Tampa/St. Petersburg Diesel tech needed

[sunny every day]

Any Diesel techs in the Tampa/Saint Petersburg area ?

MEP-803 generator.

Cranks, but doesn't run.

Fuel changed. Filter/water separator changed. Secondary fuel filter changed.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Have you looked over the Technical Manuals for troubleshooting tips? Have you seen this machine run, or new to you?

 

[sunny every day]

New to me.

But I am not a mechanic.

I did basic fuel change and filters.

I was suspicious when opening the secondary fuel filter, as videos I had seen showed it full and spilling when you take it out. Mine is only half full, which is why I then switched out the fuel/water separator.

I can check the fuel lines etc. and other items in that list. But once it hits the injector pumps, it is way out of my league.

ADD: When priming, I do get a lot of fuel out of the fuel/water separator drain.

 

[2Pbfeet]

New to me.

But I am not a mechanic.

I did basic fuel change and filters.

I was suspicious when opening the secondary fuel filter, as videos I had seen showed it full and spilling when you take it out. Mine is only half full, which is why I then switched out the fuel/water separator.

I can check the fuel lines etc. and other items in that list. But once it hits the injector pumps, it is way out of my league.

ADD: When priming, I do get a lot of fuel out of the fuel/water separator drain.

Can you clarify that a little? You have the drain open intentionally, and get fuel? Assuming that is a yes, follow the instructions above from @Light in the Dark and see where it gets you. Do your warning lights work when tested? Are any of them on?

Reading and understanding the manuals is a huge help, even if it seems like a lot to digest. Does your unit have the fuse modification and MOV fix? Regardless of the other issues, I would address that first, if it has not been fixed.

Bear in mind, that you should not hold the start switch down for a long period of time, but you need to hold it down long enough for the oil pressure to come up to normal.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[Light in the Dark]

Good point. On this machine it will never start if there are any faults in place. When you turn the start switch to PRIME, its a good habit to press the fault reset button, and confirm all bulbs illuminate, before cranking. And yes, you must hold the start switch until you build ~25PSI on the oil pressure gauge.

In the instance of cranking with no start, I wouldn't crank longer than 10 seconds at a time (with some cool down time between cranks). Do you have any fuel smell or color coming out of the exhaust while doing this?

 

[uniquify]

I was suspicious when opening the secondary fuel filter, as videos I had seen showed it full and spilling when you take it out. Mine is only half full, which is why I then switched out the fuel/water separator.

If the secondary filter was only half full, you likely still have air in the fuel system. You'll probably need to prime it for a while longer to get all of the air out.

There are a pair of bleed screws on top of the secondary filter head. I'd crack the left screw a turn or 2 and prime it until you get a steady stream of fuel out with no bubbles. Then retighten that bleed screw.

 

[Ray70]

I think my first check point would be to see if the primary fuel pump on the left side of the radiator is working. And by working I mean pumping fuel, not just making noise. If you had it in prime / run for a little while and the filter bowl was not full I'd be willing to bet the pump isn't working.
Try removing the bleed screw shown above and run the pump. If you don't see fuel within 20 seconds, something is wrong on the fuel delivery front!

 

[sunny every day]

Can you clarify that a little? You have the drain open intentionally, and get fuel? Assuming that is a yes, follow the instructions above from @Light in the Dark and see where it gets you. Do your warning lights work when tested? Are any of them on?

Reading and understanding the manuals is a huge help, even if it seems like a lot to digest. Does your unit have the fuse modification and MOV fix? Regardless of the other issues, I would address that first, if it has not been fixed.

Bear in mind, that you should not hold the start switch down for a long period of time, but you need to hold it down long enough for the oil pressure to come up to normal.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

Yes, I opened the drain intentionally to make sure fuel was coming out. It poured out at a fast rate so I am confident everything is good to that point. But I do note there is a flow test in that manual referenced above. test 2-85.2 of 25oz in one minute.

I had already tried the top screw on the secondary filter. Some air came out but little fuel. So my plan is to check from the outlet of the fuel/water filter, to the secondary for good fuel flow. I wonder if there is a blockage or something else. More than I wanted to get into, but it's a learning experience, right.

I will recheck the fault lights etc. in case I missed something.

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to respond.

 

[2Pbfeet]

There is work and work.

I am not a mechanic and am old like in Medicare age.

I don't mind doing a lot of minor stuff. I just don't feel like getting into major engine stuff with no experience.

We don't have natural gas here and propane would be expensive as a tank would have to be installed.

Being an electronics and computer tech in my previous life, I prefer the simpler systems that don't have a lot of electronics or computers, as replacement boards etc. can be expensive for what they are.

YMMV.

I am with you 100% on simpler systems sometimes, and that's why I bought an MEP-803A.

Think of getting it running like coding or troubleshooting electronics. One step at a time. Take your time and work through the troubleshooting guide in the manual. The military spent a lot of time and money setting up procedures for folks who might, like many of us, be less than "generator experts".

Since you have fuel to the first filter, go from there. As these are all surplus machines, I try to bear in mind that it is possible that some well intentioned, but not 100% competent person worked on it before you and "crossed the wires" so to speak in some way. Folks have been known to install things backward. "Trust, but verify" Checking the fuel line and filter for blockages is a great example. To me, one of the great things about diesels is that it is all about the fuel 90% of the time. Get the air out of the lines and make sure the that the fuel stays in is a great start.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[Guyfang]

One step at a time. Its not hard.


1. Turn the set to Prime.
2. Go get a cup of java.
3. Get done with Java and go back.
4. Do not turn off the Prime function.
5. Go to the primary filter, (Actually a Water Separator) and loosen the OUTPUT fuel line, (Item #9 in the picture). Got pressure?? If so, good.

6. Go to the secondary fuel filter, and like Ray told you, loosen the LEFT bleeder screw, (the #1 in the picture) or even the OUTPUT hose, and see if you have pressure. Got pressure? If so, good.

7. Crack, (Loosen) or even better, unscrew compleatly, the fuel line to the fuel injector line, (See #3) any injector, and crank the engine over. See if any fuel comes out. And crank it a while. 30 seconds, at least.

Then tell us what happens.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Do you have a cylindrical shaped fuel pump to the side of the radiator, or is it a cube shape?