Before I call - Westerbeke Genny Troubleshoot?

F

footloose

Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2001
RO Number
6963
Messages
619
My gas 6.5 KW genny ran pretty well this weekend but got flakey from time to time. Sometimes it ran 2 hours with heavy load of A/C hot water heater, battery charger and such going...other times it ran for an hour and stopped on it's own.

I suspected fuel filter so I changed it out....no real difference and a tiny bit of water in the fuel. Temps are normal so it is not an overheat cut out. Oil normal so not an low oil or oil PSI problem. Water coughing all the time so not cooling.

After one stall out, I disconnected the fuel line at the carb and it was almost dry. Can the electric fuel pumps be intermittent/flakey?

Other than check for a air leak in the fuel system, what can I test/try to figure this one out?

Might get the carb rebuilt.....but I'm grasping a straws. Ideas?
 
if you find the carb is out of fuel, then the fuel supply seems to be the problem...

could be the fuel pump or it could be a problem in the wiring to the pump. bad wire, contact, etc... i don't think an air leak would allow it to run fine for a long time, it woudl shut down sooner...

try comparing how much fuel you have in the line when you shut it down manually...

coudl also be a faulty oil press/temp sensor..

i hate intermittent problems, they're a PIB !
 
When is the last time you changed the plugs? My Westerbeke was very sensitive to fouling plugs. One thing it really didn't like was sitting running without a load....it would foul plugs. Other than that it ran perfect, but if it got flaky I would change the plugs and no issue.

If you haven't changed in a while, they are cheap, quick to change, and you should change them anyway.
 
I'm quick to call "fouled plugs", but fouled plugs have very distinct symptoms: cloudy exhaust and/or a sheen on the water from the unburned fuel, surging, reduced RPM's, an inability to carry heavy loads and an uneven exhaust note.

I'm betting on a fuel issue too.
 
I had an Onan MCCK that would run an hour or so and shut down. After setting for about 20 minutes would run again. Drove me nuts,knew it was a fuel issue, would dribble afew drops into carb and would fire right up. It was the electric fuel pump. Would work for a while and would quit. Changed fuel pump and she was fine after that.
 
I am experiencing the same problem where the generator would run but would not run the air conditioner. The marina look at it and told me the capacitors were weak but not bad enough to replace. He suggested once the generator is running turn on the hot water to "energize" the capicators then the air conditioner. Worked great last weekend.
 
I'll try both - fuel pump is the original I think so .... could be flaking out. Also plugs couldnt hurt. BTW- load or no load - still dies after a varying amount of time. Wierd.
 
Looks who's back ... I know it's been a while

Time for some Genny work:

1) Looking to replace the fuel pump on my late 80's Westerbeke 6.5KW gas genny. I have the manual and can identify the Westerbeke part but chaaaaching badabing shwing ... there has to be a marine grade replacement for that thing out there somewhere.

2) Also looking to see if there is a kit out there to convert the points based distributor with electrical from say maybe the 1990's?

any experts out there who can lend some helping advice?

Be well all and Happy 4th!
 
Hey foot....good to hear from you. What's the latest?
 
quote:
Originally posted by cwms

Hey foot....good to hear from you. What's the latest?

Click to expand...


Thanks cwms - been crazy for the foots this past year, started a new business,a new job, new grand babies, and kids moving into new homes has consumed every moment so boating has been taking a back seat .... bu thope to change that soon.
 
thanks OH - any alternatives to the OEM units....VERY pricey and for all I know they just need 4-6 PSI like a generic boat pump?
 
Any substitute pump needs to be ignition protected. One would think any gasoline pump would be rated as such, just make sure.
Bill
 
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