Generator Details

     I have been working for a week or two on the generator, and I am happy to say it is done - installed and running. Here is the finished install:

     I have to say, this is not a job you should attempt without a thorough understanding of marine electrical, cooling, and exhaust systems. There's more than one way to damage the boat, or harm yourself, due to an improper install. I am going to go over a few of the major points here, but this is by no means a complete treatise on a job such as this.

     First, the generator can be damaged badly by water reversion, and this is NOT covered by the warranty. There is a connection that must be made between the raw water discharge from the engine mounted heat exchanger, to the exhaust elbow. It is critical that, if the generator is near or below the waterline, that a vented loop be installed at the highest possible point in the engine room, to prevent siphoning when the generator is not running. This is a serious requirement - an improper installation here can destroy the generator. Sea Ray used a cheap plastic vented loop in the original install, and the one I got with the boat was partially melted. I replaced it with a bronze loop from Groco:

     I mounted the vented loop on a custom made billet aluminum bracket, along with some machined plastic spacers. Then I bolted the bracket in place, just under the hatch, as shown. This vented loop can be serviced by simply unscrewing the top, and cleaning or replacing it.

     In the next post, I will discuss the cooling and exhaust systems, and maybe the electrical system too.