Kohler Generator normal operation temp?

[Rocky]

What is the normal operating temp of a Water cooled Kohler 5K Gen set? I noticed the head heats up very fast (over 140F) within 30 seconds... Is that Normal? The outlet is flowing good water, so the impeller is doing its job.
Do they usually run in the 180F range like the engines?

Thanks

 

[Blue Moon]

I have the 7.3 Low CO and it runs at 196F sometimes to 200F under heavy load.

 

[toofast]

Mine is about the same, so actually a bit hotter than a normal engine.

 

[clueless]

My 7.3 runs at 190 then dropps around 170 if its running for a while.

 

[Thai-phoonMD]

What spot do you all take your temperature readings at? Do you use a laser point temperature gun or something?

 

[clueless]

Right in the front of the unit on the freeze out plug. It's on the square part next to the exchanger.

Laser gun.

 

[Thai-phoonMD]

My generator temperature would reach over 200 and the it would quit. It must be over heating. The impeller on the raw water side has been changed. Is there an impeller on the close looped side that can be changed? I have heard if there an air pocket on the closed loop side, the anti-freeze may not flow through the heat exchanger. My generator only has 10 hours on it. The previous owners hardly use it in the 8 years they had the boat.

 

[clueless]

Burp that puppy!! Straight back behind the radiator fill cap is a small plug sticking up. Fill up the fluid and then pull the plug and it allows air to come out. Run it for a 1 minute then let it cool again and fill it again by opening the cap and the plug and filling again. It gets a dead spot of air in it and doesn't circulate the antifreeze. That plug is usually the key. Check it a few times. The raw water impellers go sometimes, the impeller in the antifreeze side water pumps rarely go.

 

[Thai-phoonMD]

I don't see the plug you are talking about. Do you mean the overflow hose?

 

[Thai-phoonMD]

Thanks Clueless! I finally fixed the generator overheating issue. It was bleeding out the air pocket in the closed loop circulation system. I top off the fluids on the radiator cap side and top off fluids on the little 10mm bolt opposite of the radiator cap. Now it's running at 185 degrees. This 15 years old generator only has 15 hours since it was hardly used because of this overheating issue.