Best Source of Westerbeke Generator Parts?

msflynn03

New Member
Mar 13, 2016
32
Hilton Head SC
Boat Info
1997 Sea Ray 370 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 7.4 w/v-Drives
Any guidance on the best/cheapest source of parts for a Westerbeke generator?

Have a 7.0 BCG. Note that the list price of a distributor cap is $165. Can this be right? Didn't think that a tune-up for the generator would involve a second mortgage?
 
If it says Westerbeke it will cost 5 times what it should cost. Try cross referencing the part number, sometimes you get lucky.
 
I broke down in a moment of weakness and paid dearly for Westerbeke parts from Hansen Marine.

I'll watch this thread to see if a reliable cross reference emerges..

Someone was telling me an older Chevy 3 cylinder will work but, it wasn't first hand knowledge and I was going on a trip.
 
Welcome to boating, there's nothing cheap about it!

Looking for less expensive parts might make sense now but could hurt you further down the road. Using OEM parts is a little more expensive but guarantees your generator is getting the proper spark it needs to run correctly.

Quick story...when I purchased my current boat the generator always gave me problems. It was hard to start, always required lots of cranking. Ran poorly and just shut off randomly. Anyway, I ordered all the tune-up parts from Westerbeke and when I was installing the parts noticed the spark plugs, oil filter, and water pump belt were not OEM parts. Needless to say after doing the tune-up everything worked itself out and it runs flawlessly.
 
Westerbeke just de-identifies and re-boxes stuff - check their prices on spark plugs and oil filters lol.....I have been able to cross reference some parts on mine, but when I need westerbeke specific parts I have found that CARP marine in grant florida has the best prices - Hanson are assholes and rip you off.
 
The 3 cylinder on my 9.0 BTC is a Subaru Justy engine.
 
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Today is your lucky day. I was going through "stuff" in my desk. For some reason, the W'beke parts note ended up back in the drawer.

FGP Store

(573) 271-1119

http://www.fgpstore.com/

There are great pictures on the site, ample cross ref material and they are great folks to work with over the phone.
 
Daihatsu engine, 3 cylinder. You can go to rockauto.com and get ignition parts for a 1986 3-cylinder Chevy Sprint. Calling for OEM Westerbeke parts is pure BS. Westerbeke makes nothing. As someone said previously, they merely de-identify, and re-box.
 
Daihatsu engine, 3 cylinder. You can go to rockauto.com and get ignition parts for a 1986 3-cylinder Chevy Sprint. Calling for OEM Westerbeke parts is pure BS. Westerbeke makes nothing. As someone said previously, they merely de-identify, and re-box.

We all know Westerbeke doesn't make anything..
Have you personally tried 1986 Chevy Sprint cap, wires ,rotor on a 7.0 BCG??
Is the Daihatsu motor the same thing????
 
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Today is your lucky day. I was going through "stuff" in my desk. For some reason, the W'beke parts note ended up back in the drawer.

FGP Store

(573) 271-1119

http://www.fgpstore.com/

There are great pictures on the site, ample cross ref material and they are great folks to work with over the phone.

Could you be specific crossing to Westerbeke parts?
 
Could you be specific crossing to Westerbeke parts?

If you mean specific W'beke part number to FGP part number, no. However, By starting with a search of 3 cylinder distributor cap I was led all over the www and finally to FGP who seemed to be the only folks who weren't merely parts resellers. They seemed to know their stuff. There may be better. I decided to use them. I was able to blow up the FGP pix enough to ID the actual number stamped on their part to the number on my part. For example, I needed a distributor cap and rotor for my 4.5 kW W'beke carb 3600 RPM unit. I discovered by process of elimination the engine is a Daihatsu or a Mitsubishi marinized 3 cylinder small truck engine quite common in Japan. Some parts appear to be interchangeable. My W'beke $$$$$$$$$ rotor and cap became a FGP $$ rotor and cap.

For the record...... I have no association w/ FGP other than being a satisfied customer.

My my search took me over a month

I'm just trying to save others valuable time.

Happy Boating. Let me know if I can be of any assistance. I can tell you the 4.5 carb version has at least 2 style screw downs for the distributor cap. That is why I had mine in front of me the second time I ordered it!!!! :smt021
 
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If you mean specific W'beke part number to FGP part number, no. However, By starting with a search of 3 cylinder distributor cap I was led all over the www and finally to FGP who seemed to be the only folks who weren't merely parts resellers. They seemed to know their stuff. There may be better. I decided to use them. I was able to blow up the FGP pix enough to ID the actual number stamped on their part to the number on my part. For example, I needed a distributor cap and rotor for my 4.5 kW W'beke carb 3600 RPM unit. I discovered by process of elimination the engine is a Daihatsu or a Mitsubishi marinized 3 cylinder small truck engine quite common in Japan. Some parts appear to be interchangeable. My W'beke $$$$$$$$$ rotor and cap became a FGP $$ rotor and cap.

For the record...... I have no association w/ FGP other than being a satisfied customer.

My my search took me over a month

I'm just trying to save others valuable time.

Happy Boating. Let me know if I can be of any assistance. I can tell you the 4.5 carb version has at least 2 style screw downs for the distributor cap. That is why I had mine in front of me the second time I ordered it!!!! :smt021

Thank you,

I'll see if I can match mine to some pics from FGP next time I take it apart..
 
I did a bunch of research on my Westerbeke 4.0 Generator electrical parts and crossed the distributor cap, rotor, points ad condenser to a Daihatsu Cuore. I found a guy in Great Britain who had all the ignition parts I wanted for my 2 cyl Westerbeke for what amounted to $40 and some change US, that includes shipping. I won't know if I have the right parts until they get here and I install them but for $40 it is worth a try. $165 for a distributor cap is crap. My search started with the part number that was located inside the distributor cap removed from my generator. It took about two days to figure it all out but those motors were used in a number of different cars over seas.

Distributor Cap 4507£3.75
Rotor Arm 4825£2.99
Condenser 3391£2.99
Contact set GCS2177£2.99
Shipping Royal Mail International Tracked & Signed£14.25
Subtotal£26.97
Total£26.97
 
Sierra makes caps and rotors that are Westerbeke compatible, in fact they make one that Westerbeke no longer has available. West Marine and Amazon have some of them. In another thread a fellow boater at this forum describes his switching out his 3 cylinder generator's ignition to MSD and Pertronix more spark no points to deal with, The next best thing to HEI or coil packs. I may go that route if i figure out correct petronix igniter for my 2 cylinder WB gennie. Easier startups and less maintenance for sure, also a modicum more efficient.
 
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Sierra makes caps and rotors that are Westerbeke compatible, in fact they make one that Westerbeke no longer has available. West Marine and Amazon have some of them. In another thread a fellow boater at this forum describes his switching out his 3 cylinder generator's ignition to MSD and Pertronix more spark no points to deal with, The next best thing to HEI or Coil packs. I may go that route if i figure out correct petronix igniter for my 2 cylinder WB gennie.
 

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