Too good to be true MEP-002A?

[keith73]

Hey folks,
I'm heading off to check out an MEP-002A with what the clock says is 27 hours.
Not that I take this as truth, but you never know, I suppose.
Never owned a diesel anything before, what should I look for to see if this genset is worth buying?
The pictures look pretty good, some chipped paint here and there but that is all I can see from the image. (hardly a great way to determine function)

Thanks for any insights.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Either it has no batteries or they are dead as the control is not in the off position & no gauges indicate anything. Post up more pictures for a better look/see. Clocks/hour meters & odometers mean nothing in the military as far as actual time; as they can replace them when defective. We civilians are under penalty of law, not to do so. See if there is a reset tag anywhere if this is a truly military issued genset.

 

[Triple Jim]

Either it has no batteries or they are dead as the control is not in the off position & no gauges indicate anything.

Actually the battery meter shows mid scale, frequency is showing full scale (above 60 Hz), and the voltmeter seems to be showing something a bit above 100 VAC, which might be close to correct depending on the setting of the reconnect switch.

I've never seen one that color, but with all the overspray on the normally white wires, it's probably been repainted. FloridaAKM is right about the hour meter... they really can't be used as a trusted indication of runtime.

If you see it running, see if you can adjust the engine speed with the big black knob on the cable, so the meter reads 60 Hz. Then see if you can adjust the output voltage with the panel knob so it reads something appropriate for the setting of the big reconnect switch. Also see if that switch works so you can select 120v or 240v output, keeping in mind that you have to have the engine stopped to change its setting.

 

[keith73]

Thanks guy's!

 

[robertsears1]

These type of generators require you to hold the start switch engaged much longer than anything else in your life. Once it starts, continue to hold the switch in start until the generator head gets energized and the oil pressure comes up. I have a 003a that requires me to hold it for around 20”. It will not hurt the starter if things are adjusted correctly. Also, the 002a shakes quite a bit.
Also, set the hertz by adjusting the knob as described above and then leave it alone, never idle one of these!
Robert

 

[Ray70]

With the machine off, put the AC select switch ( under cover near the convenience outlet ) so it is pointing to 3:00 ( verify it moves and latches as this is a troublesome point on these machines ) with that pointing to 3:00 and the AM/VM switch in it's current position ( also 3:00 ) you should see or be able to adjust the voltage to get 240V on the voltage gage.
Before starting it, check that the engine is stone cold ( the seller didn't start it just before you arrived ) when it starts watch the exhaust. If it puffs smoke for more than a couple seconds, ( more like 20-30 seconds ) that could indicate border-line low compression in 1 cylinder, possibly caused by sticking piston rings.
Also take a peek inside the fuel tank, original machines often have a thick layer of sludge on the bottom. Removing the sludge will sometimes reveal pin holes in the bottom of the tank. Also look for signs of leaks ( wet stains ) on the bottom of the tank, that is another indication that the bottom of the tank may have pin hole rust.

 

[Chainbreaker]

In addition to all the above suggestions, take a large flat blade screw driver and turn the 3 Zeuss fasteners on the top portion of front panel counter-clockwise so you can drop the control panel to take a look inside the guts of the control box. Wiring and connection points should look clean, not corroded. Check for any discoloration on wires/terminals, look for signs of any prior overheating/shorting of components, wires, etc.

Assuming the seller is willing to demonstrate it running, take something you can plug into the convenience outlet to verify 120 voltage/60-61.5 Hertz (~$35 Kill-A-Watt meter Home Depot). Check fuel lines for weeping. Open the Load Terminal lid (while its not running) and check to make sure all the brass retaining nuts are on terminals. Pull oil dip stick and ck level, BTW black oil is Ok...its a diesel. However, try to find out when fuel filters and oil filters were last changed. Also, ask if its ever been started using "starting ether"? That is a big no-no that could damage engine internals...rings, pistons, etc.

Its definitely been repainted. That alone would make me very suspicious that it has 27 original hrs on the Hobbs. Sometimes these units get repainted when someone uses a conglomeration of parts from multiple generators that were painted different colors (olive drab, desert sand, or camo] to make one running unit. Nothing terribly wrong with that if all "known good" parts were used to make one good unit.

What is date of mfg. and serial number? Beware that there are blank OEM aluminum placards being sold that anyone can stamp a fictitious date and serial number on to make it seem newer that it is. If you see the inspection stamp emblem then its legit, if not it may or may not be a legitimate placard. Tell tale signs are serial number is not perfectly aligned and depth of each S/N number punch is inconsistent. For instance, it could be a 1970-s era unit that is being represented as a 1991 (last yr of production).

If your not familiar with diesels, let alone this generator, it would be good to go to YouTube and watch a few MEP-002a videos so you get an idea of how they are supposed to sound and what the running exhaust looks like.