Impossible to Fix Westerbeke? 7.6BTD mocks all repair efforts!

[Tspringer]

Grrrrr It appears I now have a nice shiny great running and power generating Westerbeke 7.6BTD diesel generator that no matter what overheats within 20 minutes of starting. It is a giant great looking piece of GARBAGE in my lazarette. Worthless POS Boat is a Beneteau 473 - 2006. Not too thrilled with her either. Maybe they deserve each other.

I am at the end of the road on it. EVERYTHING has been done. Cleared out the thru-hull and valve - with the hose off and the valve open water floods in as it should. I removed the raw water intake hose, flushed it out and verified no blockage. Strainer fully removed, cleaned out and made to look like new. Hose from strainer to generator intake removed, flushed, verified clear. Entire raw water intake fitting at generator disassembled, cleaned and reinstalled. water pump">Raw water pump removed, disassembled, new impeller and reassembled. All hoses flushed and clear. Heat Exchanger cleaned and flushed - verified clear.

STILL it will not spit water out the exhaust as it should and the engine slowly overheats such that after 15 minutes it is approaching 200 degrees and after 30 minutes the auto shut down overheat is triggered. Some smoke out the exhaust. Some water out the exhaust - in small spurts - but nowhere near what it is supposed to be.

This all started with a clogged intake thru-hull and valve. The boat was in Brunswick GA all last summer, growth and debris clogged up the thru hull intake badly. BUT I discovered that, cleared it and now there is no question that plenty of water flows in at the thru hull. Gushes in fact.

I am at a loss. I considered removing the raw water injection fitting at the exhaust elbow and even the entire exhaust system but doing so may require a sawz-all and literally cutting out the starboard aft cockpit seating area to a giant hole. I think I would rather cut the thru hull hoses and watch her sink. In 15,000 feet of water minimum.

So, in the Bahamas... family arrives in 8 days for a planned great Exumas trip - no generator.

Anyone want to buy a 473 with an anchor weight that looks like a generator in the aft lazarette?

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

Grrrrr It appears I now have a nice shiny great running and power generating Westerbeke 7.6BTD diesel generator that no matter what overheats within 20 minutes of starting. It is a giant great looking piece of GARBAGE in my lazarette. Worthless POS Boat is a Beneteau 473 - 2006. Not too thrilled with her either. Maybe they deserve each other.

I am at the end of the road on it. EVERYTHING has been done. Cleared out the thru-hull and valve - with the hose off and the valve open water floods in as it should. I removed the raw water intake hose, flushed it out and verified no blockage. Strainer fully removed, cleaned out and made to look like new. Hose from strainer to generator intake removed, flushed, verified clear. Entire raw water intake fitting at generator disassembled, cleaned and reinstalled. Raw water pump removed, disassembled, new impeller and reassembled. All hoses flushed and clear. Heat Exchanger cleaned and flushed - verified clear.

STILL it will not spit water out the exhaust as it should and the engine slowly overheats such that after 15 minutes it is approaching 200 degrees and after 30 minutes the auto shut down overheat is triggered. Some smoke out the exhaust. Some water out the exhaust - in small spurts - but nowhere near what it is supposed to be.

This all started with a clogged intake thru-hull and valve. The boat was in Brunswick GA all last summer, growth and debris clogged up the thru hull intake badly. BUT I discovered that, cleared it and now there is no question that plenty of water flows in at the thru hull. Gushes in fact.

I am at a loss. I considered removing the raw water injection fitting at the exhaust elbow and even the entire exhaust system but doing so may require a sawz-all and literally cutting out the starboard aft cockpit seating area to a giant hole. I think I would rather cut the thru hull hoses and watch her sink. In 15,000 feet of water minimum.

So, in the Bahamas... family arrives in 8 days for a planned great Exumas trip - no generator.

Anyone want to buy a 473 with an anchor weight that looks like a generator in the aft lazarette?

Hi, with all the work done on the raw water side of the cooling system but still no water out the exhaust tells me that the water pump is not priming, have you tried priming the system at the exhaust elbow connection making sure that it is filled to the pump and likewise on the suction side at the strainer? Short of that I can offer nothing else.
Out of curiosity, the pump plumbing has been correctly reconnected hasn't it.

[Tspringer]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Hi, with all the work done on the raw water side of the cooling system but still no water out the exhaust tells me that the water pump is not priming, have you tried priming the system at the exhaust elbow connection making sure that it is filled to the pump and likewise on the suction side at the strainer? Short of that I can offer nothing else.
Out of curiosity, the pump plumbing has been correctly reconnected hasn't it.

The plumbing has all been correctly re-connected. I could do it blindfolded at this point.

Water DOES come out the exhaust, just not enough. It trickles a tiny stream and then spurts a small jet every now and then. It should be a constant stream with large gushing jets every 10 seconds or so. So some water is flowing but nowhere near enough.

I have filled the system at the strainer to prime the pump. I cannot do the same at the exhaust elbow as the brilliant guys at Beneteau installed the genset such that access to the fitting and hose is functionally impossible. Sawz-all job.... now were back to just sinking her, its easier.

I may get creating and junk some of the factory installation and setup.

An idea that was shared with me and I like -- crap can the Westerbeke setup and Beneteau installation and install an below waterline strainer and electric pump that feeds directly to the heat exchanger. Perhaps to a larger better flowing heat exchanger that is bulkhead mounted and plumbed to the generator box.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

The plumbing has all been correctly re-connected. I could do it blindfolded at this point.

Water DOES come out the exhaust, just not enough. It trickles a tiny stream and then spurts a small jet every now and then. It should be a constant stream with large gushing jets every 10 seconds or so. So some water is flowing but nowhere near enough.

I have filled the system at the strainer to prime the pump. I cannot do the same at the exhaust elbow as the brilliant guys at Beneteau installed the genset such that access to the fitting and hose is functionally impossible. Sawz-all job.... now were back to just sinking her, its easier.

I may get creating and junk some of the factory installation and setup.

An idea that was shared with me and I like -- crap can the Westerbeke setup and Beneteau installation and install an below waterline strainer and electric pump that feeds directly to the heat exchanger. Perhaps to a larger better flowing heat exchanger that is bulkhead mounted and plumbed to the generator box.

OK, given that, can you disconnect the pump output hose and using another length of hose to a bucket or whatever, run the engine just long enough to see how much water is pumped through the pump. If the flow is miserable then the problem is between the through hull and the pump, if the flow is good then the problem is downstream of the pump, possibly a somewhat blocked heat exchanger tube stack.
I know that it is a PITA but there really is no other place to look.
I think the electric alternative is a very good one, especially if set up so that the pump only runs when power is being produced.
Good luck.

[Tspringer]

The heat exchanger is not blocked - I cleaned it out tube by tube with a mirror and some gun cleaning tools including tiny rod with bristles just the right size. Pretty sure its not blocked.

Exhaust elbow fitting. Also - how about the anti-siphon? Could something blocked there be a cause?

I may have to un-bold the entire generator from its mounts, slide it backwards, lay across the top of it and then upside down try to undo the heat exchanger hose fitting with one finger.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

The heat exchanger is not blocked - I cleaned it out tube by tube with a mirror and some gun cleaning tools including tiny rod with bristles just the right size. Pretty sure its not blocked.

Exhaust elbow fitting. Also - how about the anti-siphon? Could something blocked there be a cause?

I may have to un-bold the entire generator from its mounts, slide it backwards, lay across the top of it and then upside down try to undo the heat exchanger hose fitting with one finger.

Given this then the checking of the flow directly after the pump will tell you a lot, and easier than extended boat yoga.

[ttex]

Im a swimming pool equipment repair guy and not a diesel mechanic so maybe my view point is useless here but you sound sufficiently desperate.

Sounds to me like you are getting air into the pump. Or the impeller is clogged or damaged.

Sorry, that is the best I got.

[skipmac]

When I run into a problem that is not fixable by logical methods the ONLY method I have found to find the source of the problem is to start at one end and work my way step by step through the system until I reach the point of failure. It can be a pain but guaranteed you will at least isolate where the problem starts.

Seems like you have a good beginning already. You verify plenty of raw water into the thru hull, to the strainer and out of the strainer. Have you removed the hose from the raw water pump to see what comes out when you run the gennie? Of course not the end of the hose attached to the pump itself but the other end and put that in a bucket. Crank gennie? Lots of water? Yes then move to the next point down the line and remove a hose. Crank Gennie. Lots of water, yes/no. Continue until you don't get lots of water. Problem is one step back.

[Bellinghamster]

My money is on plugged water injection at the exhaust elbow/riser.
Run the heat exchanger-to-exhaust raw water into a bucket for 30 seconds and see how much you get (compare with raw water flow spec if you have it). Don't run more than necessary or you'll cook your exhaust hose (if you haven't already). Then reconnect the raw water to the exhaust elbow, start the gen and catch the water coming out with the exhaust. Compare the two. If significantly less then you've got an obstruction in your elbow preventing enough raw water flow to cool the engine.

[Uncle Bob]

Have had a cooling problem twice, once was the impeller had spun the centre out of the fingers, the second was a worn cover plate that I reinstalled one hole out from its original position, allowing a small air leak that destroyed suction.

[OldGreyB]

My money is on plugged water injection at the exhaust elbow/riser.
Run the heat exchanger-to-exhaust raw water into a bucket for 30 seconds and see how much you get (compare with raw water flow spec if you have it). Don't run more than necessary or you'll cook your exhaust hose (if you haven't already). Then reconnect the raw water to the exhaust elbow, start the gen and catch the water coming out with the exhaust. Compare the two. If significantly less then you've got an obstruction in your elbow preventing enough raw water flow to cool the engine.

That!

Skipmac and Bellinghamster have sensible procedures from where you are now at. If / When you need to cut into the cockpit, then don't despair , just be proactive and cut so you can access and repair. For your family holiday time, temporarily cover with some plywood, held by S/S screws. Just ensure you cut the correct size to install a commercial access hatch later such as: https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=95813

Its only a boat and the next owner will thank you in due course

[parachute]

THe water hose can get clogged up with Calcium, take it off and smash on something hard, I used the side of a pontoon, do that and the Calcium will come out.

[Tspringer]

I am back into contortionist mode twisted up in lazarette...

Plan to remove the raw water hose going to the anti-siphon and trying to turn the hose so it can output into a bucket. Very tight space - may not be possible. If not, Ill have to return to the Marina and launch a search in Nassau for the correct size and type of water hose to put in place to run to a bucket and test. I figure maybe 50% chance of this hose existing in Nassau.

I am also going to search here in Nassau for a large electric pump and under the waterline strainer and the hardware to plumb that in line below the waterline to have a boost pump for the entire system. Problem is I think getting all that is needed in Nassau is wishful thinking. I also cannot determine how to wire the pump to turn on and off automatically when the generator is making power.

I hate this generator. My little Honda is exponentially more reliable.

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

...I also cannot determine how to wire the pump to turn on and off automatically when the generator is making power.

I hate this generator. My little Honda is exponentially more reliable.

That's what god made relays for.

If the genny is 16 years old and hasn't had the elbow cleaned or changed, I'd bet on that being clogged with rust or scale or both.

The good thing is that there are (or should be) only three things holding it on, a V-clamp, the raw water supply hose clamp, and the exhaust hose clamp.

The bad things you seem already aware of...

[Bellinghamster]

An additional thought on the bucket idea... poke the hose under the surface of the water in the bucket - if you see air bubbles then you know sucking air into the system somewhere.