Paguro Generators - Any Information

[skipperpete]

You’re in a good part of the world for spares, do a web search for “Farymann” of Germany and if you need to read a workshop manual try”Marine diesel basics” they have a library of free service manuals available online. They have two different speed governors....variable speed for propulsion engines and constant speed for generators,make sure you get a generator model ( or else swap out the governors)

[Exile410]

Originally Posted by crayiii

I know this thread is very old but it comes up high on the list in Google when Paguro is searched.

I would never recommend anyone purchase a Paguro generator. We are on the second engine (first one lasted a couple hundred hours) and now after another hundred hours, the new one fails to run.

Getting help from Paguro is almost impossible. We're now tied to a dock while Paguro's authorized technicians look at the unit. They have no idea what's wrong and get very little support from the manufacturer.

It's a cheap generator because it's a low quality generator at least in our experience. Lesson learned.

Sorry to pop this to the top but if it saves one cruiser the headaches we've had,
it's a good thing.

Hello Crayiii

Is your paguro generator engine a yanmar?
How did the repair goes has few months pass true?

Exile

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by Exile410

Hello Crayiii

Is your paguro generator engine a yanmar?
How did the repair goes has few months pass true?

Exile

It's a lombardini engine. We're still having issues. At the moment it runs for 20 seconds then shuts off with either a high temp or low oil pressure alarm. I'm in Portland, Maine now but still can't find anyone to work on it. I'm in email contact with the company and one of their dealers to troubleshoot. Thinking it may be a bad sensor so the next challenge is finding a replacement sensor.

[Exile410]

Originally Posted by crayiii

It's a lombardini engine. We're still having issues. At the moment it runs for 20 seconds then shuts off with either a high temp or low oil pressure alarm. I'm in Portland, Maine now but still can't find anyone to work on it. I'm in email contact with the company and one of their dealers to troubleshoot. Thinking it may be a bad sensor so the next challenge is finding a replacement sensor.

It just confirm that your experience didn’t improve!
I am looking to add a small generator that will just back my needs automatically and at a low cost..
what would be your choice this morning if you add the choice of buying a new one?

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by Exile410

It just confirm that your experience didn’t improve!
I am looking to add a small generator that will just back my needs automatically and at a low cost..
what would be your choice this morning if you add the choice of buying a new one?

I'm looking into a 6kw northern lights unit.

It's just hard to give up at this point. I hate the thought of losing the money in this very low hour generator and spending another $15000 on a new one.

[Streetcar]

Originally Posted by Streetcar

Overall the engine and the generator are very reliable. However I recently discovered some issues which gave me cause for concern.

For the last 2.5 years I have been on extended cruising with family. I am using the genset for 1 to 2 hours a day to charge and make water. It has 1,392 hours logged, mostly in the last 2.5 years. It was installed in 2005.


I have always carried out service according to the manual. I have worked as a professional yacht captain and have somewhere in the region of 150,000 miles, much of it in remote areas where keeping equipment running is a way of life. So I understand what I should expect from marine equipment.


I recently removed the genset from its installation and casing in order to be able to inspect and check the wiring and hoses. This is the first time I have had all-round access to the unit. I understand that this is the first time the unit has been removed since installation.

The problems I found are mostly associated with chafing and vibration. The engine is a single cylinder engine and consequently may vibrate more than a 2 or 4 cylinder engine.

Specifically:

- The fuel hose had almost chaffed through where it passes through the casing.

- The 240V cable, battery cables and control cable had all chaffed through to copper at the casing entry holes.

- There were no gromets or protection on any of the sharp edges of the holes in the grp casing (I think in the newer models there is now a bronze fuel connector fixed on the casing entry point).

- There were several other chafe points (through to copper) on the wiring inside the casing.

- The contents of the electrical control box on the engine had all shaken themselves loose over time.



Actually it is a testament to the genset that it still ran and produced 240V.

Also the oil strainer unit had been installed with silicon instead of the intended rubberised cork gasket, explaining a persistent oil leak. Later I found out how difficult it was to get this flange to seal with the supplied replacement gasket. This may be because the 2 fixing bolts are slightly offset from the line of symmetry through the flange. In the end I used a better quality cork gasket which works fine.

As far as I can tell the genset was installed as per the installation manual.


Of course this could all have been unique to my genset and I am only sharing my specific experience as it could be helpful to others. It is not my intention to blame anyone for these issues.

I am still using my more-than-10-year old Paguro 3000. After I put right all the issues mentioned above, it's worked fine since then... with normal maintenance (plus an new exhaust elbow). Its a Faryman engine and the engine works well. However it still astonishes me how much noise and vibration it makes.

My suggestion would be that it is a good generator for a small space, but spend time at installation checking for all the vibration related issues I found. I would also spend time thinking about how to insulate for sound and reduce vibration (maybe upgrade the engine mounts and beef up the surface on which it will be mounted).

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by crayiii

I'm looking into a 6kw northern lights unit. . . .

That's a really good idea.



Don't mess with cheap, light duty generators. It's not worth the brain damage.


Either go with a real heavy duty generator -- Northern Lights, Cummins, Kohler -- or then roll your own -- just buy a good Kubota industrial engine and hook it up to a heavy duty alternator. There is nothing which can go wrong with a home-rolled generator that you can't fix, if you rolled it yourself.



The only other generator I would ever consider would be a really simple one like NexGen or Phasor.



Complicated light duty generators like Fischer Panda or Paguro? Not in a million years. A Lombardini diesel? No way. Life is too short.

[crayiii]

Tracked down the shutdown issue to a failed exhaust temp sensor. A new one is being shipped from Italy.

Today from a stream of saltwater coming from the bottom of the water pump">raw water pump (Anchor ST106). Can't find a replacement that isn't in europe so now I need to find someone that will ship one.

Keep in mind that I have less than 200 hours on the generator.

[DockDoc]

I have the VTE PAGURO 9000 - 8.5 KW - 3600 RPM MARINE GENERATOR
I have used it for 400+ hours, the prior owner 1000+ we keep a paper log. The hour meter has never worked.
The fuel pump gasket screws constantly vibrate to loose, causing leaking around the fuel pump. I picked this up first when I noticed the pan leaking fluid which was diesel. I have to tighten every other time I run it.
It burns some, not a lot, of coolant.
Finding parts even as simple as filters, or anyone to talk to you about service in the states is next to impossible. Napa finally hooked me up with filters on their 3rd try.
Lagoon for whatever reason put a long intake hose to the sea strainer in front of the raw water impeller/pump, with a hidden (in the hull behind a closet panel) back check valve. This had no strainer in front of it and became clogged causing the paguro to overheat. I cut the hose and put in a strainer and now it is solved, but something to watch out for. I must have torn apart the water pump 15 times thinking the problem was there.
I did hear that Kohler bought out Lombardini, no facts to support that, and the Kohler techs act like they never heard of Paguro or Lombardini.

[crayiii]

These guys in Florida https://www.mastry.com/ have been a huge help with all my Paguro 9000 issues. They can ship you the parts you're looking for.

I noticed white smoke (just a little) out the exhaust last week. I'll dig into that issue... Or maybe I'll just ignore it. Under 300 hours on mine.

[DockDoc]

DO NOT ignore it. I had the same issue anchored in Nantucket. People said "oh you're used to warm water that's just condensation from the cold air and water it's nothing"

It got worse over a few days while we were waiting on crew to fly in.

I tore down the water pump (no clue how many times) convinced I had an impeller issue, gasket leak, breach in the head gasket, etc. I could tell the motor was over heating as coolant was boiling out the overflow.

I eventually tracked it back to a clogged check valve, once cleared I restarted it and, no smoke, no overheating, no problem. NOW I know what proper water flow looks thru the sea strainer. Before I thought the anemic little sips coming thru were 'normal' versus the gyser I now have. I put an inline strainer in front of the raw water check valve too.

Thanks for the link. Im looking for an anode. boatzincs.com cant find one.

[crayiii]

I have the same boat as you. Do you have photos of the check valve and where you installed the strainer?

Nantucket is where I noticed it as well!

[DockDoc]

If you have the OV then the feed to the generator's strainer is in the bilge just aft of the starboard head. Pop off the floor hatch and look down there, they should be labeled. The hose you want goes towards midship and upwards. The closet should be just to your left, facing forward. That closet has removable panels, you can access nav station electronics from there as well. Take off the back panels until you see the raw water inlet hose that runs to the generator. I am assuming your genny is in the forward locker starboard side. In the middle of that line, and it should be visible after you take off the panels is the back flow check valve. 4 hose clamps hold it on. I had forceps and I cleaned mine out really well, it had a lot of sea grass in it. Afterward I cut the hose about 1 foot from the sea cock and installed a simple see-thru inline strainer to prevent me from having to get back into the closet.

I am sorry I don't have pics at the moment.

[crayiii]

Great! My guess is sea grass is clogging mine as well since the strainer by the generator empties out when I **** it down

[DockDoc]

If the sea strainer empties when you start the generator, and it seems the inflow side isn't keeping up, I'll bet $100 you've got a clogged check valve. Lemme know how it goes.