Ray70
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Thought I'd share a little story ( with a happy ending for a change ) about my recent GL purchase of another MEP-003A.
I previously had a total of 6 MEP generators, got them all fixed up and tested and sold them all, so I was starting to have Green Machine withdrawl symptoms and needed to buy something to calm the effects!
A few weeks ago I was going down to VA with my wife and kids for a little vacation. I noticed 4 "like new" MEP-003A's were being auctioned off in Portsmouth that same week so I figure it was the perfect opportunity to buy another green machine , haul it back to RI and not have to pay shipping.
I won a unit with 3.9 hours on the clock. Looked fantastic, once I was finally able to pick it up ( a day after I was supposed to already be back in RI, thanks to GL's on-line appointment tool showing my entire week grayed out and no appointments available! )
Got it home and opened up the cover for the AC connection wires and found a nice surprise! An Inspection report from 2008 when the machine was reconditioned with 3.8 hours on it, a brand new slave plug adapter ( still in the paper pouch ) and some other green cloth bag sealed in plastic.
I went through the machine, changed all the filters, removed the 9 year old fuel and was ready to fire it up.
Fuel pump check valve was stuck, preventing fuel flow. That was easily fixed from under the strainer cover.
Tried again and no fuel coming from the IP, so immediately figured the dog bone was broken, but... decided to crank it a little longer and viola! got fuel eventually.
cracked the lines at the injectors, bled it out and she fired up. A little rough at first but smoothed out and smoke slowly cleared.
Next I noticed no voltage showing on the gauges. Shut it off and restarted, holding the switch longer to energize field and now have power!
Couple days later I started it again and still getting some smoke from 1 cyl for about 5 mins. so I let it run for 20 mins. or so with some ATF in the fuel.
Next day, start it up and no smoke at all! Go to load test and she won't pull more than 5KW without bogging down, but no smoke and pushing lightly on the governor linkage makes no difference, seems like throttle is maxed out.
That night I go on the computer to see about contacting Storeman about rebuilding my injectors and I'm all set to pull them out and send him an IM.
Next morning before work I decided to take a look at the throttle linkage to be sure its not binding and I noticed the arm coming off the IP which is 2 spring loaded sections and normally moves... is frozen in the closed position.
I pushed on it and it popped free. Seems that when the unit was refurbed, all that super thick new CARC paint they applied had stuck the linkage closed.
Started it up that night and she easily pulled 10KW without hesitation and about 80% on the load meter... perfect!
So in the long run she ended up being a perfect running, nice clean, freshly painted 4 hr. 003A, just needed a few minutes of tweaking to get her back in action again!
If any of you SS members picked up the other 3 machines from Portsmouth last month, I'd love to hear if you made out well too!
I previously had a total of 6 MEP generators, got them all fixed up and tested and sold them all, so I was starting to have Green Machine withdrawl symptoms and needed to buy something to calm the effects!
A few weeks ago I was going down to VA with my wife and kids for a little vacation. I noticed 4 "like new" MEP-003A's were being auctioned off in Portsmouth that same week so I figure it was the perfect opportunity to buy another green machine , haul it back to RI and not have to pay shipping.
I won a unit with 3.9 hours on the clock. Looked fantastic, once I was finally able to pick it up ( a day after I was supposed to already be back in RI, thanks to GL's on-line appointment tool showing my entire week grayed out and no appointments available! )
Got it home and opened up the cover for the AC connection wires and found a nice surprise! An Inspection report from 2008 when the machine was reconditioned with 3.8 hours on it, a brand new slave plug adapter ( still in the paper pouch ) and some other green cloth bag sealed in plastic.
I went through the machine, changed all the filters, removed the 9 year old fuel and was ready to fire it up.
Fuel pump check valve was stuck, preventing fuel flow. That was easily fixed from under the strainer cover.
Tried again and no fuel coming from the IP, so immediately figured the dog bone was broken, but... decided to crank it a little longer and viola! got fuel eventually.
cracked the lines at the injectors, bled it out and she fired up. A little rough at first but smoothed out and smoke slowly cleared.
Next I noticed no voltage showing on the gauges. Shut it off and restarted, holding the switch longer to energize field and now have power!
Couple days later I started it again and still getting some smoke from 1 cyl for about 5 mins. so I let it run for 20 mins. or so with some ATF in the fuel.
Next day, start it up and no smoke at all! Go to load test and she won't pull more than 5KW without bogging down, but no smoke and pushing lightly on the governor linkage makes no difference, seems like throttle is maxed out.
That night I go on the computer to see about contacting Storeman about rebuilding my injectors and I'm all set to pull them out and send him an IM.
Next morning before work I decided to take a look at the throttle linkage to be sure its not binding and I noticed the arm coming off the IP which is 2 spring loaded sections and normally moves... is frozen in the closed position.
I pushed on it and it popped free. Seems that when the unit was refurbed, all that super thick new CARC paint they applied had stuck the linkage closed.
Started it up that night and she easily pulled 10KW without hesitation and about 80% on the load meter... perfect!
So in the long run she ended up being a perfect running, nice clean, freshly painted 4 hr. 003A, just needed a few minutes of tweaking to get her back in action again!
If any of you SS members picked up the other 3 machines from Portsmouth last month, I'd love to hear if you made out well too!
