belts are new. We checked them and found no wear and tear.

You won’t notice the wear at first but that is belt dust.. Either the belt is improperly adjusted, the alignment is off or the pulley surfaces are corroded/rusty..

 

[Tom J]

Thanks. The belts are new. We checked them and found no wear and tear.

Often, the belts need to be readjusted after a new installation. They tend to stretch a bit at first.