Starter issue on MEP-002 & MEP-003

[buck]

I spent a while looking through old threads and didn't find anything on this issue so if it's been covered i'm sorry. Hoping to save someone else some time, $$, and aggrevation.

I picked up an MEP-003 recently, got it home, gave it the once over and started it up, ran great. It sat a few days before I got back to changing the oil and filters. When I tried to start it afterward the starter just went Clunk, Clunk, Clunk. Thought low battery so I put the 24 volt chager on it for a while. Same thing, Clunk, Clunk, Clunk. I've had a bad battery cause this before even with a charge on so I swaped in new batteries. Same thing. It started right up no problem the day I got it home so I figured a bad connection or gound somewhere. Removed and cleaned all wires and cables on the starter. Twice. Same thing. Now I figure it's got to be the siloniod or in the starter. I take the starter to the local repair shop. Next day I go back and they tell me the starter is toast and can't be fixed but they would gladly sell me a new one for nearly $400. So I go home with a box of parts that used to be my starter. I got home and started looking things over a little more I noticed the starter on an MEP-002 I had was the same as the 10 kw. I knew the 5 kw starter was good so I swapped it to the 10kw genny. Turned the switch and Clunk, Clunk, Clunk. 5 hours of tracking wires later I found on the opposite side of the motor what I believe is an over heat safety switch. Anyway, it was out of adjustment. Ten seconds later it started perfectly.

I know the TM is your friend, but I know more about the wiring and how that unit works now than I could have learned reading the TM 10 times. And the TM makes more sense now too.

Sure am ticked off at my starter guy now though. I sure hope he can get that starter back together and working as it was not a starter issue to begin with.
Wish I would have swapped the starters first.

Hope this saves someone else some trouble.

 

[Speddmon]

That switch you found is the starter lockout switch (Yes, it's been covered MANY times before). It is designed to not allow the starter to engage once the engine is up to operating speed, if it is adjusted properly. That switch is in there because sometime down the road you might need to "flash" the field to get it to start making power, you do this by turning the master switch back to the start position for a few seconds with the engine running. And with the engine running, if that switch was not in there you would hear some pretty funky noises coming from your starter.

 

[storeman]

If your starter guy can't rescue yours, PM me. I may be able to help.
Jerry

 

[Gnoz]

I have a MEP 002A that won't start until I tap the back of the starter with a wrench. Any suggestion on what the problem might be and how to fix it? Also the Herz gauge does not work. Thanks

 

[Isaac-1]

Does yours have a type 1 or type 2 starter?

 

[Gnoz]

Does yours have a type 1 or type 2 starter?

I don't know type I have. Is there a way to find out?

 

[jamawieb]

I don't know type I have. Is there a way to find out?

Yes you can look at the starter and know. Type 1 has an arm that comes out of the solenoid to engage the starter. If you have this style you should see a boot and an arm coming out of the starter solenoid. Type 2 all you will see is the solenoid on top of the starter, no boot or arms. Type 2 is the newer type that spins the engine faster.

 

[Isaac-1]

Type 2's are not necessarily newer than Type 1's, my MEP-002a came with a Type 1 that was likely installed in 2008 and is new enough to have a Southern Automotives web address label on it.

 

[Gnoz]

Yes you can look at the starter and know. Type 1 has an arm that comes out of the solenoid to engage the starter. If you have this style you should see a boot and an arm coming out of the starter solenoid. Type 2 all you will see is the solenoid on top of the starter, no boot or arms. Type 2 is the newer type that spins the engine faster.

Thanks, I just verified and the one on my Gen. is the type 1.

 

[Triple Jim]

My 003A does that occasionally. I took the starter apart, and cleaned and lubed everything that needed it, and it cured the problem for a year or so. Now I need to do it again and pay more attention to what might be making the solenoid linkage fail to return all the way. A tap on the linkage with a rubber hammer so it fully returns makes it work when it's acting up.

 

[R Racing]

They sell new starters on e bay for around $150.00

 

[Gnoz]

My 003A does that occasionally. I took the starter apart, and cleaned and lubed everything that needed it, and it cured the problem for a year or so. Now I need to do it again and pay more attention to what might be making the solenoid linkage fail to return all the way. A tap on the linkage with a rubber hammer so it fully returns makes it work when it's acting up.

Also what type of oil does the MEP 002A uses?

 

[Ray70]

I use 15W-40HD oil in all my diesels. Personally I usually use Rotella, Castrol or Delvac but pretty sure all 15W-40 weights are formulated especially for diesel engines. If you live in a very cold climate you might want to see about a lighter viscosity oil. Apparently there's a "Lubrication schedule" somewhere that the TM refers to for oil viscosity you can refer to as well.

 

[Isaac-1]

This topic comes up from time to time and the vast majority of us use a quality 15W40 diesel oil, even though it is not what is specified by the TM as oil formulations have changed considerably in the last 40 years since the TM was written.