Mep-002 new owner

[cucv1833]

Well just went and picked up my new Mep-002. This is my 1st Mep002a. The pick up from GL went great then I brought it home and transfer it from my truck to my M101A2 trailer. Heres a few pics. It looks great.

So for I started cleaning the fuel tank out the will clean the rest of the fuel system. and put some fresh oil in it and give it ago. Im new to this although I just got my new Mep-016D going - so still looking at the TMs and searching on SS. Any tips appreciated.

The Gen looks in really good shape alot of newer parts on it like some gauges and fuel pumps ect, looks like all parts are there also. I turned the engine over with a wrench seems good to me. Its showing 1250hrs that gauge looks orginal. the air filter is like new and says Oct-08

 

[Grega]

Besides all the usuall stuff, filters, cleaning the tank, and oil, I removed the cover off of the end of the generator, took a long handle blow gun and blew out the windings. Took the cover off below the wire connection terminals and blew that out also. Inside the control cabnit too. I was surprised about the amount of dirt in there.

 

[derf]

Usually they get DRMOd for a reason. It could be something simple or it could be a thrown rod. The only sets I've gotten that didn't have something minor wrong with them were taken from situations where the equipment the sets were partnered with were bad, like a 701A that was paired with another on a trailer.
I'm about 10 for 10 when it comes to getting them running, though, and have never spend more than $50 or so on parts.
Let us know when/if you get it going and/or if you need parts and/or assistance.
If Isaac keeps heading this way I may be getting my 003 running very soon.

 

[two.fiveM35]

Keep us updated on first cold start. Good luck

 

[storeman]

Good looking unit. Good luck!

Jerry

 

[cucv1833]

I finished cleaning the fuel tank and fuel system. Installed new oil filter and oil.

Good news- got it running and it starts right up and runs
strong

Bad news- I broke what looks to be a brand new throttle cable. I had to fix the fuel pump by following instuction from this thread http://www.steelsoldiers.com/auxiliary-equipment/93824-mep-002-blowing-dc-breaker.html one pump was tripping the breaker then both pumps started to trip it. The aux pump worked just fine.

I got it running and temporary rigged the throttle to maintain 60hertz and started testing power. Its set on 120 1 phase and the volt/amp switch set on L-1/L-3 1phase. I got power at the duplex rec 120v. But no power to any of the power terminals l1,l2,l3.l0. Any tips?

 

[n1oty]

Check for proper voltage in and out of the AC circuit breaker.

John

 

[Isaac-1]

Ouch, that is going to hurt when you find the price on replacement good throttle cables. On a side note it is good I did not end up offering to pick it up for you, my truck broke down on the way home from the airport in Alexandria this afternoon (was able to limp it into the dealership in Leesville).

Ike

 

[cucv1833]

Ouch, that is going to hurt when you find the price on replacement good throttle cables. On a side note it is good I did not end up offering to pick it up for you, my truck broke down on the way home from the airport in Alexandria this afternoon (was able to limp it into the dealership in Leesville).

Ike

Sorry to hear about the truck. Yeah i just bought that high dollar cable I will sort this out then back to producing power.

When i get it going again should i try to flash the field to see if that gives me power

 

[dependable]

That is called a Vermeer style throttle in wood chipper land. I recently bought a replacement for my chipper for about $100. Includes cable and pull knob. But lots of folks say you should just set RPM for 60 hertz and leave it. Maybe you don't need the cable.

 

[Speddmon]

When i get it going again should i try to flash the field to see if that gives me power

Congrats on the new generator. I gotta ask though, if you already said you have 120 volts at the convenience outlet, why would you think you need to flash the field...there is only 1 generator head on the machine...if you have power at the outlet you have power.

n1oty already told you to check for voltage on both sides of the main AC breaker.

 

[Speddmon]

It's called a vernier cable

 

[cucv1833]

Congrats on the new generator. I gotta ask though, if you already said you have 120 volts at the convenience outlet, why would you think you need to flash the field...there is only 1 generator head on the machine...if you have power at the outlet you have power.

n1oty already told you to check for voltage on both sides of the main AC breaker.

So last night I read the TMs and searched on SS for about 2hrs trying to get more familiar. Any way I started it back up today maintaining around 60-62htz. I checked the voltage going in and everything looks good to me the 120v Rec. plug still works.

NO voltage coming out with the breaker ON.

I shut it down and checked the breaker with an OHM meter in ON position I get continuity on the L1/L2 in/out but nothing on the L3. After checking that now the breaker wont lock back in the on position. So im thinking it is bad. If so Anyone have a spare for sale?

On a side note all my gauges work the volt meter stays in the yellow and reading 24.8v Im jumping it off my cucv with the engine off leaving the jumper cables on. I thought I seen were I should be getting around 28v output. Ive only ran it in 10-15 min intervals though so havent seen it charging or draining the batterys. Once I sort everything out I will buy proper batterys.

 

[Isaac-1]

The voltage you see will depend on how drained your batteries are, etc. The simplest test to see if it is charging at all vs not is check battery voltage with it running, then turn it off. If voltage is lower with it off then it is charging, at least partially. If voltage ever goes over about 30 volts then the voltage regulator is bad and will end up cooking your batteries.

Ike

 

[Speddmon]

The main breaker is still available from the manufacturer (Heinmann I believe). But they are expensive to buy new...somewhere in the $180.00 range. I posted a thread about buying new ones ad posted the part # where you could order them from Newark Electronics. Searching should find it easy enough.

You might try turning the breaker on and off a few dozen times. It's probably just some corrosion and dirt causing the not resetting issue. It may help with the L3 contacts also. It's worth a try at least.

 

[vanderwoude]

hAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR RECONNECTION SWITCH, IF NOT PROPERLY SEATED IN ONE OF THE THREE POSITIONS, COULD CAUSE THAT PROBLEM, I BELIEVE.
i too am a new owner, hope you don't have to replace the breaker. My reconnection switch was frose up, not moving, except in the wrong direction and only on the spring. Was reluctant to take it loose, but did, and found you can take the front part off, reveleaing the snap mechanism, don't worry, no springs that fly out. the switch itself turned easy, put it in the far clockwise direction for 120/240 and reassembled it. Happy to say it now put out correct voltage and NO, I won't move it to see if the switch works.

ON THAT FUEL PUMP PROBLEM, MINE POPPED THE DC BREAKER ALSO, FOUND THAT THE RESISTOR THAT REDUCES VOLTAGE TO 12V WAS SHORTED, WHEN i removed it from ground, it worked; of course then put it back and grounded the resistor, no have just one fuel pump; aux was bad.

Any words out there on burning filtered cooking oil vice expensive diesel?

 

[Isaac-1]

The inline wired part on the fuel pump that often stops working is a filter capacitor and can be removed. Facet sells this model line both with and without filter capacitors.

Ike

 

[cucv1833]

Ike,
Thanks. I dont think its really charging. I read 24.8 running and 25.1v dc not running. But on the other problems.

Speedmon,
Thanks for the tips. The breaker is bad for sure. I was working it on/off and it started to work better. At one point I had continuity ant the L3 but it was staying closed in the on/off position. At this point it is really broken. No contact at L3 on the breaker and it wont stay in the On position. When flipping it on/off I can see the L1/L2 contacts opening and closing but not the L3. I did find your thread about the new breaker But really need to find a used one. I still need to put $200 worth of batterys in it.

 

[Speddmon]

Why do you need $200.00 worth of batteries? Get two of the cheapest car batteries you can find. Trust me, the starter doesn't give a crap if it is 6TL's powering it or 2 wal-mart specials. 24 volts is 24 volts.

 

[Isaac-1]

I can't say anything good about Wal-Mart batteries, other than they will cover them under warranty, when I bought my Ford F-250 used in July of 2008 it came with a pair of then brand new Walmart yellow Everstart MAXX group 65 batteries with 36 month full replacement warranty (either 5 or 7 year prorated). By the summer of 2010 both batteries were so weak that if the truck did not crank on the first try they did not have enough reserve for a second try, so I took them to Walmart, one tested bad, the other was right on the borderline, they replaced with a new matching pair. Which were just about dead again this spring when I replaced them with a pair of higher quality $100 batteries from the local battery warehouse store a couple of months ago (the pair of 750 CCA batteries tested out at just under 400 amps combined on a warm day in May).

Ike