Bertram33 User Forum

Tim, I never put a filter on the genset. I do have a stock mercruiser type to put in but as yet have not installed it. How's that for lazy? I also need to put a filter before my flowscan senders and have been procrastinating that too.Maybe this week.

Tim, that is the same one I have, and a standard spin-on filter follows the Racor before the genset. 1979 Bertram 33' FBC ALEXANDRA Port Richey, Florida HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR BERTRAM PRIDE '06 yet? DO IT NOW... SPACE IS LIMITED!

Genset ran great this trip by bypassing the racor.Yeah! It did stop once when i was underway,but cranked back up and ran fine.I am still a little concerned that it might happen again.Why did it even shut off that once? Is it still a fuel delivery problem? perhaps the carbeurater(sp) sticking or could it be water flow being interrupted and getting hot and shutting down? I only mention this because it seems like the genset shuts down when i rapidy increase boat speed . like when going from trolling speed to cruising speed.

Tim, I always wonder about that water pickup at different speeds but my genset has never shut off at any time once it is running. I would think that you could eliminate that as a possiblity.

Could the pick up tube be too high sucking air? Did the either filter have water (tube too low or too much water)? 1979 Bertram 33' FBC ALEXANDRA Port Richey, Florida HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR BERTRAM PRIDE '06 yet? DO IT NOW... SPACE IS LIMITED!

The pick up tube is the sdame for the engines as is for the genset and none of my racors have had a drop of water. I checked the racor housing and it was clear .

This something that just started right? So you can rule out all the fixed items and look at variables in the genset. Could the fuel pump be getting weak, or something obstructs the fuel in the carb when the attitude of the boat changes? 1979 Bertram 33' FBC ALEXANDRA Port Richey, Florida HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR BERTRAM PRIDE '06 yet? DO IT NOW... SPACE IS LIMITED!

Hi Tim, was in the Keys for a week but didn't make it down to Marathon. The boat took a crap on the way to the Bahamas, and I was so pi$$ed I tied it to the dock , put all my beer in the truck and went to the Keys with the 13 Avon. Took me all this weekend to figure out a overheat problem. FYI everybody, I boiled out the almost new heatexchanger, put in new raw water pump, flushed the freshwater side. Finally..It was a collapsed reenforced water hose from the strainer to the pump. Was a green stripe hose too! Ruined my vacation. But back to the Gen problem. Mine was shutting down after about 2 hrs. Did it a couple times. I have the spin on filter, and I thought that would be the problem. Nope. It was a plug. Remember these things are 2 cylinder. I talked to the Kohler place and asked if a plug could do this, and they said yes. Changed them out and looks like the problem went away. Only had about 100 hrs on the plugs. Use the NGK. I had Champion in there and one failed. Gene Dugan

Gene, I am sorry to here about your bahamas trip...that stinks!Its amazing the impact a single bad hose can have.At any rate i am glad you found the problem and now you have a fresh water pump and a clean exchanger. Gene thanks for the heads up on the spark plugs.The genset expert also told me that spark plugs on the Kohler are very finicky as well.However are probably not my problem. After talking to a genset expert today we decided that it is probably my fuel pick up.On my tank both engines and the genset picks up off the same hub.I am guessing most of our boats are done this way.He said the newer generators like an individual pick up.Also with my new 8.1l engines the fuel lines are bigger.Since my genset is cutting out when i am increasing throttle he thinks that they are robbing fuel from the genset and therefore forcing it to cut out. So I will add a separate fuel pick up for the genset.

Tim, that sounds reasonable. I have 3 lines going into the plate on top of the tank. One for each engine & the Genset. Do they all connect to one pick-up? I never looked. I always assumed that there were 3 tubes on the inside. Also I have the large blue fuel lines that look like they were for a diesel boat. My gen was the opposite. It quit while sitting at anchor. Always something isn't it....I think I'm working on the boat more days than I get to use it. My wife says I don't have the $ for new engines. Hmmm she paid cash for a new car, and new bathroom. Somebody got the shaft. Gene Dugan

i do not know for sure that there are not 3 tubes my guess is not. Does anyone here know for sure? Also Does anyone know the length of the pickup tube? someone just posted that they thought the tank depth was 24".The pick up tubes that my genset guy has are 22". so i am assuming that 2" off the bottom should be pretty good. Gene, Do not get discouraged....keep on boating. Asa soon as that new car smell goes away that is the time to ask for new engines....lol

I added the new 22" pick up tube for the genset and it ran flawlessly.So i will now reattatch the racor filter for my next trip.