MEP-803 with water in the fuel

[rhurey]

Got a "Cranks but won't run" MEP-803a.

While checking it out, found water in both fuel filters, so I figure that I need to:

• Drain the 1/2 tank that's in the unit.
• Replace both filters.
• Pull fuel lines from the cylinders and drain the water out of all the lines.
• New fuel.

Anything else?

If it's more complicated, it's going to have to wait a couple months as some knee surgery is going to lay me up. Anything I need to do to prevent more damage?

 

[JRM]

duplicate please delete

 

[JRM]

you pick up one of the tan units of the gov planet Lakewood, Washington auction last week? I almost bid on a one but was busy at work. Do what I did drain all the fuel, new filters (see link) and prime. Post up some picts!
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?150954-MEP-8xx-series-Replacement-parts&highlight=

 

[rhurey]

Yeah, I grabbed the one that didn't start. Went for about 1/2 what the others did. Figured with 76 hours past a 2012 reset it was a decent bet.

Managed to get ~32 oz of water out of it, though.

How in the world do you get the fuel separator off? it's like it's welded on. So far all I've managed to do is dent and destroy it.

 

[JRM]

last reply on my 803a thread- http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?151695-Just-picked-up-my-803A-story-questions

 

[Guyfang]

Take off the top and side panel. Its a BUNCH of work, but you will have less mess, less turning the air blue with "language you never read in the bible", less busted knuckles and last but not least, your sanity. 95% of the time this filter comes off like a dream. But what a pain in the patootie when it does not.

As per the last reply in the above mentioned thread, the secondary filter can also be a pain. Having replaced hundreds of them, I take a tad of grease,or silicone paste and rub it on the rubber seal/O-ring, and insert it into its channel, run my finger twice around it to properly seat it, and then screw in the fuel filter housing. Make it hand tight, then loosen it a bit, turn the filter housing once or twice completely around and then tighten it up. Normally that gets it first time. If you damage the rubber seal, it will leak like a pig.

 

[Daybreak]

Yeah, I grabbed the one that didn't start. Went for about 1/2 what the others did. Figured with 76 hours past a 2012 reset it was a decent bet.

Managed to get ~32 oz of water out of it, though.

How in the world do you get the fuel separator off? it's like it's welded on. So far all I've managed to do is dent and destroy it.

Howdy,
The filter was put on by King Kong.
Thread about spin-on fuel filter

MEP-802/803 Filters Listing

Break-In Oil Low hour units here

Battery info here

24v charging info here

Fuel return line info here

MEP-8xx series engine paint

MEP-802/803 Coolant overflow cap

MEP-802/803 Fuel pump

Here is a thread with similar water in crankcase

 

[rhurey]

Take off the top and side panel. Its a BUNCH of work, but you will have less mess, less turning the air blue with "language you never read in the bible", less busted knuckles and last but not least, your sanity. 95% of the time this filter comes off like a dream. But what a pain in the patootie when it does not.

Yeah, I started down that road. What a pain with the painted on screws. Gonna need to replace a bunch.

Any ideas what kind of sealant is used to glue the pieces together? Seems easier to pull apart than just silicon would be, but don't want to not replace it since it's likely part of why the enclosure is weather resistant.

Really wishing I'd pushed this thing into the garage now.

 

[JRM]

I chipped up a lot of the carc paint when pulling the back panel off to fix a dent (actually a hole punched threw the rear vents into the fuel tank). I found out the trailers these units are on are built just down the road from my work I plan to drop by to see if they can modify my trailer into a useful flatbed and if they can touch up my 803s paint. http://semco.flgpsyche.com/?portfolio=ltt-f-light-tactical-flatdeck-trailer

 

[ZackMan]

Got a "Cranks but won't run" MEP-803a.

While checking it out, found water in both fuel filters, so I figure that I need to:

• Drain the 1/2 tank that's in the unit.
• Replace both filters.
• Pull fuel lines from the cylinders and drain the water out of all the lines.
• New fuel.

Anything else?

If it's more complicated, it's going to have to wait a couple months as some knee surgery is going to lay me up. Anything I need to do to prevent more damage?

rhurey,

Ensure you use a diesel fuel additive such as Stanydyne or Lucas to address any water and/or moisture issues.

 

[Guyfang]

Menthol alcohol will also work. A quart in the tank, and that should fix the problem. That's what we used here in germany in the winter. We ran 24/7, 365 days a year, Tac-Power. The tanks we drew from were from WWII, (Wehrmacht) days. Lots of water in them. We used 6000 of diesel gallons every week. If we did not use Menthol we would have had frozen fuel lines forever. The methanol helped evaporate the water. I think we put 15 gallons in every 600 gallon pod of fuel.

And of course, that's the reason the primary fuel filter/water separator has a petcock on it. Every other day of operation let two shot glasses of fuel out of the filter, and sooner or later you will have it all out.

 

[rhurey]

And after bleeding a lot more water, removing the entire water-separator housing and visiting a vise and large strap wrench upon it, a bit of cranking got it to fire up.

Happiness.
(And for some reason I can't upload pictures.)

So...

The fuel water separator: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...authkey=!AL21eH928Xe5AX8&v=3&ithint=photo,jpg

The water in the filter at first: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...authkey=!ADyPDYCBS4FQpWo&v=3&ithint=photo,jpg

And the unit running w/ no load: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...796&authkey=!AG88Ez2bKWBXdWI&ithint=video,mp4

Tonight, load bank and test.