MEP017a oil leak

[doghead]

I recently purchased a pair of MEP017a generators at a state surplus auction. They both run and generate electricity.

One of them looked pretty oily under the oil pan(years of leakage). When I fired it up to test it, I noticed a pretty good puddle of oil forming under the oil pan. The fan seems to blow oil across the bottom of the finned oil pan, but the drip and accumulation is primarily directly under the center of the oil pan.

Has anyone else had this issue? Getting a clear view of the oil pan/underside of the engine is going to require a bit of effort to remove the air shrouding under the engine(for oil pan warming).

Looking at the TM, it looks like the oil pump is near the output shaft. It looks to have a plate that might have a gasket that may leak?

Maybe it's just the oil pan gasket? Or, a crack in something?

It only seems to leak while it's running. It has a mechanical oil pressure gauge(added by the state mechanics). I noticed it has about 80psi when cold/first started(seems kinda high compared to the other gen set).

Maybe I need to look at the oil pressure regulator?

Anyone else have a leaking 2AO42 engine,(and fixed it)?

 

[68impalass]

I had one a while back with a leak like yours. Turns out it was the rear engine oil seal. The fan blew oil all over, not a hard job but it takes time. Oil pressure is way to high, gauge may be off or like you said, the regulator may be stuck.

 

[doghead]

I found this picture on a website about using these engines for ultralights.

I circled an oil drain back hose( Looks like I need to inspect that close).

The red arrow points to the area that it seems to drip oil from. (not the hex headed plug)

The blue arrow points to the oil pump cover.

 

[doghead]

Hmm, if its the crankshaft seal, I wonder if it's easier to pull the gen head off the engine/frame, or pull the engine out of the frame.

 

[68impalass]

they didn't use good clamps on those, probably because there is no pressure on the hose, could be there, could be the seal, could be the gasket over the cover of the oil pump. I wonder with all that oil pressure maybe it blew out that gasket on the cover. Yank it apart, you got the whole weekend!!

 

[68impalass]

Pull the gen head off, change the rear bearing while it's apart

 

[doghead]

Well, I just looked inside the air shrouding. It is not the drain back hose.

In general, it does look like over pressure has been an ongoing issue. It has 300 hours on the meter and I am seeing oily leakage around the governor and dampness near the oil pressure regulator area.

I think I can see the block, under the crankshaft, looking through the fan. I don't see any oil on the "front"(gen side) of the oil pan.

There is a thin tin shield under the engine, it will inhibit access to the oil pan.

Maybe I'll start by just removing the "cage" off the skid frame, then lifting the whole unit up off the skid-frame, and looking under it.

I think I have better things to do this weekend, but soon enough, I'll get into it.

Defiantly gonna look at the oil pressure regulator.

 

[doghead]

Oh, is there a safe way to run this thing at an idle? The TM says to turn the voltage adjust knob, completely counter clockwise and idle the engine several minutes before shutting it down. I have heard that idling these units can burn out the voltage regulator. Is it safe to idle if the voltage adjustment knob is turned all the way down?

 

[68impalass]

If the unit has the "old" style regulator you are fine, if the new style, your not. You can disconnect the field wires if its the new style and idle it all day. I have read these engines are designed to go to 3600rpm right after start up. Don't know how true that is.