Good Q. I bought a 4100 w/ 1080 hours and likewise there is a good sized "puff" of black smoke on startup, and certainly if I put a load on, there is some smoke. My understanding, under load, is that the fuel mixture is a bit rich for a moment and thus the black smoke. Are there any other symptoms of engine problems? I think that is what we are both asking. On warm days, 70+, it fires right up, so I'm taking that to mean the compression is good. Also, my understanding of these 3 cy Yanmar engines is they can run 2000+ hours easily. Any recommendations to get the most hours from them? Is 4000 hours reachable? Should I use fuel additive? Just looking for ways to max the live of this 4100. Thanks