Westerbeke Generator Troubles

[LADY G 290]

Hello,I am in need of some help on my Gen. It is a Westerbeke
Model 4.5BCGB ,a 1999 vintage with mech governor. It has 800
hours on it. The trouble that i am having is that it started to
surge on start up. I found that if I shut it down right away and then restarted that it would then run smooth. I used it this way
all last summer and didn't think it severe enough to warrant
service. It would sometimes take several start and stop cycles
doing this to smooth out but it always worked. I have the operator's manual and it doesn't really give a procedure as far as making any adj to the governor,just what each adj does.
I tried to remove a "no load surge" and this seemed to help.
Last trip the gen was running fine and we had the microwave
on and the speed suddenly came up and the voltage on the
remote panel showed the meter pegged past the 150V range.
I used the increase/decreasre adj and finally got it to run slower. I am not sure that I actually brought it down or it came down on it's own. I then found that the microwave was dead.
I let it cool and then was able to use it again. The next day while doing the vacuuming it did this speed up thing again. This happens with no surging first, it just speeds up on it's own. Can someone help before I really damage something?

 

[Scupper Guppy]

Sounds like you need a Westerbeke dealer to help with your generator problems. Unless you have knowlege of engine systems and electricity, and have the proper meters to diagnose and adjust everything, it will be difficult to get it running & putting out power like it should.

But I'm sure others here will try to walk you through it!

 

[sr330daguy]

Check the oil level in the govenor.

 

[thunderbird1]

We encountered a similar problem with our 5.0Kw Low CO Westerbeke (installed 2006). Our generator would "hunt" with a medium load and then eventually shut down. While the root cause was never determined, our dealer discovered faulty engine parts and replaced electronic components -- the issue was difficult even for a professional to diagnose. I agree with the above poster that you should contact a Westerbeke dealer.

 

[PlayDate]

You are on the right track with the mechanical governor it manages engine speed. The oil needs to be changed in the governor every 250 hours. Failure to do so can cause it to behave as you describe. Even though the unit is mechanical, it still can fail and create overspeed/surging issues.

-John

 

[fc3]

What John said. I've been though the 4.5BCGTC as shown below. Tune the engine, plugs, cap and rotor so that you start with ignition in a known good condition. Then change the governor's oil. You should remove the governor to do this. While the governor is off the engine, clean the linkages on the carburetor especially the throttle linkages. Lubricate them with a dry lube as recommended in the service manual. Finally adjust the governor. The procedure is given in the service manual. You can order the service manual from a Westerbeke distributor. Don't know where you are located, so can't tell you who is your distributor. My service manual is on the boat, so I can't give you the detailed procedure now.

Best regards,
Frank C