New guy with MEP-002A questions

[Badfish740]

I have a friend who purchased a bunch of generators at an auction down in Maryland recently. He doesn't really know much about them-he owns an excavating company and buys and sells a lot of equipment-he has bought and resold a couple of deuces, but these are the first generators he's bought. Three of them are MEP-002As. One has a housing and two do not-all three are said to run, but all fluids have been drained and the filters have been removed. From the outside they all look complete and in very good shape, no rust, etc...I think he paid between $600-800 for each. I'd like to buy one from him for use as a portable home generator-just Googling information it looks like it would meet my needs. My current genny is a Craftsman 5500W surge/4200W continuous that's loud as all **** and getting old.

I have a small house and the essentials are as follows:

2 sump pumps
Wood furnace blower
Fridge/freezer
Chest freezer
Gas stove with electronic ignition
Lights

The "would-be-nice-to-haves" are:

TV
Modem/router
Electric 80 gallon DWH (Probably not, I know...)

We tend to lose power for days at a time at least once a year during the fall (Nor'easters) and winter-the longest we were out was after Hurricane Sandy (10 days). We're on public water, so no well pump to worry about, and since we usually don't lose power during the summer I'm not concerned about running my central air.

Based on that, I think a 5kW (I've heard they can really do around 8kW no sweat) will do just fine. My plan would be to install a breaker in my box since I have plenty of space with a proper interlock, transfer switch, and male receptacle on the house, and mount the MEP-002A to a trailer in order to make it easy to move. This way I can just roll it out and hook it up when needed. Noise is a concern though since I live in a subdivision, so I'd want to build an enclosure around it on the trailer. Where can I find specs on acceptable clearances, etc...in order to make sure it won't overheat? Finally, how clean is the power out of these things? Right now I don't dare leave my flat panel TV or other electronics plugged in while running on generator power. I've looked into buying power conditioners but the good ones are really pricey.

 

[R Racing]

I believe you would be good power wise except the hot water heater. There are several posts on here about building enclosures for them if you do a search. I'd want to have him get the 1 you want up and running first as some of these can take off and run perfectly. And a good amount need some love first. We have a wiki on here about them that would be a great place to get yourself familure with them. The enclose 1s are known as ASK units they are quieter than the 1s wit hour a enclosure

 

[R Racing]

Here is a link to the wiki info.http://www.steelsoldiers.com/content.php?4-MEP-WIKI

 

[Keith_J]

If the water heater elements are 4500 watt, as most are, it will do it no problem. That is how I load test mine, it is good for 80% so you should be able to swing your other loads.

 

[lxawolf]

Badfish740, Welcome from a fellow NJ member. There are a quite a few of us on here. I have the MEP-003a so its a larger version but is almost exactly the same. Mine came with bad electric fuel pumps. I was able to get almost direct replacements after that mine runs like a champ.

A few quick things I use Shell Rotella-T 15w40 diesel oil. But people say any name brand high quality diesel oil will work. I don't know how much the 002a takes off hand but the data plate riveted on the side of the control box should have it.
The FRAM CH6PL oil filter, has the correct gaskets needed for the original canister style filter. (at some point I am going to upgrade to the spin on filter adapter). My gasket needed a few seconds with a heat gun on low to get the gasket to lay flat. It was curved from the box. After it was flat it sat in the groove and the canister was easy to put on.
The FRAM CAK253 for the air filter.
The fuel it uses FRAM C1125PL.

I ordered the parts online from a large parts supply house. One thing if you do pick up the MEP-002a from your buddy its always a good idea to also start to pick up some extra filters. I always like to have extra filters on hand makes oil changes easy and I do like to have the insurance of knowing I have the parts on hand if needed.

 

[Badfish740]

If the water heater elements are 4500 watt, as most are, it will do it no problem. That is how I load test mine, it is good for 80% so you should be able to swing your other loads.

I believe they are 4500W-that's great to know. During past power outages the cold showers got old pretty quick!

Badfish740, Welcome from a fellow NJ member. There are a quite a few of us on here. I have the MEP-003a so its a larger version but is almost exactly the same. Mine came with bad electric fuel pumps. I was able to get almost direct replacements after that mine runs like a champ.

Thanks! I see you're in Sussex-my in-laws live up that way (Hampton)-I keep telling myself I need to get to the show in Augusta every spring. I'm determined that this will be the year! Hopefully I'll meet up with some other folks from here.

A few quick things I use Shell Rotella-T 15w40 diesel oil. But people say any name brand high quality diesel oil will work. I don't know how much the 002a takes off hand but the data plate riveted on the side of the control box should have it.

The FRAM CH6PL oil filter, has the correct gaskets needed for the original canister style filter. (at some point I am going to upgrade to the spin on filter adapter). My gasket needed a few seconds with a heat gun on low to get the gasket to lay flat. It was curved from the box. After it was flat it sat in the groove and the canister was easy to put on.
The FRAM CAK253 for the air filter. The fuel it uses FRAM C1125PL.

I ordered the parts online from a large parts supply house. One thing if you do pick up the MEP-002a from your buddy its always a good idea to also start to pick up some extra filters. I always like to have extra filters on hand makes oil changes easy and I do like to have the insurance of knowing I have the parts on hand if needed.

Thanks for the tip. I am not new to diesels, so I know the benefits of Rotella-it's all I ran in my old 7.3L Powerstroke. Now that I know this generator will do all I need and more I'm psyched and can't wait to grab one! In another stroke of luck my dad just picked up a 100' cord that was used for a welding power supply for scrap copper. I'll need to check the wire size, but it should be more than enough to snip some off for a connector cord. Would sure beat buying it new!

 

[storeman]

I have a friend who purchased a bunch of generators at an auction down in Maryland recently. He doesn't really know much about them-he owns an excavating company and buys and sells a lot of equipment-he has bought and resold a couple of deuces, but these are the first generators he's bought. Three of them are MEP-002As. One has a housing and two do not-all three are said to run, but all fluids have been drained and the filters have been removed. From the outside they all look complete and in very good shape, no rust, etc...I think he paid between $600-800 for each. I'd like to buy one from him for use as a portable home generator-just Googling information it looks like it would meet my needs. My current genny is a Craftsman 5500W surge/4200W continuous that's loud as all **** and getting old.



Not trying to rain on your parade but

No generators sold by Govt Liquidation are said to run as part of the auction. Take care unless your friend has put the fluids in them and you see them run.

It is all a guessing game and many do well. Many do not-so-well. With a lot of work and parts, I managed to salvage about 9 out of 13 units. Good luck!

Jerry

 

[rustystud]

Badfish740, Welcome from a fellow NJ member. There are a quite a few of us on here. I have the MEP-003a so its a larger version but is almost exactly the same. Mine came with bad electric fuel pumps. I was able to get almost direct replacements after that mine runs like a champ.

A few quick things I use Shell Rotella-T 15w40 diesel oil. But people say any name brand high quality diesel oil will work. I don't know how much the 002a takes off hand but the data plate riveted on the side of the control box should have it.
The FRAM CH6PL oil filter, has the correct gaskets needed for the original canister style filter. (at some point I am going to upgrade to the spin on filter adapter). My gasket needed a few seconds with a heat gun on low to get the gasket to lay flat. It was curved from the box. After it was flat it sat in the groove and the canister was easy to put on.
The FRAM CAK253 for the air filter.
The fuel it uses FRAM C1125PL.

I ordered the parts online from a large parts supply house. One thing if you do pick up the MEP-002a from your buddy its always a good idea to also start to pick up some extra filters. I always like to have extra filters on hand makes oil changes easy and I do like to have the insurance of knowing I have the parts on hand if needed.

As far as engine oil goes, I use Synthetic Diesel engine oil . Since our units are air cooled I feel the extra money spent on Synthetics is worth it.

 

[Eaglhawk]

On the average most homes use 10kw as a basic rule if gas heating is used. It can go up much higher with electric stoves and central air... I always like to run generators 50% of nominal load so not to stress the system and not worry about pulling too much current on the line. If you have the cash to spare a 15kw generator would be best and you would have NO worries and plenty of power for everything. I bought a military surplus 15kw w/ inclosure, trailer, with less than 100 hours for under $1000. Works great, but ended up upgrading to a 60kw because I wanted to run my shop and welder too when the power goes out. Adding a 600 gal military diesel tank and it kept me comfy during those multi-day blackouts. I can't express the feeling of security and relief a properly assembled backup system can afford... Also rule of thumb... Get a generator that you can readily get parts for and are not overly complicated....

 

[Another Ahab]

As far as engine oil goes, I use Synthetic Diesel engine oil . Since our units are air cooled I feel the extra money spent on Synthetics is worth it.

Trade-off with Synthetic Oil is all about longevity, that kind of it in a nutshell?

- Costs more but last longer (doesn't "break down" as fast as conventional oil).

Is that kind if it, stud?

 

[Isaac-1]

EaglHawk, there are several reasons why it is bad to run a diesel generator lightly loaded, wetstacking is probably the most common one, but there are others such as avoiding carbon buildup on injector tips, etc. As a rule of thumb you want a diesel generator to see at least 70% load on a regular basis.

 

[Eaglhawk]

I agree to a point Isaac-1, diesel engines are usually designed for 70-80% load for best efficiency, but you would have to run below 40% or less for prolonged periods for this to be an issue and generator versions usually take variable load like this into consideration. You can always hook up some electric heaters and run the generators close to max load for a few hours to burn out the deposits every so often. But on the other hand, overloading the generator is not good either and if loaded and you are not outputting full voltage/etc you can damage appliances and equipment.... It is a balance....

 

[Ray70]

Badfish, I think you'll be fine with a -002A for your needs. I tested mine and it was able to run all the lights both inside and outside my house as well as in the shop, a 3/4hp well pump and an electric oven, all at the same time without sending the meter much over 100% load. Your biggest concern will be the electric water heater, but these generators do much better with a resistive ( heating element) load than inductive ( electric motor) loads. You may have to keep other loads to a minimum when running the water heater, but I'm sure you would much rather manually operate the water heater ( if need be ) than to take a cold shower! The 002A is also more fuel efficient than the larger machines, if you don't really need the extra power.

 

[rustystud]

Trade-off with Synthetic Oil is all about longevity, that kind of it in a nutshell?

- Costs more but last longer (doesn't "break down" as fast as conventional oil).

Is that kind if it, stud?

Yes. I usually change out my oil and filter every spring since I only put about 40 to 80hrs a year on it. No worries about the oil breaking down with Synthetics.

 

[Rapracing]

Yes. I usually change out my oil and filter every spring since I only put about 40 to 80hrs a year on it. No worries about the oil breaking down with Synthetics.

I've never switched anything thing to synthetic. It seems I read somewhere you have to flush the engine before doing that? Is that really necessary or can I just drain good and add synthetic. My oil is getting old enough I probably should change it so I'll probably do so come spring. It only has about 20 hours on one and 6 on the other but it is about a year old now.

 

[DieselAddict]

You don't have to do anything special. Synthetic oil is perfectly compatible with regular oil.

In fact on my Camaro I would occasionally add a little regular oil to it when it started leaking. The front crank seal hated straight synthetic oil and would leak after a while. Adding 1/2qt of regular oil every few oil changes kept it from doing that.

 

[Floridianson]

Do you have natrual gas piped to your home. If so and it was me I would go look into a more expensive unit like Generac but in the long run better all around I think. Also most cities even with the power off to your home the Gas still flows to your home. I have three Military Gen's and wish I did not ever get them.

 

[Another Ahab]

Do you have natrual gas piped to your home. If so and it was me I would go look into a more expensive unit like Generac but in the long run better all around I think. Also most cities even with the power off to your home the Gas still flows to your home. I have three Military Gen's and wish I did not ever get them.

You saying better bang for the buck with a commercial unit (over the military unit)?

 

[Floridianson]

I would think so if there was NG at his house. You run out of Deisel and there is a loss of power in a large area you won't be pumping at the gas station. As I said do believe most utilities will keep the NG comming. To me power out for a long time is not a game it is my life and my family.

 

[Another Ahab]

You saying better bang for the buck with a commercial unit (over the military unit)?

I would think so if there was NG at his house. You run out of Deisel and there is a loss of power in a large area you won't be pumping at the gas station. As I said do believe most utilities will keep the NG comming. To me power out for a long time is not a game it is my life and my family.

I think I get your drift:

- It's NOT commercial vs military

- It's NG vs Diesel

What you're saying is it's all about uninterrupted power/ availability. That it?