NO water discharge from Genny

[BSenzina]

I have a 1990 Searay 310EC....Last time i used the Kohler 5 kw geny i noticed the discharge was a littel weak and occasionally would steam a little. Now, when i fired it up for excersize, I noticed there is ZERO discaharge and after a few minutes the system shut down. :huh:
I dont know squat about this but I wonder if there is a "strainer" of some sort? I assume there is a pump of some sort to pull the raw water in and send it thru the unit? And clues before i squeeze ny big rump :smt021 into the bilge area??? :smt017

 

[RiverRat]

Sounds like it's new water pump time... (The gen. should have it's own)

 

[PMvdb395DA]

Sounds like your impeller is gone...
If your strainer is blocked than this can happen.

Or when you didn't change it after the advised period running hours.

Your impeller looks like this.

Peter

 

[JeffM]

Is this the first time you've run the genny this season? Our genny did the same thing last year, when I had forgotten to open the seacock at the start of the season :smt009 . There is a seacock and strainer on the line at the thru-hull fitting; not sure how it would be configured in your boat, though.

EDIT: Oops, sorry, didn't notice that you're in Fla...probably didn't winterize :grin: so that's not likely to be the problem.

Jeff

 

[Four Suns]

Before I would run out and get a new raw water pump, I would check the impeller and for blockages. Steam can be caused by too little raw water. When your genny shuts down, it should blink a code on the start button. Check that code against the manual. If the impeller is good and the strainer is clean, check to see if the water intake hose is collapsing when the engine is running.

 

[PlayDate]

You already have gotten some good advice so let me just explain what you should see in the bilge. Just as your engines, you will find a seacock, strainer and a hose that feeds raw water to your generator.

1) Close the seacock and open the strainer...removing the strainer basket.

2) Slowly open the seacock and the strainer should fill and overflow very quickly. Oftentimes, plastic bags, cigar butts and women personal hygine articles (yup, found them in their too!) get sucked up into the thru-hull fitting, blocking the flow. If flow is ok, replace the strainer and tighten the cover. If not, you may need to snake from the strainer down the thru-hull to push out what is stuck in there. You will know success when the water flow is equivalent to a garden hose.

3) The strainer hose attaches to the water pump on the generator. The impeller is contained within the pump. If you are not comfortable with mechanical things...get someone who is to open the pump and inspect the impeller. Depending on how many hours you put on it annually, it should be replaced every two years on salt water (some people do it every year). What is important is whether or not it has all its vanes intact. If they are missing that can spell trouble in the heat exchanger.

Check those things and we can go from there.

-John


ASE Master Mechanic

 

[BSenzina]

WOW

WOW ! ! LOTS of great advise here.....As far as where the feed hose attached to the genny, if i understand correctly, this is where the pump is. My next question is can I open this myself without a lot of headache or should i use a mechanic?? Is this all bolted together with a gasket?? :huh: I am capapble of doing some things with the right info up front and i do have some tools....

At least now i know there IS a strainer...that i can check while out of the water to be safe.....That saying "ka-ka occurs" comes from somewhere and the Devil NEVER Sleeps. Thanks guys..I sincerely appreciate the help.

 

[PlayDate]

Replacing an impeller is a task most owners can do with some patience. I believe you will find a 3/4" hose going from the cutoff/strainer to the back of your unit (models vary over the years). If it is on the backside, there should be a water pump access panel that will give you access to the pump. If you are not comfortable with the access to the pump or working on the pump itself, hire a competent mechanic and watch him do it.

Sometimes you have to reposition the generator to get clear access. Once you have access, then four bolts later you will remove the pump cover and have access to the impeller. Some covers have gaskets others don't. Once again, it is really worth it to watch somebody who has done it before.

-John

ASE Master Mechanic