Fischer Panda Genset

[Simister]

I have a 4000 FC Panda Genset. I have had a lot of problems with. It has only got 280 hours and I have had to have the head valve seats re built, new valves, new water pump, new rings and 3 new exhaust elbows. The list goes on and on. I have so far spent around $5000 on repairs.

Has anyone else had any issues with the Exhaust Elbow getting very pitted and forming small holes. I am now about to purchase the 3rd elbow and the engine has only go 280 hours. I am not impressed.

If I know what I do now I would never have purchased this genset.

John

[djmarchand]

The F-P gensets are a perfect example of beautiful German overengineering. The Farymann engine on the small genset is particularly bad.

Cut your losses and sell it to some unsuspecting schmuck. If you have to have the small, compact size then replace it with a NextGen. Otherwise a 3 cylinder, 1,800 rpm unit. Northern Lights is one of the best.

David

[Finistere]

Originally Posted by djmarchand

The F-P gensets are a perfect example of beautiful German overengineering. The Farymann engine on the small genset is particularly bad.

Cut your losses and sell it to some unsuspecting schmuck. If you have to have the small, compact size then replace it with a NextGen. Otherwise a 3 cylinder, 1,800 rpm unit. Northern Lights is one of the best.

David

I have a Entec West with a Faryman engine, no problems after 600 hrs, great little Generator.

[DRS]

I have almost 1000 hours on a 7KW F-P. They only issues I have had are the water pump">raw water pump and that's more a function of the genset placement and the lift and length of hose from the raw water intake. Mine has been a good little unit.

[sailinglegend]

I have the DC version of the FP 4000 and have had the same problems - BUT I have discovered that the installation was at fault!!!

The problem comes from water getting back up into the exhaust elbow and into the engine. FP's instructions for fitting the waterlock was covered in one small paragraph in my manual. In their later manuals their recommendations go to 16 pages!!!

The problem happens when the boat is sailing and healing over. If the waterlock is not 600mm directly under the generator then depending on the angle of heal water can get back up to the waterlock and into the engine. This has happened twice to me. The more the waterlock is not inline with the genny then the worse the problem may be.

Also if the engine is not used overwinter then salty air from the water in the waterlock gets circulated up into the exhaust and valves.

If you carefully read the maintenance manual for these Kubota engines there are clear instructions about what should be done - sometimes every 50 hours! I suspect nobody does this.

One instruction is to empty the waterlock when winterizing the engine. I now do this everytime I have run the engine. If access to the tap is not easy connect an extension pipe so you can get to it. I have now re-installed my waterlock and added an extra Vetus one to give more volume.

Instead of buying new exhaust elbows that seem to use very low grade S/S I had mine remade in Turkey with A4 S/S for just 90 Euros instead of about 500 Euros for a new one.

I also freshwater flush the genny if I know it will not be used for a month. This stops salt water deposits in the rectifier cooling block which finally causes overheating and needs cleaning out.

I'm afraid this is what you get for a very small - quiet -"over engineered" generator - at least I have managed to do all the work on the engine myself so my repair costs have been very low.

[Simister]

The waterlock on my unit is directly below the genset around the 600ml. However, I have had the same suspicions of the salty air from the exhaust getting around the exhaust valve and causing corrosion. The engine on this model is a Farryman single cylinder.

[sailinglegend]

Originally Posted by Simister

The waterlock on my unit is directly below the genset around the 600ml. However, I have had the same suspicions of the salty air from the exhaust getting around the exhaust valve and causing corrosion. The engine on this model is a Farryman single cylinder.

It was Fischer Panda UK who said this was a problem - so they said empty the waterlock every time.

[barnakiel]

I had plenty of trouble with two units. One failed to work, it was a brand new unit installed by FP service. The other got continuous trouble with heat exchange corroding thru.

I believe some units may be very good ones, but the ones I used were ...

b.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by djmarchand

The F-P gensets are a perfect example of beautiful German overengineering. The Farymann engine on the small genset is particularly bad.

Cut your losses and sell it to some unsuspecting schmuck. If you have to have the small, compact size then replace it with a NextGen. Otherwise a 3 cylinder, 1,800 rpm unit. Northern Lights is one of the best.

David

David, any comments on the longevity of the Kubota 1 cylinder engine used in the Nexgen? I'm a little concerned it wouldn't last that long.