Do you run your generator all the time?

I usually have items in the refrigerator and the freezer.
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410's, 400's, 380's, 330's etc. come equipped from the factory with dual-electric (AC/DC) fridges and don't need the generator to keep the beer and cheese cold. (unless someone has replaced the OEM unit with an AC-only one)

Icemakers are AC-only, but most generators will burn about $25 in fuel to make ice that you could buy in the store for $1.50.

I have to make an effort to keep a load on the genny, but it has proven to me repeatedly that a load is necessary.

Bob,

During extended cranking, the belt-driven impeller is pulling in water that needs exhaust pressure to be expelled out of the muffler. If the engine isn't firing, the exhaust could eventually fill to the point where ingestion occurs. The Westerbeke manuals DO suggest that the seacock be closed if extended cranking is required.
 
I am never without A/C. Too many toys onboard, and it is a fraction of any other expense incurred in a run.
I do start, run for 5 min without load, load, unload at the end of the trip for 5 min, and then shutdown.
I have come to learn that new plugs = fast starting on a Westerbeke. I'm at 900 plus hours.
 
I don’t understand… When I am going somewhere with the boat, the engine is running, thus the alternator is charging the batteries which is running the refrigerators. My boat is not big enough to require the A/C in the cabin while running unless it is a very hot day. With that being said why run the generator if I do not need 110 VAC power for anything? Just like anything mechanical if I do not need to run it, why put the wear on it? :huh:

As I said in my first post, I will run it and load it up every several weeks if it has not been used, but generally that is not required because I will run it while on the hook. I just do not see the need to “run it all the time”….
 
RollerCoastr said:
410's, 400's, 380's, 330's etc. come equipped from the factory with dual-electric (AC/DC) fridges and don't need the generator to keep the beer and cheese cold. (unless someone has replaced the OEM unit with an AC-only one)

Icemakers are AC-only, but most generators will burn about $25 in fuel to make ice that you could buy in the store for $1.50.

I have to make an effort to keep a load on the genny, but it has proven to me repeatedly that a load is necessary.

Bob,

During extended cranking, the belt-driven impeller is pulling in water that needs exhaust pressure to be expelled out of the muffler. If the engine isn't firing, the exhaust could eventually fill to the point where ingestion occurs. The Westerbeke manuals DO suggest that the seacock be closed if extended cranking is required.
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Hey RC -

I understand the waterlift muffler issue. I was addressing what I understood to be the original concern about needing to close the raw water seacock when the genny is not in use. However, since we're on the subject, could you exlain to me how water would be ingested through the exhaust during cranking when the exhaust valves are only open during the exhaust stroke? Thanks - Bob
 
Vince_nj1 said:
The guy that repaired it told me that I should run it everytime I use the boat otherwise "it will rot out within 5 years".
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Huh? If this were true, then the actual lifespan of most gensets is less than 2.5 years of actual use. Actually, it could be counted in days not years. A lot of users store their boats in the winter for 4-6 months. Assuming you use your boat two days a week, or 8-days a month, that equates to less than 50 days per year in a 6 month year. That would be a very expensive option to add to a boat.

Like others have said, crank it once a month, under load, and let it run for a while. The same is true for your engines as well.
 
RC -

So ya gonna help me out - water in the exhaust, the exhaust valve opens, but it's the beginning of the exhaust stroke so unburned mixture is being pushed out; so do you think the water gets by mixture that's being blown out? The exhaust valve then closes at the end of the stroke so now water can't get past the closed valve, right?

Anybody?

Thanks - Bob
 
My understanding is that an open seacock in, combination with a bad impeller, could allow water to be forced up into the exhaust and then it could enter the engine through an open exhaust valve. The exhaust valve could be on the closing stroke, so when you go to start the engine, the valve closes (with water in the cylinder) creating a hydra-lock situation.
 
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Vince, it's actually a GOOD impeller that's the problem, as it's constanting (albeit slowly) filling the exhaust with water as long as the engine is turning.

Bob believes that the expelled fuel and water mixture of a non-running engine is enough to keep the water on the safe side of the valves. As long as he stays away from MY generator, I'm ok with that belief. :grin:

An anaolgy:

Gargle some scope as you normally would, but before spitting, bring a full water balloon up to your lips and let 'er rip. If you're comfortable with that, then you can be comfortable ignoring Westerbeke's advice.
 
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RollerCoastr said:
Gargle some scope as you normally would, but before spitting, bring a full water balloon up to your lips and let 'er rip.
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I just tried that and nearly swallowed my tongue! :wow: Earlier today I read a suggestion to nail the throttles if the bridge is too low. :huh: What kind of advice are you people giving in this forum? I’m liable to be dead before my boat gets put back in the water! :grin:
 
RollerCoastr said:
Vince, it's actually a GOOD impeller that's the problem, as it's constanting (albeit slowly) filling the exhaust with water as long as the engine is turning.

Bob believes that the expelled fuel and water mixture of a non-running engine is enough to keep the water on the safe side of the valves. As long as he stays away from MY generator, I'm ok with that belief. :grin:

An anaolgy:

Gargle some scope as you normally would, but before spitting, bring a full water balloon up to your lips and let 'er rip. If you're comfortable with that, then you can be comfortable ignoring Westerbeke's advice.
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I have no interest in your generator nor am I interested in questionably relavent analogies - thank you. You also have a poor grasp of my beliefs on this subject. I was asking questions you see.

I did have an interest in a direct explaination of what I had wrong. BTW if you can't answer a question it's OK to not post. - Bob
 
lol Sorry about that Vince! Looking back, I should've at least made the experiment more fun, replacing Scope with Vodka perhaps, and the water balloon with a beer-bong... :)

Bob, I may have mis-interpreted your posts. It sounded to me more like a passively-worded argument than a series of questions, so that's how I responded. Even re-reading though, I still get the impression that you believe that the expelled fuel and AIR (I said water before) mixture of a non-running engine is enough to keep the water on the safe side of the valves.

My point in the whole discussion is that Westerbeke warns about this possibility, and while facetious, the gargling analogy applies quite well.
 
RollerCoastr said:
lol Sorry about that Vince! Looking back, I should've at least made the experiment more fun, replacing Scope with Vodka perhaps, and the water balloon with a beer-bong... :)

Bob, I may have mis-interpreted your posts. It sounded to me more like a passively-worded argument than a series of questions, so that's how I responded. Even re-reading though, I still get the impression that you believe that the expelled fuel and AIR (I said water before) mixture of a non-running engine is enough to keep the water on the safe side of the valves.

My point in the whole discussion is that Westerbeke warns about this possibility, and while facetious, the gargling analogy applies quite well.
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OK, I kind of do believe that the piston expelling the unspent mixture would keep water out but I don't know for sure. Wouldn't the piston upstroke expel the same volume of water (if the muffler filled) from the muffler? And even if water did get in wouldn't the exhaust valve close and limit the amount to that small volume with the piston at the top of it's stroke? So I don't see how a hydrolock could occurr or is the danger from this small amout of water (perhaps salt) sitting in the cylinder?

BTW my Kohler manual says words to the same effect but that doesn't explain the danger or how it's possible. Doesn't the possiblity or at least the likelihood depend on the muffler exhaust height relative to the generator exhaust header height? Again, I just don't understand how this can occur. Thanks - Bob
 
An engine with zero valve overlap could probably "gargle" until/unless the pressure of the incoming cooling water exceeds the minimum pressure produced by the piston, but as soon as the cranking stopped with an exhaust valve open, that cylinder would flood.

I'd be surprised if these engines have no overlap, but I'm not sure how to check. Westerbeke might have it documented. Otherwise, I believe it's a Mitsubishi powerplant, and that might be beyond my google abilities.
 
I found it, and I didn't even need Google! (W-beke manual)

Intake opens 28 degs BTDC, closes 62 degs ABDC
Exhaust opens 62 degs BBDC, closes 28 degs ATDC
 
I think intake valve overlap doesn't change the dynamic since it happens so near the top of the stroke. Certainly when cranking stops if the exhaust valve is open the cylinder is exposed to the muffler contents. However, the only pressure available to force water from the muffler into the open cylinder would be head pressure. Anything (water and cylinder contents) forced into the muffler from the rising piston displaces an equal volume of muffler contents, right? Is the muffler inlet or outlet generally mounted higher than the exhaust manifold? BTW thanks for the technical response RC. - Bob
 
On our boat the top of the muffler cannister is higher than the exhaust manifold which is plumped close to the top of the muffler. I've cranked the engine long enough to cause me to worry about a hydrolock before I figured out how to reliably start the WB from the ER. Never did hydrolock but the manual does warn of the possibility so you need to be careful. I agree with the thought that the empeller will fill the muffler eventually without the backpressure from exhaust gases. This probably occurs slowly based upon my experience but WB talks about to CYA. ( really CWB'sA)
 
Well I think my muffler inlet is plumbed slightly higher than the exhaust manifold also. It seems kind of odd that this condition can't be designed out. But I still think this must be a rare occurrance and dependent on bad muffler installation or incalculables such as wave action. I mean, how can the muffler fill to the point that water is running back into the manifold? If the piston fully evacuates the cylinder where does all that mixture go? Doesn't it blow an equal volume out the muffler? What is the volume of water from the pump compared to the cylinder volume? Maybe I just need to take a saw to my muffler. Thanks for the response sbw1. - Bob
 
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