Changing generator oil & maintenance - tips?

[rdubs]

Hi everyone,
2013 SO469.  It has a Cummins Onan generator which was installed after the boat was built, which is mounted centerline aft under the hatch which you lift up to access the steering mechanisms.  I need to change the oil and probably should change the water intake impeller as well.  However, buried down in there, the generator doesn't look all that accessible.  The operating manual says to drain the oil out of the bottom, unlike the main saildrive engine where you suck the oil out of the dipstick, but not sure if there's room to fit a catch pan down in there.  Anyone with a generator mounted back there have any tips for how they do the maintenance on these?  I think I can get to the side of the generator, at least partially, through the deck lockers behind the helm stations, but not sure if that will help.

Thanks,
'Dubs

[moonshadow]

I just bought a 469 and am planning on learning from this thread. I have a Cummins gen back there but I believe it is a kaboda engine.

[rdubs]

Finally took some pictures of the area housing the generator.  You can see there isn't a lot of room to work with.  The picture where you see the grey hose, the hose is aft of the generator, lying about where the generator operating manual says the oil drain valve is.  It looks like to get to it you'd have to remove the front cover from the generator, which will be challenging as you can't really see the cover itself.  Any tips appreciated.


www.23hq.com/Rdubsdubsr/photo/45159407/original


www.23hq.com/Rdubsdubsr/photo/45159408/original


www.23hq.com/Rdubsdubsr/photo/45159409/original

[Evening Star]

Dubs,

I'm reaching back to an old thread here, but approaching my first service and winterizing my factory installed Onan 7.5KW Genset in my 479.  When you changed your oil, were you able to get a tube down the dipstick access?  It seems pretty tight.  Also, have you changed out your raw water impeller.  Manual says "technician only", and it is behind a belt pulley, but certainly looks doable.  Any advice you can give would be appreciated.  
Thanks, Evening Star

[Zanshin]

Access to generators really sucks on most boats and I dread changing my impellers, but oil isn't that bad. I have an oil pump that I use for both the engine and generator.



The tube fits in the oil level dip-stick tube and I open up the fill cap and suck away. Changing the oil filter is a bit messier but I now loosen the filter, then use a plastic bag around the filter while hand-loosen it and the dirty filter just drops into the bag when unthreaded.