Removing Kohler generator in 1998 290W/ twins.

[Millhouse]

the new to me twin 5.7 290 Sundancer had a bad generator when I bought it and I wanted it working so here’s the steps I took. I made several different measurements to see how and if it was possible to remove with engine in place, with removing manifold, remote oil filter and power steering reservoir it still was lacking a solid 3”. Since the new to me boat has 800 hours on port and 0 on starboard I figured I’d remove port and freshen it up and allow room for generator removal. The most valuable thing I learned was is almost all cases it’s way easier to pull manifolds for access than fight for room! They are super simple to remove unlike the big block manifolds. I made a gantry that was 12’ wide and 14’ tall out of triple 2x6, with legs that were 6’ long. Crane worked perfectly however I wished I made the header triple 2x8 or 2x10 so it would stronger for lifting big blocks because as it is I wouldn’t attempt a BB removal. The engine removal process was a breeze accept for the two nylocks on the port side engine mounts absolutely a nightmare to fit down there to get a wrench on it because your fighting space and access due to being blocked by the fuel pump. It’s a real SOB!!! After that out she went.

Now to the generator…. This was actually way more complicated and challenging than I thought! Even with engine removed it’s still a pain to reach some of the bolts and don’t get me started on the electrical!!! The entire time you’re sliding down the V in the boat and of course it’s nasty AF. In my case I had to remove genny from its tray because it was some kind of stuck and your working under the deck at an angle so you don’t have a get way to pull with chain fall not eating into decking. Once I removed the motor mounts I mover to electrical connections and OMG was this tough! Far back corner slipping and sliding can’t see and no room thanks to the trim pump. You need to remove the cover off electrical box with 3 little screws to remove the 110 wires from ground lug, neutral buss and hot wire from breaker plus a red wire to start signal. Then you have to fish those wires out, remove chassis ground, positive lead from starter and the. You can lift, sadly I had to lift up about 1” to clear studs. Normally you should be able to pull out it one piece. Once generator was out I could address the the pan, it was stuck bigger than shit! Had to use some serious pry bars to break it free. It had several rows of a double sided tape that appeared to offer some protection against vibration and acts as a glue.

Now that engine and generator are out I have all winter to decide a path for rebuilding

Second thing I learned is almost nobody wants to work on Kohler marine generators in Cincinnati.

This is my first time removing any kind of engine, I surprised how easy it was and didn’t take that much time or really any special tools.

 

[Strecker25]

Had the same boat with the same setup and the maintenance on that side was hard enough, not surprised it was that difficult to remove! I’d imagine that generator was installed long before the top cap at the factory.

Depending on how you use the genny and boat is seriously consider a battery/inverter setup in its place. With the single AC and modest DC loads of that boat, you could eliminate a maintenance access headache and probably run on silent power for quite a while using lifepo’s.

 

[Wanderer 290]

What are the problems with the generator? I have a 2001 290 with twin 5.7’s and a kohler genny.

 

[Millhouse]

What are the problems with the generator? I have a 2001 290 with twin 5.7’s and a kohler genny.

I’m not sure. I bought it this way. It appears to me that the water pump froze and sheared bolt off. Pics are of water pump pulley and backside showing sheared bolt. It’s a real MOFO to replace water pump because one bolt is started from top back middle of engine and it’s almost not serviceable. Really needs drilled out and bolted IMO. Otherwise I think it’s ok, however I was surprised the Kohler was not the preferred option, Westerbeke is??? Who knew.

 

[Wanderer 290]

Kohlers are known to be finicky and over engineered but properly maintained they are good for 2000 + hours.
For engine parts they can be sourced through Kawasaki at substantial savings.
The crankshaft is unique to the genny application and was discontinued a few years ago so it is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Millhouse]

Kohlers are known to be finicky and over engineered but properly maintained they are good for 2000 + hours.
For engine parts they can be sourced through Kawasaki at substantial savings.
The crankshaft is unique to the genny application and was discontinued a few years ago so it is worth its weight in gold.

Priceless advice thank you! I’m just nervous as hell about the thought of pulling the port motor every time this dude acts up!

I learned a valuable lesson! Never buy another boat with generator tucked away knowing how much service they need.

 

[Wanderer 290]

And one very important thing, do not run the generator with ethanol fuel. A new carb will be needed if it is run or stored with ethanol fuel.

 

[keokie]

If it were me, I'd get that Kohler fixed and sell it for a Westerbeke. In my area of the country Westerbeke's and Kohl's are about the same price. Westerbeke's seem to be more reliable, and they are smoother and quieter.