Mass generator shut down

G

golftrek

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 21, 2012
Messages
86
Fluid Motion Model
C-248 C
Vessel Name
Banjo
Hello, we have had our 2008 R 25 for about a month now and have been running our Mase 2.5 generator with no problem until today. Today we ran it to exercise it under load with the conditioner on. Started fine but after about half an hour it quit and the code said E 82 Engine Temp. We checked and the seacock is open and water was coming out as usual. Oil level appears OK. The sea strainer looks OK. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Jim and Jo Ann. 2008 R 25 Banjo
 
Could be as simple as a sensor failure.
An infra red thermometer is a handy thing to have on board for cross checking stuff like that.
 
Does the generator have an impeller?
 
We have the same genset and to answer the post below yes it does have an impeller and this is a good place to check. With that said have you should look in the Mase manual to read what your fault code represents? This would be the telling sign to narrow things down, if you have no manual call the company to ask or check online. If it is a blown impeller your exhaust water could look steamy and the engine could be running hotter. If it is the impeller that you end up having to replace make sure you locate all the broken off pieces from inside the impeller casing area otherwise the next one could get fowled up quickly. Let us know what the fault code was for. One other thought......did it quit because of too much of a load? if so the fault code description would explain. Good luck and keep us posted.

Jim
 
I recently had a similar experience with the Mase Generator in my R-25 and it turned out that fine silt (possibly marine organisms) had plugged the fine mesh screen in the Generator's raw water strainer. This in turn led to a partial failure of the Generator's impeller pump where the rubber element separated from the shaft sleeve. The pump was still pumping but not enought to cool the unit.

If you have not already done so, close the Generator's seacock and unscrew the top of the Generator's raw water strainer (the filter screen will come off with the top) and wash it in fresh water to make sure it is clear. While you have the strainer open, briefly open the Generator's seacock to make sure the raw water feed line is open (it can get plugged with marine growth). If it is open, water will run out when you open the seacock. If you find problems on the raw water side even when you clear them you will still probably need to replace the impeller in the Generator's raw water pump.

You can make the job easier by temporarily removing the rubber feed line that runs from the heat exchanger to the raw water pump and replacing it when you are finished. If you drop one of the screws holding the impeller cover into the bilge (easy to do), they are not magnetic so just plan on replacing them. Their size is M4 - 0.70 x 8mm so you might want to have a couple on hand before you begin. Be sure and replace the O ring under the impeller's cover with the new one that comes with the replacement impeller since reusing the old one may result in a leak. One last bit of advice, the holes in the impeller cover are not symetrical. The cover will only go on one way so look at the wear pattern on the underside and you will see which ways it goes.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the info from everyone. We have the manual and it says the code is for engine overheat. We started the generator again briefly and there does not appear to be sufficient water coming out. We have talked to our local mechanic (who we already have on speed dial after only owning the boat one month!) and he thinks it is the impeller and we have ordered one. We will also check the other issues mentioned above.

JIm and Jo Ann 2008 R 25 Banjo
 
golftrek":119iziq2 said:
Thanks for the info from everyone. We have the manual and it says the code is for engine overheat. We started the generator again briefly and there does not appear to be sufficient water coming out. We have talked to our local mechanic (who we already have on speed dial after only owning the boat one month!) and he thinks it is the impeller and we have ordered one. We will also check the other issues mentioned above.

JIm and Jo Ann 2008 R 25 Banjo
Click to expand...

We found a blade of seagrass in the line to the strainer. Blocked all water flow and probably was the reason for early demise of the impeller. The strainer was clean, so now we open seacock with glass off to check flow when cleaning strainer.
 
Jim and Jo Ann.

You may want to consider ordering a couple extra impellers to keep in your " maintenance kit ".i keep 2 extra impellers for the Mase Generator and to for the Yanmar as well as a spare belt for both on board. This is in addition too spare Racors fuel filters , etc. Watch how your mechanic changes the impeller on the Mase. It is pretty easy., the engine one on the other hand ... Not so. Check and see if there is some one who can give you a basic diesel maintenance course on your boat. I think American Sailing Association (ASA) has an endorsement and will do the course on your boat and engine. You may have to rig a steadying sail on the mast to give some pretense of being a sail boat... 🙂 ! Also check your local power squadron.This will give some confidence in the what if's as well as being able to fix the easy things while on a cruise. Enjoy your tug and give us a shout if you make it to Daytona Beach area.

Frank

Ainokea

R-25 -76
 
Jim, I don't know if this has anything to do with your problem. On my previous boat that I kept in the water all the time, I learned to close my seacocks when I shutdown for the day. I found that baby eels would swim up my thru-hulls and really clog up the works when I started my engine. You just have to really remember to open the seacocks before starting your engine.
 
I had the same code showing generator overheat just two weeks ago. I was charging batteries (see my other posts about why I was doing that!). Went to bed and woke up as the bilge pump kept cycling on every couple minutes. Turned out the Sea Dog strainer was leaking around the seal under the clear plastic twist-off cover. Shutting off the raw water sea cock let me get back to sleep that night. I'm sure glad I was on the boat when it happened. It is likely that the reduced water inflow (due to the leak) is why the generator overheated.

Well, the sea strainer costs about $10 on Amazon so I ordered the same # part (#364136 5/8" strainer) that I pulled off the boat.
31BhbAIfFUL._SL500_AA300_.jpg


The correct model came but it has tubes on the size way bigger than the one in the R15. It seems to have a 5/8" inside diameter, while the old strainer that came on the boat was about 5/8" outside. You can almost shove the old strainer's input/output tube right into the tube on the new one from Amazon. The new one has a fine mesh screen (see the picture above) whereas the old one from the boat has a nice coarse screen. The fine screen is sure to clog quickly from normal goop sucked up. I checked and both have the same part number. I figured something was wrong at the factor so I ordered the next smaller SeaDog, but that one came with a fine mesh screen and too small tubes to be of use, it is #364135 with 50 mesh for 1/2" hose. To make matters worse, if you pull out the O-ring to try to match it so as to buy spares, you won't be able to get it back into its seat. It's too big!

Ach! I sure don't want to work in that engine compartment trying to force the hose from the sea cock and the generator onto the larger tubes attached to the replacement SeaDog strainer, nor do I want that fine mesh. I'll see if I can reuse the old one and maybe just stick a new clear dome from one of the new ones I bought on it to stop the leaking. Beware, keep your old parts as you may have to reuse them. NOTHING IS EASY!

PS. For those of you having difficulty twisting off the plastic tops of these things, filters, etc. Keep a set of these on board, they work great:
31FLCUwhzML._SL500_AA300_.jpg

$15 at Amazon and cheaper elsewhere, even a Walmart.
 
Those are great for the intermittent use and low volume of a washdown pump, but for the potential 24/7 running of a genset and a/c unit I changed mine out for a pair of 3/4" Groco ARGs.

501785_l.jpg
 
I agree with GulfSailor. Replace the sea strainer with a "Real" one.
 
We are the original posters. The generator is now fixed, needed a new impeller. The mechanic said that our generator had not been run very much and probably the impeller had just dried out. We have only had the boat for about six weeks. It is a 2008 and only had about 40 hours on the generator. We have dealt with a generator before in a Motorhome, we know we need to run the generator frequently under load.

As for the sea strainer, we would like top get larger sea strainers for both the generator and the air conditioner. But it does not look like we have room for larger strainers where the old small ones are. For those of you who have added the larger strainers, where did you put them?

Thanks for all the good advice.

Jim and Jo Ann. Banjo 2008 R 25
 
golftrek":zg8h8btj said:
As for the sea strainer, we would like top get larger sea strainers for both the generator and the air conditioner. But it does not look like we have room for larger strainers where the old small ones are. For those of you who have added the larger strainers, where did you put them?
Click to expand...

They go in the same general area, but you're unlikely to be able to just attach them to the same hoses, so budget for replacements that are a few feet longer
Also consider the connectors to the new strainers. Changing a straight for a 90 can make a huge difference to where you can position them.
 
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