USMC MB-5A 10kw, 60Hz

[WillWagner]

Anyone have any expereience with them? we have 2 at the Museum and are thinking about getting them up and running.

I have not looked in the library to see if we have a set of TM's yet.

They are 10kw diesel powered, one is a Herc and the other White, 4 cylinder, NA diesel. They are both USMC, 120/240, 60Hz units. I believe the data tags say 1969 mfg., 12xx and 13xx hrs on them. Been sitting in the same spot for as long as I can remember. There is another one that I think is new. Trailer tires still have the nubs, NDT tires, and the generator itself is banded closed.

Does anyone think that, if tyhese are made to run, get checked out and load tested, they would be worth anything? $2500, $3k?

 

[Ray70]

It sounds to me like you may have a difficult time finding parts for something that old and not all that common.
So getting them running may be problematic.
Running and tested they're worth as much or as little as someone is willing to pay.
They are probably not at all desirable for backup emergency power, but perhaps you can find someone looking for a working antique military generator for other purposes ( shows, demonstrations, museum use etc. ) but $2500 ea. may be difficult unless you can find the right buyer for an antique show piece?
I doubt you will find many buyers interested in that vintage machine for emergency power.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I bet there would be interest over on the Smokstak forums, but commercially at large, probably not. They might be able to help you source docs and more info on them too.

Smokstak® Antique Engine Community*

Hit and miss engine collecting, restoring vintage engines, antique engine and tractor shows, old generator restoration.

www.smokstak.com

 

[Guyfang]

You have NSN's and or TM numbers?

Made by John Hollingsworth Corp.

 

[WillWagner]

@Guyfang, no TM numbers listed on the data plates...that I can see. They were made by Libbey Welding out of KC, Missouri.

 

[Guyfang]

OK, I will keep digging.

 

[WillWagner]

Well, pulled the unit up to the shop and started digging. There are no tags on this that have an NSN, what TM s are used, nothing. Got it all opened up, put a tool on the crank and it turned. Good sign. Started looking around for batteries. It is 24VDC. Found it! A single 24V, 31 Ah aircraft battery up top. Great. Next item, check fluids. Oil, full but dirty. Coolant, surprisingly, still full and green! Saw no leaks at any of the connections or at the heater. Fuel, brown cottage cheese in the tank. The lip of the tank that accepts the cap is rusted off.

We're done. Pushed it back into it's forever spot.

Kinda bummed, I like to get old stuff running.

 

[Ray70]

Why give up so soon??
I'd at least try abandoning the fuel tank, clean the rest of the fuel system, finish your pre-checks and try to run it off an external fuel tank.
You gotta at least try to get it fired up!
If it explodes, then push it to it's forever Rust-in-Pieces spot.....

 

[WillWagner]

Why give up so soon??
I'd at least try abandoning the fuel tank, clean the rest of the fuel system, finish your pre-checks and try to run it off an external fuel tank.
You gotta at least try to get it fired up!
If it explodes, then push it to it's forever Rust-in-Pieces spot.....

I would like to do that, but, in my experience working on things with overhead fuel tanks, some boats, generators, fire pumps, when water gets into the fuel and has an opportunity to sit, it will find it's way into things like lines, filters, boost pumps and into the actual fuel pump. I did crack the line coming out of the final filter going to the pump, it was pretty nasty. My educated guess it that the crap in the tank has been there so long that the goo has made its way to the pump.

I get paid a little at the Museum. The decision to stop on this was made because if we could have made it run, there was a chance of spending a little, put it out at the gate with a for sale sign on it and possibly bring in a little more revenue to help cover the cost of the M62 wrecker project. The GoFundMe for that helped a bit, but, we had to pull funds from operations to get things going...still need to re cable the boom.

The time I would need to spend on this could be better used somewhere else. I did look at the second one, it doesn't have as much fuel in the tank, but it is just as bad, maybe worse with all of the flaking rust in the tank.

These two gen sets were set decorations for the TV show China Beach. They were USAF blue, were painted with studio paint OD and had sticker numbers/letters installed to look the part. They look like hell right now, studio paint ya know. The plan was to get one running, give it a good pressure wash, get it back to the USAF blue and dispose of it. I believe these were there for the duration, 2 or 3 years. That was in '88-'91 ish. They didn't run then and Lord know when the ran before that.

I have no pictured of it/them. If someone likes, I can get some.

 

[Ray70]

So either yard art or scrap weight at this point...
Try searching the internet and Ebay "sold" items to see if there was ever any demand for parts, body panels, anything salvageable that could bring in more than scrap prices?
You're lucky you get paid a little... My family and I volunteer at a local 501(c)3 steam power museum but don't earn a dime! I let them use my heavy equipment and tools occasionally too. They buy the fuel for the equipment, but that's about it.

 

[WillWagner]

So either yard art or scrap weight at this point...
Try searching the internet and Ebay "sold" items to see if there was ever any demand for parts, body panels, anything salvageable that could bring in more than scrap prices?
You're lucky you get paid a little... My family and I volunteer at a local 501(c)3 steam power museum but don't earn a dime! I let them use my heavy equipment and tools occasionally too. They buy the fuel for the equipment, but that's about it.

OR a rental of some sort. One of the last rentals the Museum had was for something something that sounds like Revel Goon. The stuff that they rented was truly junk. Broken parts in a pile of broken parts that were ready to go to the big dumpster in the sky. There has been an up-tick in studio rentals as of late. We are hoping that it continues.

 

[Guyfang]

I have spent 1 hour every night for the last 10 days, looking for TM's for this set. There are so far, 4 hits on this set, that show me absolutely NOTHING about the gen set. So yeah, if you get bored, take a picture or two of the set, and a good one of the data plate. Its not often I get aced when looking for SOMETHING, on a gen set. But this thing has aced me so far.

 

[WillWagner]

I have spent 1 hour every night for the last 10 days, looking for TM's for this set. There are so far, 4 hits on this set, that show me absolutely NOTHING about the gen set. So yeah, if you get bored, take a picture or two of the set, and a good one of the data plate. Its not often I get aced when looking for SOMETHING, on a gen set. But this thing has aced me so far.

There are no data plates on the thing, that's why I was stumped. It was originally a USAF unit, I think, because it is blue inside, as is the other one. The only ID on them is the plate with the wiring diagram that ID's it as MB-5A made by Libbey Welding.

I just deleted the pics off my phone. I will get some more Tuesday.

 

[Guyfang]

It was originally a USAF unit, I think, because it is blue inside

That helps. Then I can start looking at it under TO numbers.

 

[W7DMS]

In late 1970 the Ore air guard had MB-5s, plus the MB15s or 16s. I think the units were built from off the shelf parts, for the USAF only .
The unit changed mission and equipment , with new gens for 400HZ with emu-12 gas turbines