NEW NORTHERN LIGHTS DEALER IN VIRGIN GORDA, BVI
NEW NORTHERN LIGHTS DEALER IN VIRGIN GORDA, BVI
On Feb 6th 2019, Parts & Power salesman, Tony Tuckett, met with the Caribbean’s most recent Northern Lights Dealer, CRC Engines and Fabrication of the Valley, Virgin Gorda. Pictured are Tony and Geoff Cooke. Behind the sign is company founder, Chris Cooke. CRC was founded in 1993 on Virgin Gorda. The company provides Marine and Industrial Engine & Generator service, as well as fabrication. They are a major sub-contractor for the Boat Yard at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour.
CRC are dealers for Yanmar, Yamaha, Algae X Fuel Conditioner. With their expansion to Northern Lights, they now represent the preferred choice of most charter crews, and many bareboat fleets in the Caribbean.
For more information, please contact Chris Cooke at 284-495-5262, 284-547-8333 or Chris Cooke (chris@crcenginesbvi.com).
CATAMARAN GETS A DOUBLE HEART TRANSPLANT
Marine Maintenance Services based in Nanny Cay Tortola has just completed a double generator change aboard a Privilege Alliaura 62. This yacht is used for Crewed Charter & relies on its generators to keep the whole show on the road.
The original generators were Onan. When it came to decide on which option suited the boat for replacement, the crew chose the Northern Lights due to the reliability, simplicity & parts availability. As a result, we installed 2 x Northern Lights M844LW3 16kw 50hz units. They were mounted on secondary vibration pads & had sound shields installed.
The crew are super happy with the result. The generators are whisper quiet and vibration free. We hope they have a great 2019 season.
US EPA Tier III Compliance for Marine Generators
Questions about US EPA Tier III Compliance for Marine Generators?
Northern Lights Has Answers.
Understanding EPA Tier requirements can be a challenge for even the most experienced boaters. To clarify the issues around Tier III generator requirements, the experts at Northern Lights have prepared the following FAQ’s. Download the PDF from this link: Sales Bulletin – Questions about US EPA Tier III Compliance for Marine Generators?
Two New Northern Lights Models
Two New Northern Lights Models Fill the Market Need for Clean, Reliable Power.
Northern Lights, Inc. (NLI) is pleased to announce the release of two new models – the M944W3F and M944T3F.
You can download and read the complete bulletin here: Sales Bulletin – Two New Northern Lights Models
Dan Durbin Retires from Parts & Power after 23 years of service
Dan Durbin retires from Parts & Power on 1 July 2017 after 23 years of service to Parts & Power customers in the Caribbean, and around the world. Dan joined Parts & Power in 1994 as Service Manager. He became Director of Technical Services, then spent the last few years working as lead Sales Engineer.
Dan’s career started as a Generator Instructor at the Army Engineer School and served as a Generator Technician in Vietnam and Germany. After being honorably discharged from the Army, Dan held many technical posts including that of Technical Service Manager at Cummins NW and International Service Manager for Alaska Diesel Electric, manufacturers of Northern Lights generators. Dan was instrumental in the development of the Northern Lights generator design and focused the product on Reliability, Simplicity and Durability. It was the philosophy that has made the Northern Lights Product so successful, especially in mega yachts, and charter vessels, where down time for a generator is an unacceptable situation.
Dan was also instrumental in developing Parts & Power as the premier engine & generator distributor in the Caribbean. His wide range of experience and technical experience helped Parts & Power expand from Marine Engines and Generators to Land based Generators, Automatic Transfer Switches, Electrical Distribution Products, Power Quality products, JCB excavation equipment and Marine Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.
Dan’s skills as a Technical Instructor are well known and appreciated by many in the Technical Fields. Dan taught classes on Diesel Engines, Power Generation, ATS, Electrical Distribution, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, and JCB machine Operation and Maintenance. He taught for many organizations including H Lavity Stoutt Community College, Northern Lights in Seattle, South Florida, Europe and the Caribbean, and JCB, in addition to regular training for Parts & Power.
Dan was active in several local community service organizations, and never denied any customer, or competitor, technical advice whenever asked.
Dan will be sorely missed by the many lives he touched in the Caribbean and South Florida, but none so much as his family at Parts & Power.
Although Dan will be relocating to South Florida to be near his family, he will remain on retainer with Parts & Power for future projects and training.
Ensure the Reliable Operation of your Generator Set with Proper Coolant and Cooling System Maintenance
Certain types of coolant may adversely affect the functionality of Northern Lights generator sets. The Northern Lights Service Department offers the following troubleshooting tips:
- Straight water with additive is not recommended on Northern Lights generator sets as they may cause damage to the engine.
- Some brands of Hybrid or OAT type coolants have been reported to cause the OEM thermostat to stick, leading to overheating. In addition, some extended life coolants have been found to cause leaks in the generator set’s pump seal. In such conditions, flush the coolant system thoroughly and refill with an approved Northern Lights coolant.
- All engines with wet liners require a supplemental coolant additive (SCA) to prevent liner erosion and pitting in the circulating water pump impeller. Northern Lights recommends heavy duty diesel rated coolants, which include an SCA. If a heavy duty diesel rated coolant is not available, add an SCA to prevent the symptoms noted above.
- It is the responsibility of the customer to understand that the use of incompatible coolant may cause damage, so please help educate them.
For use in Northern Lights generator sets, the following coolant types are approved:
- Conventional Propylene Glycol based coolants.
- Conventional Ethylene Glycol based coolants.
Please refer to your operators’ manual for your specific unit’s coolant requirements and specifications.
Should you encounter of the above conditions, or have additional questions about Northern Lights coolant recommendations, contact your Factory Service Representative.
May 2017 Special Offer
Northern Lights Training Course Catalog
Northern Lights, Inc. is dedicated to manufacturing the industry’s best marine products. As part of our commitment, we offer training courses to our dealers, clients and captains to ensure that the world’s best built marine generator sets are the best maintained and serviced as well.
Contact your nearest Northern Lights branch location to sign up for any of these classes, or for more information. Together, we offer clean power and complete solutions.
Proper Loading of Marine Diesel Generator Sets
Among the most common issues people report with their marine generator sets are dirty exhaust or “wet stacking”. Most frequently, this condition is caused by cylinder glazing and carbon build-up. The root cause is simple: underloading the genset.
Diesel engines in marine gensets should typically run at least 60-75% of their maximum rated load. Short periods of low load running are permissible providing the set is brought up to full load, or close to full load on a regular basis.
Running a diesel engine under low load conditions causes low cylinder pressures, and consequent poor piston ring sealing. The ring-to-liner seal relies on combustion gas pressure to force the piston rings against the oil film on the cylinder bore. Low cylinder pressures result in low temperatures and poor combustion, leading to soot formation and unburned fuel residues and ultimately clogging of the ring grooves. Advanced cases of this condition can even cause the rings to stick in the grooves, further damaging the cylinder bore.
Cylinder glazing occurs when hot combustion gases blow past the now poorly sealing piston rings, causing the lubricating oil on the cylinder walls to flash burn, creating an enamel-like glaze. This smooths the bore and minimizes the effect of the honing marks machined into the bore surface.
Hard carbon is highly abrasive, and is also formed from poor combustion. It wears the honing marks on the bores, leading to increased oil consumption, evidenced by blue smoke. Poor combustion also clogs injector tips, resulting in black exhaust smoke.
The problem is further exacerbated by the formation of acids in the engine oil from condensed water and combustion by-products which would normally boil off at higher temperatures. Acidic buildup in the lubricating oil causes damaging wear to bearing surfaces.
Running your generator set lightly loaded will inevitably shorten the service life of the engine, and results in pollution that is unacceptable to you, to port authorities and to neighboring vessels. Prevent costly repairs and downtime by maintaining adequate engine load on your genset.
If you encounter any of the above problems, or just want more information, contact your nearest Caribbean dealer, visit wwwCaribbeanNorthernLights.com or call Parts and Power at 284-494-2830