Kohler 10KW not starting. I am done with it.

MojosBoat

I have a Rinker 410 with a 10KW Kohler. It went down Memorial weekend. Found out it wasn't charging the battery. Fixed that then it would turn over but not start and is only getting 8 volts to the coil. Good compression, getting fuel and still wont start. Now it wont even turn over.  We have replaced 2 boards, rectifier, and not sure what else. Previous owner had it removed and gone through because of running issues. The thing only has 150 hrs on it. Between the PO and myself we have spent over 10k on this stupid thing. I am ready to replace it because I am at my wits end with it. I have had 2 techs work on it besides myself and we can not make this thing run. Parts are stupid hard to find for this one now.  Looks like a westerbeke is about the only choice now days for a gas generator. Any body have any ideas before I pull the trigger this winter on a new generator?

Dream_Inn

well, I know someone else that has a 410 and now has the westerbeke in it as well.  I know I had issues with mine and had to replace some internal wires as I had too much resistance in the wiring from corrosion (mainly power wires).

Black_Diamond

Does it have a sound cover?

have you tried jumping the starter solenoid?

MojosBoat

Black_Diamond said:

Does it have a sound cover?

have you tried jumping the starter solenoid?

I have a tech there now working on it. I just talked to him and that is what he is planing. Going to bypass all the controls and see if it will start then. From what I have researched is that that particular Generator is pretty much a POS. I had no issues with my 5e on my 342. had a 1000 hrs on it when I sold that boat. It has always been a freshwater boat. 

MojosBoat

At least I can sell it for parts since it has so many new parts on it. 

Black_Diamond

My 5e was great…once I got it running.  Was a pain from day 1 when new.  Aside from maintenance and some smaller issues, once I took the service panel off the sound cover it ran like a champ. lol

PickleRick

While I don't play with marine generators, I do play with lots of generators in general.  The ones that don't run often are the ones with the most issues.  The ones with corrosion issues are 100x worse.    I had a Honda eu3500i that spent a year at port in Hawaii.  Customer spent approx 1k for me to replace the entire wiring harness due to corrosion issues.  If certain parts of the generator can't get signal from one another she gets no spark.  

If that motor were to be tucked inside a boat.... where it took me 3 hours to get the dumb thing out and on my bench where it took me another 3 hours to get it apart to Access/test all the wiring... It wouldn't be a cheap repair. 


Sadly even though I'm a Kohler dealer I cannot get you many of your marine Kohler parts, but if you can get part numbers I'll gladly run them through my vendor and see if I can get them.  I was told that I can get Kohler diesel parts so long as they are not marine specific, same goes for your Kohler gen parts. My distributor provides lots of Kohler diesels to a sailboat builder down on the coast who self marinizes.  

MojosBoat

Thanks for the offer PickleRick, We can get some parts but at this point I am done with it. It is 19 years old and the fact that is hasn't been used is the problem with it. It has been removed and gone through by previous owner and it ran for a little while then went down memorial weekend. Either myself or a tech has worked on it every week since. Nothing is making it better. I am tired of spending money and not getting anywhere. Time for a new one.

Black_Diamond

A Westerbeke is a nice one. Be sure it is the 1,800 rpm one. Whisper quiet.  Rock solid too. 

MojosBoat

Black_Diamond said:

A Westerbeke is a nice one. Be sure it is the 1,800 rpm one. Whisper quiet.  Rock solid too. 

That is what I am looking for. I have all winter to get this done. I am not in a big hurry. I cant believe what a POS this Kohler is. I was excited about the low hrs on it when we bought the boat but as it turns out it isn't a good thing. 

PickleRick

Stupid question but does westerbeke make gas powered gensets?

MojosBoat

Yes they still make gas powered ones. Kohler does not. 

PickleRick

The Kohler diesels are not even Kohler, Kohler aquired Lombardi.  I can order their parts and complete motors (non marine parts)

Not sure about their air cooled motors.  

But thanks for the info. I've only seen westerbeke diesels and they are usually older with a ton of hours.  

Dream_Inn

I will add that the westerbeke that I saw in the 410, during Rinkervous, blew a starting capacitor (for the electricity side) on that Friday.  Blew a hole right thru it!  Never seen anything like it.  Fortunately he was able to have someone pick up one the next day and have it running that Saturday.  The part wasn't exact, but it at least got him thru the weekend. (Was a terrible thing for the groom on his wedding weekend, but nice to see it fixed!).

PickleRick

That's about the only repairs I've heard of on the westerbeke, the genset side.  Salt air really kills electronics.

MojosBoat

I don't have to worry about salt water so that is a plus for me. People that have the Westerbeke around us have way less issues. Mine will make electricity if it runs but the problem is with the running side and the controls part of it. 

YYZRC

How much is a new genny? 15k installed?

I would buy a bunch of lithium batteries and an inverter/charger instead. Unless you are spending weeks at a time away from the dock. 

MojosBoat

Its around that and I have looked at the battery and inverter set up and it is wont work for us. We stay out every weekend with the genny working. On Holiday weekends longer. With what we run off the genny it would cost more to power up with lithium. 2 AC units, water heater, 2 refrigerators, Ice maker, and battery charger is the minimum we run over night. We have used the cook top before but not normally. The 410 is pretty demanding on power. 

YYZRC

I feel like we are less than 5 years away from lithium being a really viable option to replace gennys - just not quite there yet. I tip-toed in with a single 220ah lithium battery and an inverter/charger just for running the microwave, toaster and Chulux in the morning. One day I will run the AC and see how long she goes for!

PickleRick

A battery inverter big enough to run an 16000 BTU ac would be sweet.  That's @18 amps start up and 11 amps running 120v plus your lights and water pump.


That comes to what 9 to 10 300a/h batteries at 1200 each plus some sort of containment system for them plus the inverter?   That's just for 8 hrs of AC although I am cool with the idea of running the genny for 4 hrs or so to get the AC down to temp for the night then switching over until in the morning when you need to fire it back up for a few hours to recharge the batteries.

Black_Diamond

Weight, space and fire are a big hit on lithium batteries currently for boats.  

Al was a big fan of Westerbeke. I had a slipmate retrofit a 42’ Chriscraft with one. Whisper quiet and works great. 

https://www.westerbeke.com/multiportefigasolinegenerators.htm

oscar1

Anyone here retrofit their gas generator for a diesel one? 

Black_Diamond

I’m sure retrofitting to a diesel genny is doable , but costly.  Adding in another fuel tank would be tricky. I’d worry about keeping the diesel fuel fresh / no growth with relatively low use.  

Liberty44140

Guy on our dock has a new Benneteau with twin outboards and a diesel genny. Was all upset last week because the diesel tank is small and he ran it dry. Couldn’t figure out how to re prime (all electronic in brand new panda) and was taking the family out on a 90 degree day. Definitely have to remember to watch fuel level closely on a dual fuel boat. 

oscar1

I found my genset was leaking from small hose under the thermostat housing, Plus the antifreeze reservoir was full of sea water and the antifreezes side of the coolant was also contaminated with salt water. I am going to drain the coolant tomorrow and flush it and repair the leaking hose. Looking to my problem the only thing I think went wrong allowing seawater to contaminate the antifreeze is a crack heat exchanger, But I am not sure 100% because I replaced the thermostat and the heater exchanger 4-months ago during my genset maintenance prior to my mini loop. If anyone has any idea what can cause this issue, let me know.

oscar1

The leak location.