MEP-004a and the best laid plans of mice and men

[thecrankyengineer]

Hey folks! Several weeks ago I asked here about the longevity of MEP 004a gensets and got some great feedback. Unfortunately, my adventure went downhill from there. I bought a 1982 Libby Welding Company unit with a White diesel engine and mounted on a big honkin' dually trailer. Paid $1300. Got it home last Wednesday and resolved to remove the intake manifold before doing anything because it was missing an air filter and who knows what could be in there waiting to wreck the engine.

I found large amounts of scaly/flaky rust in the port feeding cylinders 1 and 2 and on closer inspection noticed that the valves were corroded much more than I was comfortable with. Well, guess the head has to come off.

Hours later the head slid up the studs and off the engine to reveal an awful surprise; cylinders 1 and 2 were not in very bad shape... but cylinder 4 was ruined.



Its tough to see in the photo but that corrosion is thick.

When I have the cash for it, I may try yanking it but, the logistics of lifting the engine out and transporting it to the shop are considerable, to say the least. I have a fair amount of tools but an engine crane that will reach the engine while it's on the trailer is not one of them. I also don't think it will fit in the trunk of a Cobalt. Hehe. I'm also curious about the availability of parts. Are internals difficult to find for these?

This all, also, makes me wonder about the condition of the alternator. The thought of soaking $2k into this thing only to find out that the alternator (or some electrical control component) is shot is... less than appealing. There is a large amount of very fine dirt coating the alternator. Maybe it was in a dust storm... maybe it has been in a flood.

I'm pretty handy with mechanical and electrical things but I'm entirely new to the MEP generators and wanted to get some input from experienced vets. Are there any areas in particular that I should start my investigating? Anything along the lines of "if part x is bad, just walk away."?

Okay, I've rambled enough. Just kind of needed to get that off my chest... know what I mean. Thanks, folks.

 

[PeterD]

Do not panic. My MEP-004 was that bad. By the time I got through cleaning it, I had two very small pits in #4, reassembled it and it runs just fine. Doesn't use any oil, and performs just fine. Start by cleaning in place, I used razor blades and utility blades mostly.

 

[thecrankyengineer]

Hmmm... I hadn't thought of that. My mind jumped straight to machining. This is encouraging. Weather permitting I'll have to give that a try this weekend.

Do you know any good source for head gaskets?

 

[PeterD]

I got my parts from Jerry Biro at Hercano Propulsion (http://www.herculesparts.com/) His email is hercules_parts@yahoo.com.

Jerry is a great guy, might be a bit slow in replying, so a phone call would be best if you are in a hurry. His wife (Linda, IIRC) is his partner and you will end up talking to her, and she'll then ask Jerry. She does a great job too.

I thought I was going to have to buy a new engine on mine, but figured I'd gamble a few hundred first. I won the bet, despite my engine being locked up tight and full of rust. I was astonished at how well it came out. I probably put about 10-12 hours cleaning that cylinder (why is it #4 every time?) and I did rebuild the head, do a valve job, new valve seals (easy, since I got the overhaul gasket which has everything, as all my old gaskets were trashed.)

I have the ASK on my generator and I spent a lot of time wedged in that case, hovering over the engine. Most of my work was from the left side (intake side) it seemed easier for me. I did not remove the studs, but you can if you want a bit more room to work. Oh, and a hint--dropping that head back on the studs: be careful, it took me a good 10 minutes to get my arm out!!!

 

[thecrankyengineer]

Thank you so much!

Yeah, my head's a little rough too. Might need a couple valves but other than that it's looking okay. Injectors look a little scuzzy and carboned up but probably just need a quick cleaning.

I know what you mean about that head. Mine's in the standard enclosure and I spent an hour trying to get the thing up off the studs. There was just no way... that is one heavy sucker. I had to disassemble the front cover so I could actually stand over the engine and yank the head straight up. Can't imagine doing it one-armed. Hehehe!

 

[PeterD]

I did replace my injectors, mostly because I had a spare set that were in very good condition and the set in the engine looked crappy. We have a shop near here that could have rebuilt them, but it was nice to just drop a set in.