Fischer Panda Generator advice needed

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Whitlock

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4 years ago I had a Fischer Panda 4000S diesel generator installed on my boat at considerable expense and it was beset with problems from day one. It has turned out to be an expensive mistake.

The engine part of the generator is a Farymann 15W/18W and after 3000 hours the crankshaft broke and the engine is a write off.

I don't want to waste any more money having the engine rebuilt so will either sell the whole thing for scrap, which it is at the moment, or find another engine.

Here is my question:
Is there an engine that I can buy (not Farymann) that will drive the generator part which is still working well?
 
Whitlock said:
4 years ago I had a Fischer Panda 4000S diesel generator installed on my boat at considerable expense and it was beset with problems from day one. It has turned out to be an expensive mistake.

The engine part of the generator is a Farymann 15W/18W and after 3000 hours the crankshaft broke and the engine is a write off.

I don't want to waste any more money having the engine rebuilt so will either sell the whole thing for scrap, which it is at the moment, or find another engine.

Here is my question:
Is there an engine that I can buy (not Farymann) that will drive the generator part which is still working well?
Click to expand...
How many kW is the generator? What revs did it run at?
 
I’m afraid your Experience is not uncommon. I can’t recommend trying to make a mongrel. The amount a good engine will cost as well as all the adaptions required to make it fit it’s a bit of a none starter.

I think you basically have three options

find a new engine, the same an put it on. What you have and expect it to last about the same amount of time!

change it out for a new generator. Beta make good sets for the money and the kubota base engines are sound and reliable if not that compact.

examine whether you need a generator! - could you use a larger or additional alternator and some solar along with an inverter charger. to get the job done. The cost of which for a 3k inverter batteries in lithium could be roughly equivalent to a new generator.

if your interested in that option I could PM a quote I did a few months back to give you and idea of what you would be getting into. Additional reading .... energyunlimited by victron energy it’s free and talks you though the virtues of inverter charger systems. Or there’s also integeral but this is a bit steep on the price front!
 
If you are engineering minded you could put your own engine to the alternator you have. A suitable engine would be a Perkins 102-04 or 05. This is a twin cylinder engine that has been badged as Perkins, Volvo and Kubota over the years. You can find them for sale army surplus, ebay, etc. They have been used for refrigeration on refrigerated trucks. The engine will run at 3000rpm giving you 9hp
If you went this route it would be a lot of work but fun to do.
 
I advised another poster who had an engine problem to check out truck breakers.

The engines concerned, the Farryman single cylinder diesels, were often used in those boxes on refrigerated trucks, driving the fridge compressor.

Might be able to buy a complete engine from that source.

The guy in Wellington who looks after my Steel Hartley while we are away bought two Fischer Panda gensets cheap - 1500 NZ Dollars, about £750.

I made one from the two, got it going and tested. He replaced a few bits with new, bypassed several of the cut outs - the source of nearly all stoppages - and has installed it.

After considerable time pissing about with these gensets I have come to the conclusion that they are junk. :(
 
rotrax said:
I advised another poster who had an engine problem to check out truck breakers.

The engines concerned, the Farryman single cylinder diesels, were often used in those boxes on refrigerated trucks, driving the fridge compressor.

Might be able to buy a complete engine from that source.

The guy in Wellington who looks after my Steel Hartley while we are away bought two Fischer Panda gensets cheap - 1500 NZ Dollars, about £750.

I made one from the two, got it going and tested. He replaced a few bits with new, bypassed several of the cut outs - the source of nearly all stoppages - and has installed it.

After considerable time pissing about with these gensets I have come to the conclusion that they are junk. :(
Click to expand...
Do you mean GenSets in general are junk or just the Fischer Panda 4000s? :cool:
 
I meant Fischer Panda Farryman engine gensets.

I am sure there must be satisfied owners, but so far I have never met one.

I have an elderly Westerbeke 8KW Genset, bough REALLY cheap off ebay, I renovated it - note renovated, not rebuilt or restored - mostly cosmetic and service items.

It owes me 1600 quid installed, plus 300 quid for a custom built sound blanket as it was an open Genset, no sound box.

Touching wood as I write this, no problems in three seasons use, used daily if on the hook or on a swinging mooring.

The 'engine stop' features were dissconnected. If it has oil in the sump, water coming out of the exhaust, that is enough for me.

The " KISS " principle - keep it simple stupid.

Works for me...................................... :cool:
 
rotrax said:
I meant Fischer Panda Farryman engine gensets.

I am sure there must be satisfied owners, but so far I have never met one.

I have an elderly Westerbeke 8KW Genset, bough REALLY cheap off ebay, I renovated it - note renovated, not rebuilt or restored - mostly cosmetic and service items.

It owes me 1600 quid installed, plus 300 quid for a custom built sound blanket as it was an open Genset, no sound box.

Touching wood as I write this, no problems in three seasons use, used daily if on the hook or on a swinging mooring.

The 'engine stop' features were dissconnected. If it has oil in the sump, water coming out of the exhaust, that is enough for me.

The " KISS " principle - keep it simple stupid.

Works for me...................................... :cool:
Click to expand...
I'd agree there! Too many "stop" features on the generators....
 
Whitlock said:
Thank you to everyone who has replied so far. I'm thinking.
Click to expand...
In your thought process perhaps consider this. I have been reading complaints about the Fisher Panda generators for years. Have read more complaints and really serious problems with FP units than all other generators combined, by far. A very few owners reported good experiences but even those admitted the FP was very persnickety and required very close attention to maintenance.

From all reports the best of the yacht generators are the Northern Lights. Not the cheapest, smallest or lightest but hear almost no complaints. As I recall they are also quieter than most as they run at 1500 rpm for EU 50 Hz power.
 
skipmac said:
In your thought process perhaps consider this. I have been reading complaints about the Fisher Panda generators for years. Have read more complaints and really serious problems with FP units than all other generators combined, by far. A very few owners reported good experiences but even those admitted the FP was very persnickety and required very close attention to maintenance.

From all reports the best of the yacht generators are the Northern Lights. Not the cheapest, smallest or lightest but hear almost no complaints. As I recall they are also quieter than most as they run at 1500 rpm for EU 50 Hz power.
Click to expand...


All 1500 RPM Gensets will be better than 3000 RPM ones, quieter by far too.

Our Westerbeke is powered by a Mitsubishi 1 litre three cylinder diesel. All I did to that bit was a service including the impeller,heat exchanger and anodes, new hoses, new glowplugs and new fuel lines. I discarded the simple and small engine mounted fuel filter and now the electric Facet fuel pump supplies the fuel through two large JCB filters, one with a 30 micron element, the other a 10 micron element.

Northern Lights do have a good reputation, that is for sure.

Some friends with a boat like ours have an Onan Genset. The repairman is always out, usually a ' sensor ' problem. Every time its 75 quid call out plus the cost of the fix.

Not for me - if I cant fix it, dont want it on the boat!
 
skipmac said:
In your thought process perhaps consider this. I have been reading complaints about the Fisher Panda generators for years. Have read more complaints and really serious problems with FP units than all other generators combined, by far. A very few owners reported good experiences but even those admitted the FP was very persnickety and required very close attention to maintenance.

From all reports the best of the yacht generators are the Northern Lights. Not the cheapest, smallest or lightest but hear almost no complaints. As I recall they are also quieter than most as they run at 1500 rpm for EU 50 Hz power.
Click to expand...
Some of the North lights gensets use the Perkins 103 series engines. Their 1500 rpm unit is the three cylinder version of my 102 series twin cylinder unit. Parts are interchangeable with my engine. A couple of years ago I installed a Northern Lights exhaust elbow to my unit.
My unit only has two safety interlocks that will stop the engine. Oil pressure and water temperature
 
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