Fischer Panda 4200 Diesel generator froze up

[Maleri]

I have a Fischer Panda 4200 PMS Diesel generator. My starter was just spinning and not engaging. I bought a new starter. After taking off the old starter I noticed the teeth where the starter goes into would not move. Also the pulleys and belt in the front of the generator will not turn. They are frozen up. I don’t want to put in the new starter until I can free them up. Has anyone had this problem and any suggestions on a fix?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Maleri.

From the Operation manual ➥ https://fischerpanda.com/Manuals/Pan...n%20Manual.pdf

Or ➥ https://fischerpanda.com/Manuals/Pan...500eco.R01.pdf

“... The starter is fitted with a free wheel or axial rotating spring cog, which prevents the starter being driven externally by means of the motor. The free wheel will be heavily worn, if the starter still operates, thereby causing damage to the springs, roller bearings or cog teeth.
This could lead to complete destruction of the starter.
It is important that every person who operates the generator is informed of this situation.
This is practically the only handling error that can be made on board that can lead to fatal consequences for both generator and operator ...”

[tkeithlu]

Gord, I think Maleri is saying that the Panda diesel itself is frozen, not the starter, and the teeth on the flywheel star gear are chewed off.

If I'm right on that interpretation, Maleri, the first task is to find why the engine froze and free it. Since it happened suddenly and I'm guessing that that genset has oil pressure and water temperature warnings or even shut-downs, something like ingesting water into a cylinder sounds more likely. So, release the belts and put a breaker bar socket wrench on the forward crankshaft nut. If you cannot turn the engine over, then pull the injectors and see if you've got water in a cylinder, and try again with turning it over.

If this is the cause, the likely culprit is the vent on the exhaust loop clogging and allowing water to be sucked in as the engine cools.

There are other causes, but by now you would have learned enough to either tackle the job yourself or brief your mechanic.

In any case, the flywheel will have to come off (big job, but not technically challenging) and either the entire flywheel replaced or the star gear replaced, depending on whether it's one piece or two.