Water going into the generator

ghoving3

Newby here looking for some help. I recently purchased a 98 330 with a generator, 7kw I am told. When underway, water infiltrates it. Water inside a generator is not so good. When talking with Westerbeke about it, they sent me a link to download an installation manual. It appears that the exhaust hose has not been routed outside properly. According to the installation manual, the exhaust hose should go above the exit, then turn down 180 degrees and then turn 90 degrees to exit. Does Rinker have a technical service bulletin on this, or a refit, or can someone help with this?

Black_Diamond

Is it WATER or ANTIFREEZE in the oil?  If you were getting water in past the exhaust valve you would hydrolock at a minimum. 

Stodge

There should be a water intake on the bottom of the hull that feeds a pump that goes to the genny, then a route for it, with the exhaust, out an opening on the side.  That opening on the side should be a couple inches above the water line.  Is your exhaust outlet at or below the water line?

Dream_Inn

Welcome to the forum! 

If it is below waterline, you should at least have an anti-siphon valve.  Here is a decent site that may help out

http://www.proboat.com/2011/03/generators-done-right/

ghoving3

The exhaust is several inches above the waterline

ghoving3

Like I said earlier I believe the water is coming back into the generator from the exhaust. Do most generator's exhaust go up above the exit and then come back down to it?

Michael T

There should be a rubber or composite flapper at the exterior end of your exhaust outlet that opens when under pressure during operation and should shut when not in use. Has that been damaged, removed?

ghoving3

Thank you for your assistance I see no rubber flap on the exhaust. Do you have any idea where I could get one

Stodge

Michael T said:

There should be a rubber or composite flapper at the exterior end of your exhaust outlet that opens when under pressure during operation and should shut when not in use. Has that been damaged, removed?

My original genny exhaust was just a plastic thru-hull.  I upgraded it to a stainless fitting with a flapper.  

ghoving3

Where can I find a stainless fitting with flapper?

Liberty44140

most sea rays have genny exhausts at the water line with no visible flapper. Do they have some kind of in line check valve?

Black_Diamond

No such flapper on my 342 for the genny exhaust.  Hard to imagine you are getting that much water backflowing from the exhaust outlet back into the engine.  I've been in some big seas and not had water flowing in that way.  It would have to fill the muffler and then back into the engine. 

Now the water intake from the thru hull should have the loop going above the water line and an anti-siphon valve in that (at the top).  I can see that causing water to get in the engine if not routed correct or no anti-siphon valve.

Liberty44140

Ahh the loop is a good point from the genny master. I also have no exhaust flapper but I do have a raised loop. 

ghoving3

I'm just learning from the mechanic at the water's not coming in on the exhaust side but actually on the intake side

ghoving3

And as a result of talking with westerbeke has a way to take care of the problem

ghoving3

Thank you for all your help

LaRea

Glad to hear it!  

For the sake of completeness, the generator exhaust flapper (visible from outside the boat) does not protect against water coming into the boat.  That's the job of the anti-siphon valve.  The flapper (if present) only reduces how much you spit onto the boat that is tied up next to you.

Handymans342

It's quieter too without

Stodge

I got my replacement exhaust with flapper form defender.com.

jhofmann

What was Westerbeke's fix?

ghoving

Since the boat has been in storage, there has been no further thoughts on this issue, until now. I just had a conversation with the mechanic that has worked on the unit, and I have learned that I was wrong to say that water was entering the generator through the exhaust. It is entering through the water INTAKE side. It appears that the only way to eliminate this is to have the generator running before the boat moves from the slip. This allows the water that enters to be removed through the exhaust. That seems to be a pain, since I don't always want it running. Any thoughts?

Black_Diamond

That sounds like crappy 'fix' advise to me. Is your strainer above the water line?  It is supposed to be. Do you have the anti-siphon loop/vent?  See this:

http://www.myboatsgear.com/vented-loops

ghoving3

thanks for the info. I will pass it along

rasbury

this makes no sense at all to me- the only place that water could possible enter the motor is thru the exhaust or the air intake. There should be no other way for water to enter the motor itself. Obviously, unless the boat has sunk it is not going in through a carb and as mentioned, not likely that it is going through the exhaust. Mine is 2' plus above the water line. There has to be much more to this story....

Itzken

My Kohler 5kw factory installed in an '06 320EC also ingests water.  The oil is always milky and full of water.  My theory is raw water is sucked up during starting process and if the motor doesn't start quickly enough, water will build up in the exhaust hose until it backs past the exhaust valve, into the cylinders, and then drains into the crankcase.  If the motor runs, it should blow the water out the exhaust.  I am in process of flushing out another crankcase full of milky oil and plan to keep the seacock closed until the motor actually fires  

determined

Hi.  I have a 2012 360 EC with a Kohler 5EKD.  I bought this boat second had so this is my first full season.  Genny has 60 hrs on it.  I noticed the same thing with the oil, so I just changed it and the filter too.   I had a 2005 320 before this with a 5 ECD, and never had this issue before.

Black_Diamond

Water or antifreeze in the oil?  The engine side uses antifreeze, raw water only runs thru the heat exchanger and then out the exhaust. 

Black_Diamond

Guessing this was an aftermarket install?  Botched install maybe?

Michael T

Love Westerbeke. Simple design and quiet  - don't need sound shields. BTW, while I'm at it I don't like sound shields. IMO they don't reduce the noise much and cause too much heat build-up. If my memory serves me right Westerbekes make comparable power at lower rpms?

Michael T

Yeah, that bright red does remind me of the early Ladas, LOL. Those friggin' cars rusted before they were unloaded at the ports in Canada - so did the Volvos. Had a friend who had a body shop - back in the day - with four bays to constantly touch-up the Ladas and Volvos. He made a sh*t load of money off those "vehicles"