Last lot of MEP-Generators on GL

[n1oty]

I won one of the 003's out of meade and headn down tomorrow to pick it up. The prices were cheaper than the last batch out there that averaged 2500-3000. I think I paid the most out of this last lot with most of them closing at 1600-2000. So i was happy with the prices compared to the last batch. Also the one i got was one of those with 2hrs on it and I assume was release from refurb. so Im looking forward to checking it out and cranking it over. I plan on installing a 100gal. tank on the front for those extended outages as well as put a pump on my 500gal. heating tank in the house. I ordered the fuel and oil filters for it today just in case they didn't ship with them.

It looked to me as if the trailer mounted generators at Meade with 2 hours or so on the meters were all refurbished at Letterkenny Army Depot in 2007. Some of them had the Tier 2 reset tag on the generator, but many did not. However, the trailer tags had serial numbers with a LEAD assigned number and the date the trailer was refurbished. I think it is probably safe to say that the generators were depot serviced contemporaneously with the trailers.

John

 

[NJ_Toolnut]

Agree with the comment that 1800 RPM drone is much easier to live with than a 3600 RPM scream. No matter what the sound pressure level is, the slower diesel speed noise is not quite so hard on the ears.

I also use the MEP 3-phase output to run large metalworking shop equipment. My hydraulic shaper has a 7.5 HP motor on it to power the pump, and there's no power company 3 phase within several miles. A large VFD or phase converter for this one machine isn't justified - so I just fire up an MEP when I need to run it. My every-day 3 phase machines all have VFDs to operate the motors so I only fire up the genset when needed instead of powering the entire shop from it.

Hi Carl,

Is your shaper a Rockford? I think it was probably the most widely sold hydraulic shaper, and certainly one of the best ever designed. As you probably know, hydraulics were applied to shapers quite late in their design evolution. Even though shapers have been obsolete for use in production machining for decades, their versatility for machining linear cuts like dovetails in one-offs and for creating internal splines, keyways, etc. in pulleys and couplings makes them useful for hobby and some job shop work. I bought a 5 HP 20" Cincinnati Heavy Duty universal crank shaper manufactured in 1942 but still in decent shape for essentially scrap price a couple years ago, and I'm slowly but surely getting it reconditioned.

I run my three phase machine tools from a 10 HP rotary phase converter, but the ability of my MEP003 to make three phase 208 V has interesting implications for running machine tools. In this regard, the main thing I've been wondering about is whether or not the older 220/440 or newer 240/480 dual voltage three phase electric motors in most machine tools will mind being fed 208. What voltage are you feeding to your shaper motor? If 208, have you noticed any issues?

Stan

 

[rickf]

Hi Carl,

Is your shaper a Rockford? I think it was probably the most widely sold hydraulic shaper, and certainly one of the best ever designed. As you probably know, hydraulics were applied to shapers quite late in their design evolution. Even though shapers have been obsolete for use in production machining for decades, their versatility for machining linear cuts like dovetails in one-offs and for creating internal splines, keyways, etc. in pulleys and couplings makes them useful for hobby and some job shop work. I bought a 5 HP 20" Cincinnati Heavy Duty universal crank shaper manufactured in 1942 but still in decent shape for essentially scrap price a couple years ago, and I'm slowly but surely getting it reconditioned.

I run my three phase machine tools from a 10 HP rotary phase converter, but the ability of my MEP003 to make three phase 208 V has interesting implications for running machine tools. In this regard, the main thing I've been wondering about is whether or not the older 220/440 or newer 240/480 dual voltage three phase electric motors in most machine tools will mind being fed 208. What voltage are you feeding to your shaper motor? If 208, have you noticed any issues?

Stan

Well, Now I know who to call when I need an oddball part made! And in NJ at that!

Rick

 

[NJ_Toolnut]

Well, Now I know who to call when I need an oddball part made! And in NJ at that!

Rick

Rick,

Bring it on!

Seriously, If you ever need something, PM me and we may be able to work out an arrangement. To gain experience, I would happily consider taking on any machining project within my skill level and the capability of my machine tools and inspection equipment. Since I'm not a pro, currently don't use machining to feed my family and don't have a lot of overhead associated with machining activities, I can work at very reasonable cost, especially for the Steel Soldiers community.

I've always been fascinated by machining, but my career has focused on pharmaceutical development. I've been aspiring to become a hobby machinist for at least ten years, and I've also seriously considered using machining and perhaps eventually welding to provide an additional source of income post-retirement. I spent a couple of years taking night machining classes at my local vocational school, built a workshop, purchased a mill and lathe, and now have some serious, accurate manual machine tools and modest capabilities. I still consider myself a novice, but my skill level is steadily increasing as I challenge myself with new projects.

Stan

 

[rickf]

Stan, I wish I were closer. Between your machining and my welding we could probably supply a lot of the needs of the SS community. Within reason I mean.

Rick

 

[NJ_Toolnut]

Well, Now I know who to call when I need an oddball part made! And in NJ at that!

Rick

Rick, we appear to be about 80 miles apart per Google maps, but the run takes nearly two hours since all the good roads are oriented wrong. It is much shorter in straight line "as the crow flies" distance, but it's the typical Jersey "can't get there from here" scenario for NW to SE travel regarding distance/travel time. Even so it appears to be a fairly short drive to me, but it certainly depends on what you are driving.

I envy your ability to weld. It is an extremely useful skill to have, especially for MV restoration. It will be the next new skill I acquire, but I think I will need to spend the rest of my life doing it to get proficient. The weldor I've been using here (small shop) is very good, but also very expensive. I want to get a torch and learn brazing first, to get good enough to do some cast iron (or maybe cast steel) repairs on my pedestal grinder. Have you ever done such work? You can do a lot with a torch.

Stan

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Hello, Stan. Sorry for the delay in reply.

Yes, I've got a 20" Rockford Hydraulic Universal. Even has power downfeed and tool lifter. Got the proper vice on it as well. Very useful machine to have in a home shop, but a bit on the heavy side for a small shop; she's 3 ton if she's an ounce. Mine was being scrapped out from a local foundry that was out of business. They sold off all the 'good' machines and then dragged the ones they never thought they could sell outside to haul to the scrapper. That's when I drove by and couldn't believe what I was seeing; a complete and undamaged Rockford only 4 miles from home. They were going to cut the motor off and scrap it for the higher copper price but I got there before they could do the deed and I made a deal for the machine at less than mixed iron scrap price. Could not believe my luck when I cleaned it up and fed it 30 gallons of hydraulic fluid; everything worked perfectly.

The only thing I'm missing is the original vice handle. Guess I won't complain too much.

I'm running it off 208V 3-phase from the MEP, and it seems to work well.

 

[EnteJager]

I agree, I was watching those Ft Dix units and couldn't believe what people were bidding. I've noticed everything goes for crazy money in Jersey.
The units at Meade went pretty high, too.
I previewed the rebuilt 003's at Chambersburg, and they were in extremely nice shape, looked very recently rebuilt and came with a couple accesories. Bidding went over my limit monday, and I never looked at the close price. They were probably worth whatever they went for.

I got one of the 2 mep-003a's at Dix that went high, mine was 2700.00 out the door.

I went high because I knew what I was bidding on. It is A 1988 mep-003a with 2.3 hrs on it. It has the original load test paperwork from Onan with the 2.3 hrs of run time on the document. It has the original army inspection cert and stamp from St. Louis, it has the long term storage preservation check list signed and completed, it has the tag on the oil filler stating that it is serviced with preservation oil . It has the original -10 in plastic.

These gensets came out of a wrrsk (war readiness resupply kit) front line equipment held in reserve to resupply Europe when the balloon went up.

People who know what these are pay upwards of 5,000 for them. I know 1st hand. I could sell as many as I could get.

I have bought about 5 like this in the past few years and they are about as close to new as you can get. I have put 200+ hrs on the 1st one I aquired with no leak issues from long term storage.

With people paying 2500.00 on ebay for some old repainted genset with no idea of the true hours, these are a bargin.

I should have bought the other one but I wanted one of those M931A1's outa Meade.

 

[EnteJager]

Here is the link on the site to the last 2.3 genset I bought with the paperwork.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/auxillary-equipment/46183-brand-new-1988-mep-003as.html

 

[NJ_Toolnut]

Hi Carl,

Thanks for your response. It's good to know your Rockford does just fine on 208 volts. You really lucked out. Making a new vise handle should be very simple. It was quite a gamble for you to invest the $ in 30 gal of hydraulic fluid just to confirm it works, but you were committed anyway at that point, having already dragged it home. I think mine weighs about 2 tons. It also has the original vise and tool lifter, but unfortunately not power downfeed.

Stan

 

[Ratch]

Here is the link on the site to the last 2.3 genset I bought with the paperwork.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/auxillary-equipment/46183-brand-new-1988-mep-003as.html

Have you run any of them?
I'd be a little curious how the compression and cylinder walls are after 20+ years without even being cranked or loaded, even with preservation oil.
If they're all good, nice score!

 

[EnteJager]

Put 200+ hrs on the one I kept over the last 18months. The longest run was 96 hrs straight after Irene.

One I sold to a guy upstate NY has a house totally off the grid ran 700 hrs in 6 months. He uses solar and battery banks along with the genset.

The other 2 have between 100 and 200 hrs with no problems.

Great running units.

 

[Ratch]

Well dayum, that's great then.

 

[tymwltl]

Does anyone know if Ambach will rebuild an injection pump for an 002A ? I think I would like to send my pump out that came with the unit in order not to have to figure out this button thickness thing. If they will take my original pump and see what is wrong with it and send it back with the same button I should be in good shape right ? One more stupid question, What do they mean by face the plunger drive plate with the lettering up ? Which way is up when your talking about the face gear that the drive plate fits in ? tymwltl@gmail.com THANKS

 

[Carl_in_NH]

If you have your original pump rebuilt then it’s almost certain that the button thickness will change; AMBAC could sell you the correct button at the same time, because they would know the original pump measurement (marked on the flange of the pump) and the thickness of the original button and could calculate the button required from the new number after the rebuild (which they would be engraving on the pump flange).

I suspect, after having dealt with AMBAC in the purchase of a button, that this service would be so expensive as to not be practical. Just the button and shipping was darn near $100; I can only imagine what they would charge to have the pump rebuilt.

Dealing with getting the correct button is really straight forward given the documentation available. I’d purchase a good take-off used pump and get the correct button for it; that’s what I did on my 003A.

 

[Speddmon]

Carl, I thougth I read somewhere that the button size only needs changed after a rebuild if you have a different hydraulic head. If the pump can be rebuild with the same hydraulic head then the button should remain the same?? Maybe I'm mistaken?