Has anyone just got rid of their gen set?

techmitch said:
Please tell me you don't let the kids swim around the dock at the marina?
https://www.electricshockdrowning.org/
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Yeah I know...The way our dock is oriented we are the closest slip to the shoreline (maybe 30' away) and our dock is the very outside facing the water, if that makes sense. So they swim/hang out in the area between my boat and the shoreline so they are isolated from any traffic.
 
Scotty6336 said:
Yeah I know...The way our dock is oriented we are the closest slip to the shoreline (maybe 30' away) and our dock is the very outside facing the water, if that makes sense. So they swim/hang out in the area between my boat and the shoreline so they are isolated from any traffic.
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Did you read the link I posted?
 
His concern was more about shock hazard than boat traffic, click the link he shared….

Scotty6336 said:
Yeah I know...The way our dock is oriented we are the closest slip to the shoreline (maybe 30' away) and our dock is the very outside facing the water, if that makes sense. So they swim/hang out in the area between my boat and the shoreline so they are isolated from any traffic.
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mrsrobinson said:
With my previous gas boats I rarely ran the generator. With the new to me 380 diesel I start it immediately after starting the mains.

I am following a newer boater on YouTube who has twin 5.7s Volvos and a diesel genny. Interesting set up.

IF you take your genny out DO NOT advertise your boat for sale with a generator, some do that and it's frustrating.
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What is the youtube channel with 5.7's and a diesel Gen? Id like to take a look
 
Maybe just throw a Honda generator in there and vent it with a hose from the Hoover then call it done.
 
blaster said:
Maybe just throw a Honda generator in there and vent it with a hose from the Hoover then call it done.
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Yeah, and air cooled generator in a closed in gas engine compartment. Great Idea!
 
b_arrington said:
Running it once a month isn’t going to help that much - it would be better to run it every trip. Rusty’s advice to me was if the main engine is on, the generator should be running too. He likes to see roughly the same number of hours on the mains and the generator.
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2100 hours on engines and 5200 on generator. I don't understand the analogy that they should be "roughly" the same?? Our generator is pretty much running whenever the boat is not on shorepower.
Regardless, generator or no generator - if it is not repairable and you are not going to replace then take it out; dead weight. But, layup and safe all of the wiring, external devices and fuel system - the next owners may want to have a generator.
 
ttmott said:
2100 hours on engines and 5200 on generator. I don't understand the analogy that they should be "roughly" the same?? Our generator is pretty much running whenever the boat is not on shorepower.
Regardless, generator or no generator - if it is not repairable and you are not going to replace then take it out; dead weight. But, layup and safe all of the wiring, external devices and fuel system - the next owners may want to have a generator.
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The point is not to under use the gen, for example 800 hours on the main, and 3 on the gen. That indicates it’s not being exercised enough. Having more just fine.
 
b_arrington said:
The point is not to under use the gen, for example 800 hours on the main, and 3 on the gen. That indicates it’s not being exercised enough. Having more just fine.
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Thanks - I was trying to understand the "roughly the same".... Better stated no less than the main engine hours....
 
I just traded in my 300, and the one thing they told me was: we get it that older boats all have some minor issues. But mainly we care that the engines and the generator run well.

In retrospect, I never used it underway and I spent all that time keeping it in good shape, running it once in a while etc, just for resale.

It's amazing how much they cost new. A 5Kw Kohler was something like $15K new. I just bought a portable 15Kw gas gen for the house and it was around $2K.
 
mrsrobinson said:
https://youtube.com/@eternitysshore

He's changing the oil filter on the genny in this one
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Thank you. My buddy and I too did the conversion from gas gen (Kolmer 5ECD) to diesel gen (Phasor K2-4.5kw) and had a 20 gallon fuel tank fabricated. We did the installation and other than some clearance issues with the engine hatch actuators, it was a rather seamless process....Not an easy one but no major hiccups. Have a slight drone in the forward area of the boat but I plan to get the gen on some vibration dampening pads in the spring. I'm confident that will greatly help.

Just noticed in that video the diesel generator they installed in not ignition protected...no Bueno in a gas engine(s) application.
 
Boats that have nonfunctional major systems say a lot about the overall care and concern for proper maintenance by the owner. I personally would not buy a boat that has not been properly maintained. Taking it out says to prospective buyers that this boat has been poorly maintained no matter what the marketing pitch is when it goes on the market. And, it will be on the market at some time in the future.
 
I run our generator for an hour minimum under load each time we take the boat out. We usually cook on the water in the evening. So run systems and a/c and really - knock on wood... Don't have issues. The boat has 542 hours and the generator has just over 400 hours on it. Personally I don't find the generator necessary for the 320. It is nice on occasion. But it is a bit of chore to run it all the time. That said - I would be nervous buying a used boat where it was removed. That said there are plenty of optimist that would buy a used boat bragging how the generator had low hours and thinking they could get it running well. I had issues in the beginning with my Kohler. 1st year with the 5ecd. But after that was dealt with has been good. The tech said run it under load at least every 3 weeks for an hour and he said it will run fine.
 
The generator on the boat I owned prior to this one had 9 hours on it when I bought it. The boat was a 2006 and that was in 2020, so 14 years old. Thank god I got a survey and paid a Genny guy to go thru it pre-sale. It was a mess. It vibrated on start up, turned out to be a bearing/rod/shaft of some kind from sitting too long. Plus numerous other parts had to be replaced. PO was not happy about that.
 
I have about 1400 hours on my gen. Thus far, it has only required routine maintenance. I have owned it for 17 years. Many years it has sat unused for 6 months or longer, with no ill effects.

Keep good fuel in your tanks, the lines and the carburetor, and they can be used just like your mains. There is nothing unique about a generator that requires use any differently than the mains.

I know some gens have issues with sensors like temp, pressures, coolant levels, etc. When they fail, and the gen won't run, or runs poorly, people commonly assume it wasn't run enough. It often has nothing to do with it.
 
Just before we go out I start the engines and then the gen. By the time the sun shades are down and the shore power is disconnected the gen is warmed up and making volts. It will run until we are at our destination and on shore power. The ice stays frozen, food chilled and having AC on keeps the helm deck pleasant. With the hardtop and glass all around, the minute we stop moving it heats right up if there is no wind, so AC is a real plus.
 
It sure seems the consensus is to leave it in, so thats what I'm going to do. This is my 5th boat but first "big" boat, we bought it two years ago and I'm still learning it.

Has anyone had any luck hiring someone to work on a gen set?? I'm on an inland lake so I don't know if it'd be worth a coastal guys time to drive to look at it. My marina won't mess with it and I'm sure Kohler will be of no help. I've done the high temp sensor, low oil pressure, new plugs and impeller, disco'd the remote switch and 3-4 other things I've found have worked for people, no luck. It just drives me NUTS that such a large component doesen't work. I'm the OCD guy with maintaining my boats and I'm out of ideas. With no spark maybe I'll order a board for it see if I luck out and go from there.
 
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