marine generator

dougyes · September 17, 2011, 07:14:44 PM

I saw a few good deals on water cooled marine generators in Florida. They cool with sea water and have no radiators. Could a remote radiator and electric fan be hooked to these for bus use?

robertglines1 · September 17, 2011, 07:18:49 PM

several have done it. would prefer one that had not been used in salt water. But there is no reason not to. They are efficient and usually quiet and high quality. Bob

luvrbus · September 17, 2011, 07:31:26 PM

Most of the marine generators are cooled with a heat exchanger only the manifold and exchanger uses the raw water which is ok if the generator has been cooled with direct raw water through the engine stay away from it but raw water cooling is not that common on generators same with the main engines

good luck

oldmansax · September 18, 2011, 05:05:01 AM

I'm using a Westerbeake 8 KW in my Bluebird right now. Only problems I have had is it ran hot until I got all the air out of the system and I need bigger vibration isolators.

TOM

TomC · September 18, 2011, 07:36:15 AM

Virtually all marine Diesel generators started life out as radiator cooled gensets. Then the water cooled exhaust manifold, raw water to coolant heat exchanger, and raw water pump were added to make it suitable for boat use. No reason why you couldn't remove all those and buy a non water cooled exhaust manifold, a radiator with 120vac fan to convert it back. I have never seen a Diesel genset raw water cooled (have seen gasoline gensets raw water cooled-but then gasoline gensets don't last as long as Diesel gensets). Good Luck, TomC

luvrbus · September 18, 2011, 07:50:43 AM

Lot of the Navigator generators in marine use are raw water cooled and believe it or not they have the best warranty out there 5 years or 5000 hrs done with a Isuzu engine they are about the only ones I know of that uses raw water without a exchanger.
I have only saw those on fresh water lakes in boats

good luck

jjrbus · September 18, 2011, 08:53:51 AM

BTDT would not do it a second time! Better to spend the time and effort on finding a non salt environment genset.

gus · September 18, 2011, 01:33:06 PM

Like Tom, I have a Westerbeake 8 KW in my 4107 with a remote radiator, and had the same heating problems at first. I'm now installing a 256 CFM blower to keep it cool because my gen compartment is poorly vented. All my vents are in the floor, none in the door, so it has no good natural vent air flow.

You need only remove the heat exchanger and reroute the cooling hoses, it is not necessary to remove the water cooled exh manifold.

The Westerbeke is very high quality and priced new accordingly but I got mine used at a very good price from a boat salvage yard. Parts prices are atrocious!!

oldmansax · September 18, 2011, 04:24:22 PM

Quote from: gus on September 18, 2011, 01:33:06 PM
Like Tom, I have a Westerbeake 8 KW in my 4107 with a remote radiator, and had the same heating problems at first. I'm now installing a 256 CFM blower to keep it cool because my gen compartment is poorly vented. All my vents are in the floor, none in the door, so it has no good natural vent air flow.

My over heating problems were caused by air in the system. After I installed a vent in the radiator & bled the system, problems went away. My radiator is remote, & horizontally mounted. I am cooling it with a 12 volt AC condenser fan off an old Chrysler. It hasn't been over 170F lately.

TOM

gus · September 19, 2011, 01:24:07 PM

I had the coolant air problem also at first but the installer added a couple of engine bleeder valves that solved that. This was in cool Seattle in Aug.

My first overheating problem happened in ID at 94* but only when stopped. I removed the gen door and uncovered two covered holes in the floor which solved the immediate problem but I still shut it down when stopped just in case.

I still plan to install the blower which I am sure will permanently solve the problem.

Why is your radiator horizontal, seems to me this will collect a lot of crud?