DO NOT DO THIS: MEP-016B fill fuel filter manually

[magpie]

INTRO: Ok, so I'm new to the MEP (generator) line of product offerings. I was able to procure a low time (114.6 hr) MEP-016B with ASK (701a) housing. For a low cost of $(can't post here message for going rate). Finding my MEP-016B in good working order as defined by various observations. None of which made a stick of difference in determining the ultimate "working ready state" of the machine. For example: Some say to NOT purchase one which has rusted screws on the HOBBS (hour) meter. Atypical, I find mine to be rusted but all other gauges and stampings to be complete and intact. With this I leave you the forum scavenger my 2 cents worth of advice, which is equal to all other advice. As it pertains to scoping a machine from GL that you can't start and verify is in good working order. Rather one must rely on visual cues alone as to the last state of the machine. My advice is to look for worn or chipped paint that maybe indicative of a component problem. Examine and know all you can about the component and determine what the repair cost of said such might be. Base your decision on this and what your overall "feeling" of the machine as a whole. With all that said, I came out to the good strictly by chance as I performed NO vetting of the device other than looking at it in person. I am fortunate!

CURRENT STATUS: After procurement, pickup and delivery. I find my unit to be decommissioned per (1-5. LEVELS OF MAINTENANCE ACCOMPLISHMENT). Thus NO filters, batteries removed and NO fuel. To me this is important as the unit was slated for long term storage or GL status and properly obtained decommissioning status. Upon much research on steelsoldiers.com and with the help of ETN550 for fuel filter part #'s, I'm taking the liberty to compile my findings thus far (more detail can be found by perusing the forums, NOTICE: steelsoldiers.com search is rather lack luster and vague. It's NOT Google and will return many items which does not pertain to your intended search. You can ONLY discover what you desire by reading or scanning the threads which the search hit's on. NOTICE: steelsoldiers.com will NOT return ALL relevant material or hits through Google or any other search engine. Steel Solider website requires an account be created prior to displaying ALL search hits relevant to ANYTHING you may search for. BTW, they are a great community why would you NOT join? It's FREE!):

Fuel Filter: NAPA 3516
Air Filter: Baldwin PA5579 (UNTRIED as of the writing of this article. Item is special order from NAPA and am awaiting receipt. DO NOT hold me accountable if it does not work. Will update thread when I KNOW it is correct)
Oil Filter: Purolator L24484 (Others may work and be of better use)
Oil: Straight 30W Heavy Duty (read this somewhere on steelsoldiers.com others viscosity's may suffice)

MY PROBLEM: In attempt to initially start my unit. I drained all the remaining JP4 from the fuel filter reservoir and cleaned the SUMP from the fuel tank (as it was clean other than some moisture accumulation). Upon installing oil filer and oil, I lastly installed the fuel filter (that's right last; if you read the full article you would understand that I am awaiting the back order of the air filter). Upon priming system for 15 min I realized that I should add some fuel to the fuel filter reservoir to assist in the priming.

-----------------C--------A--------U---------T--------I--------O---------N-----------
Do not attempt to prime fuel system
fuel filter assembly. Doing so can
fuel injection pump.
​

Disregarding what I had read in the days leading up to my obtaining the appropriate filtration, as I'm an eager cuss. I added fuel to the reservoir and continued to prime my hear away. Listening for the tale-tale sign of fuel trickling back into the fuel tank as an indication of success (achieved). Only then did I realize I wasn't FULLY pressing the priming lever and felt NO resistance. DUMBITIS strictenes(sp?) me to no avail. I realize that I have screwed the pooch, committed the unthinkable, sold the farm to the devil or even bought it from my "eager cuss'.

Nonetheless, I proceed with attempting to start the engine. And much to my chagrin, the engine fires for the first time since 1988 as far as I know. Only to sputter out when the old lingering JP4 abolishes itself from the bowels of my Onan Q106D-I/10399A. So I am now left with the prosperity of having a complete working engine (electrical thread soon to follow, when I get there). I then read the manual and heed the CAUTION as listed above. So I proceed to drain the fuel filter reservoir of all fuel. And continue to manually prime while noticing the priming lever is sticking upon release (after depressing fully this time).

So my question is this: Have I damaged my fuel injection pump (if that is the actually name of the fuel pump itself). Or do I need to continue with my priming until I can obtain a fuel flow from the secondary fuel line leading to the injector? I did manage get a few bubbles to the injector (once loosened). What's the prognosis Dr.?

 

[storeman]

My only comment is that you led off with

"For example: Some say to NOT purchase one which has rusted screws on the HOBBS (hour) meter. Atypical, I find mine to be rusted but all other gauges and stampings to be complete and intact."

You got that exactly backwards. People were suggesting (consistently) to closely scrutinize units where the hobbs has new or tampered with screws which might possibly indicate the unit had been altered to show fewer hours.
jerry

 

[magpie]

Understood, my logic lies in the fact that this unit is stinking new since overhaul/manufacture with 114.6 hrs. The logic of looking for rusted screws on the HOBBS meter as being an indicator of "tampered" with. So let's say your in the field and the HOBBS (hour) meter stops working. Do you really care, so long as it's producing power? What are the odds of a HOBBS meter failing? Let me say on small aircraft I've seen thousands of hours on a HOBBS meter. They simply DO NOT FAIL! The only reason to replace one is to reset it to zero? Or can one be reset with removing it and tampering with the device?

Just backup GUS and think about it.

 

[storeman]

Occasionally "Gus", meters from broken low hour units are exchanged with high hour units.

In the "field", there is a log book for each generator. The Hobbs means nothing to those in the "field" except time to next oil change/service. If a Hobbs is damaged (most frequent cause of failure), another is installed and entered in the log book and total hours tracked and adjusted from there to schedule next service. So, yes, you do care in the "field", unless you want to miss an oil change and risk potential damage.

Glad you got a good unit.
Jerryopcorn:

 

[ETN550]

Now back to the priming episode...

The filter housing has a central column where fuel enters the tube to go to the injection pump. If the housing is filled manually then I would assume the cover is off and thus the filter, if it is in the housing is not sealing as it needs the cover to clamp down on it. Therefore, filling the housing manually allows unfiltered fuel to enter the clean side of the system. Not recommended but what is done is done and most likely no harm. Some fuel injectors have a porus metal plug inside them to act as a tiny final filter to catch debris in the injection line and the occasional oops when servicing.

Yes the priming pump can stick. It can be removed and lubricated and most of the time it will eventually go by itself. If it gets stuck run the engine on the starter and somtimes the action will free it up or return it to the state where another stroke can be made manually.

The priming pump or transfer pump is run by a cam lobe. So if the priming lever is loose it may be because the cam is in a position where the plunger in the pump is up and the lever has no further stroke. If the lever is loose then jog the engione with the starter and eventually with the cam down there will be more stroke.

Now when the priming lever feels like it is doing something make sure the little thumbscrew on the filter head is loose when priming to let air out of the filter housing as fuel enters. When fuel leaks out of the thumbscrew the housing is full. Since the fuel inside the housing is picked up some distance below the top it is not critical that all air be removed.

Depending on the how much stroke there is on the priming lever it can take 100 to 400 strokes to get the housing full.

Usually they will start up with a full filter housing. Sometines the nut on the injector line needs to be loostened to bleed more air out. Crank the engine with the nut loose until fuel spurts out then tighten the nut. should start right up.

 

[magpie]

Unlike a typical HOBBS meter which only accounts for time the engine is actually running via an oil pressure switch. My MEP-016B and I assume others does not have an oil pressure activation. Simply leaving the switch in the RUN position causes my hour meter to increase in count.

 

[ETN550]

Unlike a typical HOBBS meter which only accounts for time the engine is actually running via an oil pressure switch. My MEP-016B and I assume others does not have an oil pressure activation. Simply leaving the switch in the RUN position causes my hour meter to increase in count.

There are a ton of Hobbs meter variations, but I have noticed quite a few will quit counting after a few minutes of no running despite having power on them. I'm guessing they need some vibration to indicte the unit is running. Anyone else notice this effect? Take the power off and re-apply without runing and they start up again but quit after a few minutes.

 

[ETN550]

Now back to the priming episode...

The filter housing has a central column where fuel enters the tube to go to the injection pump. If the housing is filled manually then I would assume the cover is off and thus the filter, if it is in the housing is not sealing as it needs the cover to clamp down on it. Therefore, filling the housing manually allows unfiltered fuel to enter the clean side of the system. Not recommended but what is done is done and most likely no harm. Some fuel injectors have a porus metal plug inside them to act as a tiny final filter to catch debris in the injection line and the occasional oops when servicing.

Yes the priming pump can stick. It can be removed and lubricated and most of the time it will eventually go by itself. If it gets stuck run the engine on the starter and somtimes the action will free it up or return it to the state where another stroke can be made manually.

The priming pump or transfer pump is run by a cam lobe. So if the priming lever is loose it may be because the cam is in a position where the plunger in the pump is up and the lever has no further stroke. If the lever is loose then jog the engione with the starter and eventually with the cam down there will be more stroke.

Now when the priming lever feels like it is doing something make sure the little thumbscrew on the filter head is loose when priming to let air out of the filter housing as fuel enters. When fuel leaks out of the thumbscrew the housing is full. Since the fuel inside the housing is picked up some distance below the top it is not critical that all air be removed.

Depending on the how much stroke there is on the priming lever it can take 100 to 400 strokes to get the housing full.

Usually they will start up with a full filter housing. Sometines the nut on the injector line needs to be loostened to bleed more air out. Crank the engine with the nut loose until fuel spurts out then tighten the nut. should start right up.

As a follow up I just got an MEP-016B unit up and running tonight with a totally empty filter housing, a dry tank, and a new fuel filter. I put about a half a tank of fuel in it and it took 373 strokes of the primer pump (Only took a few minutes) before fuel came out the top air bleed. Closed the air bleed and it fired right off and went right on up to high idle without missing a beat.

 

[magpie]

Issue resolved due to fuel line leak

Now back to the priming episode...

The filter housing has a central column where fuel enters the tube to go to the injection pump. If the housing is filled manually then I would assume the cover is off and thus the filter, if it is in the housing is not sealing as it needs the cover to clamp down on it. Therefore, filling the housing manually allows unfiltered fuel to enter the clean side of the system. Not recommended but what is done is done and most likely no harm. Some fuel injectors have a porus metal plug inside them to act as a tiny final filter to catch debris in the injection line and the occasional oops when servicing.

Yes the priming pump can stick. It can be removed and lubricated and most of the time it will eventually go by itself. If it gets stuck run the engine on the starter and somtimes the action will free it up or return it to the state where another stroke can be made manually.

The priming pump or transfer pump is run by a cam lobe. So if the priming lever is loose it may be because the cam is in a position where the plunger in the pump is up and the lever has no further stroke. If the lever is loose then jog the engione with the starter and eventually with the cam down there will be more stroke.

Now when the priming lever feels like it is doing something make sure the little thumbscrew on the filter head is loose when priming to let air out of the filter housing as fuel enters. When fuel leaks out of the thumbscrew the housing is full. Since the fuel inside the housing is picked up some distance below the top it is not critical that all air be removed.

Depending on the how much stroke there is on the priming lever it can take 100 to 400 strokes to get the housing full.

Usually they will start up with a full filter housing. Sometines the nut on the injector line needs to be loostened to bleed more air out. Crank the engine with the nut loose until fuel spurts out then tighten the nut. should start right up.

After removing output hose from fuel pump. I manually primed pump and noticed that NO fuel was being ejected. I thus removed the input line from fuel pump and noticed NO fuel was present. I then proceeded to blow through the input line to the fuel pump (being output of fuel tank) and observed the line was clear with little fuel in it. I then noticed that the output fuel line fitting from the fuel tank itself was wet with diesel fuel. At this point I remember observing the fuel fitting was cross-threaded upon arrival. After noticing the metal piping of the hose piece was loose, I concluded it was "sucking" air and could not prime. After tightening the fitting carefully as not to strip, the unit primed without further issue. After turning the switch to RUN and disengaging the shutoff solenoid. I continued to prime and noticed fuel was ejecting from the fuel injector fitting, which was already loosed prior.

I proceeded with the normal start procedure and the unit immediately came to life and settled into a constant RPM. After running for several minutes I stopped the engine and basked in my relief. It was however short lived as I now have an oil leak. Oil is squirting under high pressure from beneath the oil filter. It's a gray milky color, so I assume it's under pressure. One settled it turns the normal color of which oil should be. Apparently it's one of the oil cooler lines and I will troubleshoot soon as I can remove the ASK panel. Manual priming level is still sticky but hoping some marvel mystery oil will lubricate it free after some run-time.

 

[ETN550]

You are on your way! Keep at it. You seem to have good intuitiion and now that you know the unit runs you have confidence that the rest is just this annoying piddly stuff. I agree that using the priming pump and keeping it lubed up it should loosten up and stop sticking.

The oil cooler and its lines should be repairable as local hydraulic hose companies can make hoses and any damage to the cooler could probably be repaired by solder or brazing.

As a matter of course I remove all the ASK panels because most have a quantity of frozen screws. Fixing the frozen screws ranges from lubing them to drilling and tapping to replacing the thread insert. Ayway it is good to be ready to remove any of the panels in case work has to be done in time of need.

One good thing about the military's obsession with using flat washers under everything is that the screw heads can be carefully ground off and the washer protects the grinder from marring up the AKS panels.