Onan MDKAB, yr 2000, Generator having issues starting - only today 6/1

Seattle WA

Description

I've got a 55ft boat, with an Onan Generator in the engine room, from the year 2000. Model MDKAB (diesel). Here's the manual: Need help today: I'm looking for someone available *today*, Wednesday, June 1, 2022, as early as possible. I'll pay cash. If you're available to meet, and you've had experience troubleshooting and fixing diesel marine generators before, please email me with your number and I'll text you right away. The boat will be in Shilshole today, though it's normally at a marina in Ballard. Description of the issue, and what I've tried so far: When I try to start it, it cranks for a long time and often doesn't start. When it does finally start it either dies immediately, or it dies after ~10mins of running (with or without load). This started when one day I was out, a little plastic drifted into the water-cooling intake, and the generator turned off. I opened the sea-strainer and pulled that plastic out (it was not completely blocking water flow, but *maybe* partially? Or this might even be unrelated). After cleaning the plastic out, I checked the impeller, but that looked totally good. The battery seems healthy. The oil filters have been changed a few months ago. The diesel fuel filter was from 2016, so I went ahead and replaced that myself (unfortunately I had some air in the filter at first, but when I checked it later it had filled up with fuel), but that didn't help either. Note: Accessing the generator is at the most forward part of the engine room. Average size person can get in there, but as you might expect with a boat it involves some crouching, contorting, possibly even moving a batter out of the way (depends what you need to access; I've been able to service it so far and I'm 5'9 @ 200lbs).