generator sound sheild

R

ras737

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Apr 28, 2002
RO Number
8373
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30
Does anyone know if it is possible to install a sound shield on my kohler 5kw generator. I own a 2004 340 searay sundancer.
 
you need to see with Kohler if they offer one. normaly they are not needed on a gas genny, they are pretty quiet.. at least my gas Westerbeke was.

i think space and accessibility maybe a big issue, do you have enough room to put a sound shield aound the genset ? Sundancers engine bays are usually pretty cramped.
 
Ras,
Yes they make one .. I had one on my 03 34 made a big difference. Had the dealer install it as a delivery option. there was some reworking of the fuel lines and vaccum break to get it to fit .. was no big deal as they knew exactly what had to be done. as for cost I honestly dont remember. But it was worth it .. I used the genset an awful lot.

Good luck

Rob
 
i just bought a boat yesterday and sea trialed it today that has a 5 kw genset and we started it up while on the water. I couldn't hardly hear it run. There is no shield around the generator. It is in a 26' Chaparral.

art
 
My Westerbeke 4.5 KW is EXTREMELY quiet, but the bilge blowers are TWICE as loud. It that's your problem too, a sound shield won't help. I never did, but I was going to look into replacing the 2 stock bilge blowers with a different design (approved for a gas engine compartment, of course), if they're even made. As we used the generator so seldom, it wasn't really worth bothering. It was more annoying having to temporarily turn the blower off to start the generator (otherwise you couldn't tell when it started)! Once the generator stalled (or was accidently turned off) ... we didn't even realize it for half an hour!

Russ
 
Cant compare a westerbeke to anything ... small westerbeke are very very quiet.....

Kohlors are not ...

Rob
 
Something to check on first, is the placement of the black, rubber moulding around the underneath of your engine hatch/deck. Open the hatch & examine the entire circumference - you should see an impression all the way around where the lip of the engine compartment hits it. On my 320, it "missed" for about a foot going around a corner. That 3/4" x 1' gap allowed a lot of engine noise to come thru, so re-routing the rubber moulding made a very noticable difference.

Russ
 
Thanks for all of your advice. We typicaly do a lot of rafting and would prefer to run the gen at night so we can crank up the AC.How do you feel about running the gen while you are asleep. I am thinking of installing a second CO monitor for piece of mind.
 
We have the same issue. We have a 5kw kohler and I wanted the sound shield. I went to the local rep. down in punta rasa ft. myers to buy the sound shielding. The panels only cost about 500.00. The problem is that the genny must be pulled to install. The panels do not just attach to the sides of the genny, but there is a mounting panel that is installed under the genny itself. We decided to deal with the noise.
 
ras, i used to run a gas genny at night BUT i would never do it with a boat rafted up on the genset exhaust side or if using a stern anchor that woudl prevent the boat from swinging into the wind.

if your exhaust is on stbd side, then it's fine to have someone rafted up on port. but if you have a boat on stbd, then air flow will be disturbed and it may lead to a dangerous situation.

definitely add a second CO detector...
 
I belive the Kohlers are 3500 RPM engines. The older Onan and Westerbeke are 1800 RPM engines that are much quieter thus the factory soundshields offered by Kohler. My bilge blowers are louder than the 6.5 Onan is.
 
This is just total BS. Yes they run faster but a lot more goes into sound than RPM. I can hear my neighbor's Westerbeke over my sound shielded Kohler on my boat! A lot more sound comes from deck and hull vibration than from RPM's. I can make a 600 RPM's sound like a tank if it's installed without regard to total vibration analysis. That includes mounts, mounting location and even the natural frequency of the hull itself.

As proof, sit inside a DC-7 and a DC-8 with the engines running. Which engines turn faster?
 
Geebee,
A properly installed 3 cylinder genset at 1800 will have a lower DB rating then a properly installed 4 cylinder at 3600...

Now if the installation is messed up.. well then thats a different story...Westerbekes are known for being quiet... There was nothing remotly quiet about my 5 kw 4 clylinder kohler ... The sound shield helped tremendously

Rob
 
Actually the energy radiated into noise is typically proportional to the rpm squared. Double the rpm , all other things being equal, and the noise energy increases by a factor of 4.
 
So a jet engine should be louder in the interior than a recip? Careful what you say
 
Under the identical conditions and size, a jet engine emits more noise energy.
 
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