4.5 Westerbeake gen won't start

[trez681]

After cleaning my bilge this spring I cannot get my 4.5 BCGB westerbeake to run. I absolutely did not spray the gen deliberately (may have been a little splashing tho). Cranks all day long but zero fire at all. Getting gas to the carb and will check governor oil next time I get to the boat. Removed coil and verified spark (no spark that I can tell when installed), new distributor rotor and cap, new K1 and K2 relays. Contacted a Westerbeake mechanic and he told me of a "SeaRay" installed high oil temp sensor/shutdown under the belt cover that might be the culprit. I cannot find any posts or documentation on it. Any info appreciated

 

[Skybolt]

Something got wet, sensor, dist. cap something is wet. Given enough time to dry out, it should start right up.

 

[Stee6043]

I assume you have the two-button start setup on your 2000 (my 1999 did)? This will seem too obvious but you are indeed using both buttons to try starting it, right?

Assuming your using both buttons you can usually eliminate the sensors being an issue if it's not starting and then quitting when you let go of the second button. That button bypasses the sensors (temp, oil, water).

For kicks, have you replaced the fuel filter?

 

[PlayDate]

When was the last time you changed the spark plugs? Once they get fouled.....it won't start. Also continued cranking can create a problem where exhaust water backs up into the combustion chamber......you don't want that to happen.

Also check for 12 volts at the coil installed. If you have 12 volts there.....you should have spark at the plugs unless something is really off with the distributor.

 

[dwna1a]

I swear you look at a Westerbeke wrong at it will stop working. Pull a plug wire and see if you have spark. Gov oil is only a factor once the set is running, but check anyway. Sounds like distributor got wet or a plug wire.

 

[trez681]

Thanks to all. I immediately thought something got wet but have ensured distributor is dry as well as plugs/wires and since this all started about 3-4 months ago I have definitely waited long enough for it to dry out especially in the 100+ degree heat we've had for 1-1/2 months.
I have tried starting remotely inside the cabin as well as at the gen using both buttons as you suggested. I appreciate the confirmation on the sensors being overidden while cranking but the Westerbeake mechanic said this "extra" SeaRay installed high oil temp sensor under the belt cover can supposedly still prevent it from starting if shorted to ground. I'll check that next week "IF" I can find this mystery sensor. This is not the standard dual low oil pressure sensors that are common knowledge. I can't find anything anywhere on this extra "SeaRay" sensor.
I checked for 12 volts coming into coil and found 10.6 volts. I assumed there was a voltage limiting resistor like in my old muscle car since the coil got hot real fast when I wired directly to the battery.
I checked the fuel filter...it appeared very clean.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and experience.

 

[dwna1a]

Thanks to all. I immediately thought something got wet but have ensured distributor is dry as well as plugs/wires and since this all started about 3-4 months ago I have definitely waited long enough for it to dry out especially in the 100+ degree heat we've had for 1-1/2 months.
I have tried starting remotely inside the cabin as well as at the gen using both buttons as you suggested. I appreciate the confirmation on the sensors being overidden while cranking but the Westerbeake mechanic said this "extra" SeaRay installed high oil temp sensor under the belt cover can supposedly still prevent it from starting if shorted to ground. I'll check that next week "IF" I can find this mystery sensor. This is not the standard dual low oil pressure sensors that are common knowledge. I can't find anything anywhere on this extra "SeaRay" sensor.
I checked for 12 volts coming into coil and found 10.6 volts. I assumed there was a voltage limiting resistor like in my old muscle car since the coil got hot real fast when I wired directly to the battery.
I checked the fuel filter...it appeared very clean.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and experience.

But do you have spark at the plug?

 

[trez681]

I don't believe I have spark at the plug....disconnecting the plug wire, putting in a new plug and holding the body to ground I do not see a spark. I also have a current detector that I clip onto the plug wire while cranking and it doesn't detect current flow. The reason I don't have spark is my dilemna.

 

[PlayDate]

I checked for 12 volts coming into coil and found 10.6 volts.

Huh???? Check your Service Manual ......it shows 12+ volts for the + connection. No resistor. Something isn't right if the coil is getting hot.

BTW Welcome to CSR.

 

[dwna1a]

Ok let’s backtrace some and forgive me my set is much older.
no spark would lead me back to the distributor. Mine has points and a condense, if yours does check the points. If you have Fire there but it’s weak, coil. Check the ground on the coil make sure it’s clean and tight. All this started after cleaning the bilge correct? Remember these high temps also come with high humidity, that cap won‘t just dry out on its own.

 

[Stee6043]

Perhaps a completely useless thought - on my 1999 340 with a 4.5KW Beke my marina spent 2 years diagnosing a weird stalling condition. It turned out I had a short (intermittent) in the main wire loom. Yours may be different but mine was perfectly placed along the bilge floor in a location where you had to step on the loom to do anything on the starboard engine (or generator, for that matter). Eventually one or two of the wires was cut/split and presto, weird short.

Perhaps it's worth you peeling back the cover on the loom to see if any of those wires have been damaged.

 

[bahamabreisus]

We are having a similar issue right now, it has been diagnosed as a bad coil. New one to be installed soon. will let ya know. Also, don't crank to much, it will hydro lock, now ya got problems.

 

[bahamabreisus]

We are having a similar issue right now, it has been diagnosed as a bad coil. New one to be installed soon. will let ya know. Also, don't crank to much, it will hydro lock, now ya got problems.

 

[trez681]

We are having a similar issue right now, it has been diagnosed as a bad coil. New one to be installed soon. will let ya know. Also, don't crank to much, it will hydro lock, now ya got problems.

Can I ask you how you determined the coil was bad? I measured the primary and secondary coil resistances and they checked good. Pulling the coil out of the boat and checking on my workbench back home I was able to generate spark to a spark plug.
I did close the seacock into my gen after quite a few cranks. I didn't know about the hydrolock issue....guess I just got lucky.

 

[bahamabreisus]

We had a mechanic do the diagnosis. To be fair, it's not installed yet. I will post once installed and running.