No water from genny going overboard.

[Mikes342]

Last weekend I went to Put In Bay Ohio.  I was parked in some shallow water that was had weeds growing below.  I started my Genny and it worked for about a half an hour then it just quit.  After reseting the genny I tried starting it again.  It started and then shut down again with a no cooling water.

I removed the strainer for the genny and it was not clogged.  I then opened the seacock and it took a long time to fill.  I tried again and no luck.

I am going to the boat tomorrow and try to run water through the hose that connects to the sea strainer and see if I can remove the blockage that way.  If that doesn't work I purchased a new water impeller for it.

Wish me luck.  I do not like boating without my Genny.  However I will be buying another shore cord to take with me from now on.

Has anyone else had a problem like this???????

Mikes 342

[Black_Diamond]

I've a lot of issues with mine...it sounds like you might have clogged the intake as you suspect.  I would think getting her up on plane would have rid of it though?  Maybe it got past the strainer and is caught IN the plastic part of the strainer, not in the removeable part.  Just a thought.

[ParkRode360]

Or you caught a plastic bag?

[rdlegacy]

Mike

Be carefule running Genny with no water coming in.  You can burn up the impeller very easily.  I know this from experience

Replaceing the impeller is pertty easy, but finding them is much harder.  I had to have a replacement UPS'd in one summer, no marina had them.  If you do get a replacement, always buy two!

It sounds like you sucked something up into the lines and not just at the intake.

Bob

[Dave (Daddy's Diamond)]

To second what Bob said.....the "muffler" in the system can blow up if the engine isn't getting the water it needs.  Pressure builds up and the can that acts like a water gas muffler WILL explode due to over-pressure.  (Sadly I know this is a fact.)

Be careful.

[Mikes342]

I fixed the genny yesterday.  I bought a new impeller from Buckeye Power Generator Service.  I then proceeded to the boat yesterday.  I removed the strainer bowl and opened the seacock.  Water poured in.  Then I changed the impeller.  Ran it for 15 minutes, no leaks and every thing was great.  I removed the pieces of the impeller from the housing and made sure all the pieces were accounted for.  All is well.

My genny will automtically shut off after a few seconds without water and an error code indicates no water flow.  I am concerned about the muffler blowing up.  How if it shuts off after about 10 seconds of running?

Mikes 342

[Dave (Daddy's Diamond)]

Mike,

didn't mean to scare you and perhaps I was a bit confusing......let me get it cleared up.

What happens (and sadly I know this is a fact.......) is that the pressure builds up from repeatedly trying to start the generator after it has stopped pumping water through and then the genny shuts down by itself.  The exhaust fumes build pressure in the black round drum shaped section where the water is mixed with the fumes and then pumped out of the boat.  If the water isn't flowing through that section....the pressure builds up and it simply blows up.  

That is why the instructions for starting your generator say after one or two tries, if it doesn't fire up or water isn't flowing, shut it down and wait five minutes at least before trying to start it again.

In my case, it was a carb problem that kept shutting the engine down so I had to keep trying to start it.....big mistake.  Thankfully no one was down in the engine compartment when it went.  Sounded like a shotgun went off and pieces of black plastic went everywhere.

[Talon]

Running on plane or in extremely shallow water with the genny going is a real good way to blow impellers. It's a good idea to carry a couple spares onboard just in case. I have found that you'll normally blow one every 100 hours or so regardless, so it's good to carry spares.

[DaleM]

It'll blow up from the unburned gas fumes that collect in it.  While the genny is being started, fuel is pumped in through the carb and intake manifold.  Once in the cylinder the spark plug ignites it then out the exhaust manifold through the cannister.  If the engine doesn't start the unburned fuel will build up in the cannister until it reaches that critical level.......BOOM.  That's why you need to give the genny some down time in between starts to allow those fumes to vent.