MEP002A Governor droop troubleshooting

[1800 Diesel]

Late night post here, but I've been working on our #2 of 3 units and observed a significant freq droop when a 1500 watt heater load was added (with no other load except a trouble light), I set the freq at 62 hz and when the load is applied the engine speed slows and freq drops to abt 55hz. The engine eventually speeds back up in 2-3 seconds and freq holds a little above 60hz. When the load is removed, the engine speed "spikes" and the freq jumps to 64 or higher. Engine speed rises faster when load is released than the time it takes to slow down and recover when load is applied.

Things I did so far:

1. Read droop section in TM to understand how to make adjustments.
2. Removed solenoid when I noticed it seemed to be sticking. Removed boot and cleaned shaft & lubed lightly. Now solenoid moves up & down freely.
3. I cleaned governor linkage rod (PC#1, Fig 7-2 in TM) as it felt like the up & down action was not 100% free.
4. While solenoid was removed, I verified throttle linkage on IP had free up & down movement & it did. (Oiled it anyway.)
5. Verified free movement of governor shaft (PC# 4), lubed same & it moves freely.
6. With everything reinstalled and linkages connected, if I pry the solenoid upward and away from the IP throttle lever, the IP throttle lever does not spring upward like the other 2 MEPs I have on the same work pad. Hopefully this item will provide the clue I need to sort this out. If I move the governor linkage (PC# 1) downward a little the IP throttle lever springs up (again while the solenoid is held upward.)

So, bottom line there's something binding in the linkage but it's not just jumping out at me. Anyone else run across this?

I read the droop adjust method in the TM, but it seems I need to solve this linkage binding issue (that's noticeable when compared to the other 2 MEP2s I have on hand) before I try setting the droop adjust ratchet.

Thanks in advance.

 

[1800 Diesel]

Follow-up: I swapped out the governor linkage (PC# 1) and replaced with one from the other unit. When the solenoid is held in the up position (assume run position), the IP throttle lever moves up about half way but doesn't "peg" all the way up like the other 2 units.

At least now it moves upward some, whereas before I had to push down on the Governor arm (PC# 3) to "trip" the throttle lever upward to full speed position...

Will light off the unit and reset engine speed to 62 hz and re-apply the 1500 watt load to look for any changes.

 

[1800 Diesel]

Follow-up #2: Fired up unit & now engine wants to over-speed.... had to shut down twice. Even with 1500 watt load connected, engine will over-speed. No throttle control is possible--even with the speed control cable pushed all the way in the engine will over-speed. Back to TM. Standing by for any throttle experts..

Follow-up #3: Changed out governor linkage (PC# 1) & installed same piece from another genset, cranked up, set freq to 62hz, applied & removed various loads and unit is functioning very well. No over-speed issues and the original problem of excessive droop went away. Throttle response is very good. So I believe I need a replacement PC# 1....unless this was just a coincidence and something in the IP cleared itself???

 

[storeman]

Sounds like you found the right piece, but each of these linkages is adjustable. Try adjusting your first "defective linkage" to exactly the length of the one that worked and make sure all is moving as freely within the original linkage as it is within the one you found to be correct. Take great note of where the 3/8" hex nut is positioned on the arm before you remove the working linkage. Either score the edge of the arm at the nut or brush a bit of paint on arm at nut's edge so you can position at the same exact spot. Adjusting governors also gives me fits.
Jerry

 

[1800 Diesel]

Jerry,

I had a feeling I should have marked the location on the position of the 3/8" nut. Anyway I reinstalled the "defective" linkage on unit #3, (completed a first light-off tonight on this one) and the speed sensing & response is very good, BUT.......the unit will not start unless I trip (by hand) the IP throttle to the run position. I had already removed the solenoid to free it up a little by cleaning under the boot and applying some light oil. Now the solenoid works fine, but the governor linkage is not allowing the IP throttle to "pull itself up" during initial start-up. Could that be related to the position on the arm? Or is it something hanging up inside the governor linkage? That seems to be the problem because this is the same problem that first showed up on unit #2 & the same PC#1 is now on unit #3. I can also compare the length of this one to the other one. I assume you mean the "bottomed-out" length. I already checked the "stroke" the linkage slides up & down and both moved the same distance. But I did not check the total length bottomed out or with the spring pulling the two sections to the shortest length--if that makes any sense...

 

[storeman]

The bottomed out length (retracted when disconnected) is the important one. I have one which also needs an assist to get the throttle mechanism to come up. Has to be binding somewhere. One of the senior guys posted a year or so ago that he used a dremel with a grinding stone to elongate the hole the shaft passes through rather lose his sweet spot. Repositioning the nut on the arm will remove the binding but so may bending the arm. Some have been badly distorted. I'm having similar problems with the one at my store. I suspect that on their personal units many just put up with having to lift the throttle to start, but not good if you are selling it.
Jerry