Generator riddle?

[madhatter1]

Thing runs perfect. However. Yeah, that word. Issue is it stops running in bumpy seas. Racor is full. It dies and won’t start. Like a gasser out of fuel. Then later at dock it starts like a gasser that has been refueled. Do not need to crack injector line. Ran intercostal after this and was calm. No issues. Did not refuel until later. Did it again on full tank so that is not the issue. Any experienced ideas would be helpful.

[madhatter1]

Onan 13KW 2003 model

[SKYCHENEY]

Some sort of Shutdown sensor loose? Short in wiring that moves while underway?

[oscarvan]

Goofy low oil quantity sensor was my first thought too, but he states: "later at dock it starts like a gasser that has been refueled" which indicates stuttering? So air in fuel supply? Bad fuel pickup? Leak in fuel lines sucking air?

[madhatter1]

Yes, like air in supply line. We are running in lightly bumpy seas but not real rough water. So I figure it is from the racor to genny. Original thought was pinhole in pickup but full talk sorta rules that out. But might be the issue.

Glad this is the little nit picky issue of our whole trip from Mad beach to Fort Myers and Captiva for a week. We did good.

[SEVEN]

This is just a guess but because it happen to me on a gas motor in a prior boat. Could the fuel pump be getting really weak and not able to pull the fuel uphill?

[scottinsydney]

I’ll take a guess and say that there is a vacuum in the fuel line drawing the fuel back to the tank when you go up and over waves. Possibly an air leak but agree a tired fuel pump might be the answer. Any one way valves installed?

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Change the impeller. Just a guess, but could be a pickup problem allowing an overheat shutdown. You may recall numerous posts about heads not picking up underway. Too much oil? Again, guessing.

[rustybucket]

My first suspect would be the fuel pickup line in the tank. I'd want to pull/inspect that, and then shine light in the tank to make sure nothing was floating around that could suck up against the pickup. Things like loose/broken baffles, plastic bag, pieces of plastic will all float around a tank until it's sloshed around and suck up against the pickup. Had a boat once where a piece of the pickup screen had broken off and would sometimes suck up against the pickup and shut the fuel flow off at random times, kinda like you are experiencing.

The pickup could also have a crack in it somewhere that is normally submerged in fuel but when fuel sloshing it exposes the crack.

My second suspect would be a loose wire/ground, specifically around a run solenoid (if equipped) or on the various sensors that can break the alarm circuit and cause a shutdown.

[madhatter1]

Definitely a fuel issue. I'll let mechanic handle. I head out of town for 2 weeks and then get back just in time for our local Veterans Day boat parade. Need it working for that.