Quick Fixes

[hmason]

While cruising south from CT to FL, we anchor most nights and use our genset for cooking, refrigeration, inverter battery bank charging etc. Needless to say we are quite dependent on our generator. I was surprised when I pushed the stop button at the helm, the generator kept running. I went to the ER and pushed the stop button on the generator itself with the same result.

My first thought was to remove the sound shield cover and have a look before shutting the fuel supply off. I found that the plunger on the solenoid had become disconnected from the fuel shut off lever. I went to reattach it and discovered that the threaded plastic fitting that the plunger screws into had split in half. We were far from any parts supplier so I thought about how to fix it.

My first reaction was to tape the split fitting together with Rescue Tape. I cut a length of the tape down the middle to make it the same width as the split fitting and wound it tightly into position. It has now been working for two weeks flawlessly and the heat from the generator seems to fuse the Rescue Tape together even more firmly.

I think it would make an interesting thread if others could chime in with quick fixes they have used. You never know when you might need a quick fix.

 

[hmason]

An afterthought to my OP. What if this situation occurred and the generator was overheating or low on oil. It would not shutdown and could destroy itself or cause a fire. I wonder if there is a redundant system or is this a design flaw?

 

[rardoin]

Not ON a boat but UNDER one! When I was about 15 years old....was on my open water SCUBA check out dive when the ex saturation diver instructor was testing me on buddy breathing (for the third or fourth time). As I wrongfully had become complacent with him he took my regulator from me as I offered it to him. I mistakenly did not maintain firm control of it and he swam around behind me and grabbed onto my back. I waited for about 30 seconds for him to return it and fuss but he held on. At that point I unplugged my high pressure line to my BC and pushed the Schrader valve against my upper canine tooth to get quick breaths and waited him out. After another minute or so he spun me around quickly expecting to see me a little more blue than expected at 80ft. only to see my grin. I thought I was really slick...he did not think so as he scolded me hard for releasing my regulator.

 

[DavidM]

An afterthought to my OP. What if this situation occurred and the generator was overheating or low on oil. It would not shutdown and could destroy itself or cause a fire. I wonder if there is a redundant system or is this a design flaw?

Since the shutdown solenoid gets tested every time you use the generator, it seems pretty safe to me. There is no redundant system. There is a limit to how much fool proof stuff you can design into something and I think that the current system meets that limit.

David

 

[Ski in NC]

When I was about 10yr old in the early 70's, my Dad and his buds bought an old wooden cruiser with an ancient flathead six gasser. Fixed it up, got it running, and on maiden voyage headed to new port on the Chesapeake Bay. 50 miles into the trip impeller went out. We were towing a skiff, and now skiff was towing us. No spare impeller, so that was that.

I got to looking around and then rigged something up: Hooked up bilge pump to engine, then cracked open sea cock. Water rose in bilge, then pump came on. Started the engine and it stayed cool up to a modest rpm. Waved down the skiff and it got back behind us. Worked fine all the way to the new port. Just had to modulate the seacock to keep bilge level under control.

 

[Giggitoni]

Howard,

The same happened to me with my Onan 8.0 MDKD-3CR/1B generator a few years back. I didn't have Rescue Tape but had a supply of different-sized cable ties. I tightened a small cable tie around the cracked plastic threaded piece and all was good. So good, I forgot about it for a year or so and finally replaced the rigged fix with a new part.

 

[hmason]

Howard,

The same happened to me with my Onan 8.0 MDKD-3CR/1B generator a few years back. I didn't have Rescue Tape but had a supply of different-sized cable ties. I tightened a small cable tie around the cracked plastic threaded piece and all was good. So good, I forgot about it for a year or so and finally replaced the rigged fix with a new part.

I have the same model generator. I'll keep the wire tie solution in my bag of tricks as well.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

I've used a life preserver strap as a fan belt.

 

[caltexflanc]

Stripped the threads on a Perko strainer lid; used a set of wood clamps to hold it together for a couple of weeks until we got back to civilization. Have used chewing gum as a low temp gasket sealer.

 

[BobH]

When I was about 10yr old in the early 70's, my Dad and his buds bought an old wooden cruiser with an ancient flathead six gasser. Fixed it up, got it running, and on maiden voyage headed to new port on the Chesapeake Bay. 50 miles into the trip impeller went out. We were towing a skiff, and now skiff was towing us. No spare impeller, so that was that.

I got to looking around and then rigged something up: Hooked up bilge pump to engine, then cracked open sea cock. Water rose in bilge, then pump came on. Started the engine and it stayed cool up to a modest rpm. Waved down the skiff and it got back behind us. Worked fine all the way to the new port. Just had to modulate the seacock to keep bilge level under control.

Heading down the Exumas the raw waterpump totally came apart. Ran a hose from the A/C raw water pump to the engine and ran the A/C pump off the inverter.