Kohler 8EOZ Generator

[Jgutten]

Changing the zinc in the Kohler 8EOZ generator. Very inconvenient to change. When I pulled the zinc, there was no zinc attached to it. I hope there's no too much corrosion to the heat exchanger.

Anyone have any hints on changing the zinc. It's a Mainship 400. Tight fit back there.

 

[porman]

Yes, it's a tight fit but it is possible. I have good access to the front and injector pump side of the engine. If anything goes wrong on the other side I'm in trouble. Check out this website for more information. http://scyr.org/stellablue/index.php/systems/15-genset-electrical/44-genset

 

[ranger58sb]

I can't speak to the Mainship installation, but I have the same genset.

Helps to open up the right side cabinet door, if you have the sound shield. I've also removed one of the raw water hoses first, to improve access. Can't remember which end of which hose, off-hand, but I pick the one that's easiest to reattach when the time comes.

I had to make notes what size socket actually fits the zinc, cause getting the socket on the bolt blind, with only fingertips from both sides, is a major pain... and it helps to know I'm actually working with the right tool... and it'll get on there eventually...

When there's "no zinc" a risk is that there really is some stub left in there... that will inhibit installation of the new zinc. One solution is to take the end cap off the heat exchanger, actually slightly easier than it would sound... but you also have to be sure you've got a new (or good) rubber gasket on hand for putting it all back together.

Another solution is to soak the heat exchanger with something like Rydlyme or Barnacle Buster. That stuff eats zincs a bit, at least sometimes well enough so you can push the old zinc stub out of the way... and it's also does a good job cleaning the raw water passages of the heat exchanger, not a bad thing to do periodically anyway.

Otherwise, near as I can tell, it's just a matter of patience...

-Chris

 

[Jgutten]

Here's what I ended up doing. I ordered the factory zinc for the Kohler 8EOZ. It wouldn't fit. Nothing was in there, it just wouldn't fit. So....I put the zinc on a grinding wheel and took off some of the diameter and presto. It fit.

While I was at it, I took off the gnarly gasket on the end of the heat exchanger and bought new gasket material. Installed that but I cut the hole in the center for the screw too large and it leaked. Made a new one and it's good.

Typical boat project. Something that should have taken a half hour ended up taking 3 hours.

 

[Tom.B]

Here's what I ended up doing. I ordered the factory zinc for the Kohler 8EOZ. It wouldn't fit. Nothing was in there, it just wouldn't fit. So....I put the zinc on a grinding wheel and took off some of the diameter and presto. It fit.

I hate to say it, but that is PROBABLY because there is a lot of old zinc corrosion and a mostly clogged heat exchanger.

 

[Seevee]

Jeff,

Can appreciate what you're saying. I have the identical set up and overall, very happy with my Kohler genny.

I removed my sound shield and it's not going back on. I have "reasonable" access to maintain it, change hoses, belts, etc.

That zinc is a bitch, but not impossible.

Removing the whole heat exchanger isn't horribly bad, a perhaps something that should be done occasionally.

 

[Tom.B]

Jeff,

Can appreciate what you're saying. I have the identical set up and overall, very happy with my Kohler genny.

I removed my sound shield and it's not going back on. I have "reasonable" access to maintain it, change hoses, belts, etc.

That zinc is a bitch, but not impossible.

Removing the whole heat exchanger isn't horribly bad, a perhaps something that should be done occasionally.

I just received the parts to do that very thing yesterday.



My access issue is going to be the starter. We'll see how that goes. I am not looking forward to it. I am sure there will be some metal modification of the sound shield in my future.

 

[Jgutten]

I took the end cap off the heat exchanger and fished around for the old zinc. Didn't feel it but that doesn't mean it's not in there or maybe gone? Anyways, got a new one in there.

In my boat, the genset is an essential piece of equipment to cruising. If I need to anchor, no genset, no frig because I don't have an inverter and the battery will only last overnight with the 12v frig.

 

[Seevee]

I took the end cap off the heat exchanger and fished around for the old zinc. Didn't feel it but that doesn't mean it's not in there or maybe gone? Anyways, got a new one in there.

In my boat, the genset is an essential piece of equipment to cruising. If I need to anchor, no genset, no frig because I don't have an inverter and the battery will only last overnight with the 12v frig.

Jeff,

I consider the inverter essential also, however, one can get along without if they don't need to run any 110v appliances when without power. This probably means computer, perhaps some TVs, micro, coffee maker, etc. But there are workarounds.

When your charger fails, consider putting in an inverter.

You might also consider updating your battery bank. I've got (4) 6v Lifeline batteries (series and parallel), which give me 220a (half the battery power). That's not a lot but plenty for an overnight, run the 12v fridge and a 12v freezer/cooler, make coffee and micro lunch.

So, I've had many overnights where I get all of the above done, start the engine and carry on. Now, if I hang there all day, I'll crank the genny, OR, if my next leg is relative short and not enough time to top the batteries, I'll plan on running the genny at the next stop.

However, I've gotten along for five days, no genny and all on the hook.

 

[Jgutten]

Seevee,

My battery charger just failed one month ago and I decided to just replace it and not go with an inverter. My thought was, I'll just start the genset.

 

[jbbmillar]

I removed the heat exchanger, cleaned it and had a new fitting welded in that I could access. In hindsight I would move the location a little because it is still behind a hose. There are pictures on the Yahoo Mainship site, or I might be able to post here.

 

[Dougcole]

Hey Jeff,


As I have posted other times, I removed my sound shield from my genset for this exact reason. Well, this and other access issues for routine work. It helps a lot, though I still have to pull off the hose that is in the way. Regular, off the shelf zincs fit fine in mine.


I don't miss the shield at all. It's louder than it was if you are in the cockpit with the engine running, but very little difference if you are below with the door closed, which we are usually when the genset is running. If we run the genset we generally run the AC.


I upgraded my house bank to 4 6V GC a few years back. I can easily go 24 hours without starting the genset and still be at over a 50% charge. If it is not hot, we run the genset a couple of hours a day while we cook, make water, whatever. It keeps us nicely charged.

 

[Seevee]

Seevee,

My battery charger just failed one month ago and I decided to just replace it and not go with an inverter. My thought was, I'll just start the genset.

And nothing wrong with that. And inverter install is expensive. I like it because it allows me to charge things like computers, run the RV, charge my headsets, run the micro, coffee maker, etc.

There are other solutions to most of the above.

 

[ranger58sb]

BTW...

There is a potential flaw in the 8EOZ fuel filter assembly. The feed fitting elbow is simply pressed into the filter receiver elbow... and when that sucker pops out of the receiver elbow while the genset is running... a) it might not pop out far enough to reduce flow enough that b) the engine stops, and c) either way, a boatload of diesel can end up in the bilge.

(You can guess how I know this. You can also guess how much help Kohler and Yanmar were, as I looked for ways to eliminate the risk or improve the system.)

I wasn't able to find a replacement spin-on or canister filter that would mount properly within the sound shield... so I simply replaced the original with a new one of the same... but our diesel guy here suggested the filter is so tiny anyway that it's likely not doing much, and I could probably just eliminate it altogether, just rely on the Racor.

I'll probably do that, next time I service the unit. I have a garden tractor at home with a similar Yanmar diesel, it runs fine on a single filter... so I expect the Yanmar in the 8EOZ would be fine that way, too. I guess I could switch from 30 to 10 micron filter elements in the Racor, see if the engine runs OK on that...

-Chris

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. 42. "... feed fitting elbow is simply pressed into..." Might you be able to tap the filter receiver elbow and install a pipe nipple and then a hose barb? Looks like a 1/4" NPT might be the size.

 

[porman]

Thank you ranger, I'll be down at the boat today and will take a look at that. Good idea RTF.

 

[ranger58sb]

Yes, I think tapping might be possible... but I think the metal, the top part of the filter housing, is just pot metal of some sort... so I dunno if that'd be any better than simply eliminating the filter altogether.

-Chris