Took me less than 2 weeks to get this one running. First issue was the fuel tank, cleaning+welding+POR tank sealer took care of that. Next was the injection pump control lever was frozen. Took it off the IP and cleaned it, same design of pump as a M35's LDT/LDS American Bosch BUT you have to use a mirror to see where the collar is to engage the pawl.
Lots of cosmetic paint/rust issues have been dealt with, the generator head has a fresh coat of POR while the air cleaner is stripped to the galvanized surface. Frame is stripped under the tank since leaking fuel destroyed the finish. So much for chemical agent resistant coating.
The governor was all out of adjustment. Since the frequency meter is inop, I bought a digital multimeter with frequency. Bam, it holds 60 Hz +- 0.25 Hz. Have yet to load test so the current meter function is also questionable. About the only load I can put on it is my welder, will need to double check voltage and frequency before hooking it up to 3 phase (yes, my welder will run on it).
Other issues i ran into was a balky voltage adjustment potentiometer so I tore into that, cleaning it with tuner cleaner/lube. Now it varies uniformly from 0-1000 ohms. The fuel gauge I fixed works great, 5 measured gallons brought it to 3/4 full.
I bought a good bit of clear heatshrink to cover the chipping Nylon jackets on the exposed wiring.
Took me less than 2 weeks to get this one running. First issue was the fuel tank, cleaning+welding+POR tank sealer took care of that. Next was the injection pump control lever was frozen. Took it off the IP and cleaned it, same design of pump as a M35's LDT/LDS American Bosch BUT you have to use a mirror to see where the collar is to engage the pawl.
Lots of cosmetic paint/rust issues have been dealt with, the generator head has a fresh coat of POR while the air cleaner is stripped to the galvanized surface. Frame is stripped under the tank since leaking fuel destroyed the finish. So much for chemical agent resistant coating.
The governor was all out of adjustment. Since the frequency meter is inop, I bought a digital multimeter with frequency. Bam, it holds 60 Hz +- 0.25 Hz. Have yet to load test so the current meter function is also questionable. About the only load I can put on it is my welder, will need to double check voltage and frequency before hooking it up to 3 phase (yes, my welder will run on it).
Other issues i ran into was a balky voltage adjustment potentiometer so I tore into that, cleaning it with tuner cleaner/lube. Now it varies uniformly from 0-1000 ohms. The fuel gauge I fixed works great, 5 measured gallons brought it to 3/4 full.
I bought a good bit of clear heatshrink to cover the chipping Nylon jackets on the exposed wiring.
Carp, I ran it unloaded to get the oil warm (old), then shut down and drained+changed filter. When I went to start it up again, it wouldn't start. The control lever on the IP was stuck DOWN! I jiggled it and it popped up, the engine starting. Guess it isn't perfectly clean.
NAPA had Delvac 1300 Super for $11 a gallon. Perfect oil, the quantity is right and the pop-up spout fits the nozzle perfectly. No funnel needed.
Once warmed again, I tested the voltage output with my true RMS meter (a must here) and was able to adjust from 117 to 141 volts That means it can probably do 230 volts in 3 phase. Which means it will also do at least 8 kW, meaning it will drive my welder up to 200 amps of output. As the duty cycle of the welder is 20% at 200 amps in stick welding mode, that means 2 minutes of welding out of every 10 minutes of clock time. The generator should easily handle that.
Aside from the control lever sticking on starting, I am happy.
Latest repair/refurbishment has been on the wiring. The white wires are coated on the outside with Nylon which has weathered, cracked and flaked off in many areas, mostly the starter/high temperature cut-off and tank switch. Plus the #2 wires to the starter are not coated and the fiberglass has frayed.
I am removing the weathered Nylon and replacing it with clear heat shrink, then covering the groups with black split corrugated loom. I'm also looming the generator's uncoated wires to avoid the fiberglass fraying.
I've depleted the heat shrink inventory at Altex (local electronics supply) in the 1/4" variety, this is needed for #10-12 wire. And will need 5/8" or 3/4" for the #2 starter/slave cable wires.
The ones I have done look good, just less luster than Nylon. Stripping the old Nylon coating isn't fun.
Partial load test today, two 1250 W space heaters. Frequency with just one is rock stable at 60.5 Hz as adjusted. Put the other one on and still, 60.5 Hz. Voltage is rock stable regardless of load, indicating the regulator is perfect.
When disonnecting the load, frequency jumps to 62.2. Will need a governor adjustment as there is slight hunting, bouncing around 1/2 Hz or so.
I still need to find 3 feet of 1" ID split convoluted loom. This is for the control cubicle main wiring and the 12 generator leads to the reactor/connection switch box.
Good job Keith...
What's a typical year of mfg for the Mep002a?
__________________
Bjorn
MEP-018A (needs new generator head)
Avatar: XM757 in OK prepared for 1,000 mile trip home. Part of 6,000 mile journey in 2006.
1968 M49A2C modified with 1960 M756A2 truck bed and 1975 HIAB 765A knuckleboom, exhaust brake and more. (SOLD)
1969 Ford XM757 8x8, 5-ton Pershing 1A truck tractor...the "improved MV".
"Some things can't be made better, just differently......a lot of things actually"
The 002A and 003As were designed in 1977 and were replacing 5 and 10 kW gasoline sets as those were retired. New ones were being built until the 1990s. Onan sold a good number of replacement engines, noted by an Onan tag on the blower shroud.
Much has been said about the durability of these engines, as long as they are not abused, they will last forever. The number one abuse is storing without fuel and not running monthly. Even without load, 30 minutes a month will keep the fuel systems in shape. Wet stacking is a myth with these indirect injection engines. As long as the exhaust isn't blue/white when running, they are running far lean with good burn.
I ran a few when I was in the US Army. In one unit, we had both a 5 kW gas and diesel since the prior power generation NCO burned the second gasoline unit in a hot fuel incident. He got chaptered out for an unrelated issue, I was promoted into his position and got the 002A. . I ran that as my base load, using the noisy gasoline unit for when changing the oil in the 002A. About two 55 gallon drums between changes. And never used more than 5 gallons of Mogas on a field exercise.
All who think these diesels are noisy have never heard the old gasoline 5kWs. 42 cubic inch opposed twin air cooled beast.
Partial testing of the frequency transducer showed 80 microamperes at 50 millivolts when running at 60.5 Hz. Just removing the load of 1250 watts (space heater) had the current jump to 110 microamperes for a frequency jump to 61.5 Hz.
I had another issue consuming my time so this is the limit of my testing. I also covered the blower wheel intake to see if the louver movement is working..perfectly. Have not tested the thermal cut-out switch.
Finally ran it at 2.5 kW load resistively to an indicated 60.5 Hz on my digital multimeter. At the same time, I measured the frequency meter current over a 570 ohm resistor at 90 microamperes (uA) at 60.5 Hz and when increased to 65 Hz, it was 180 uA. Dropping down to 55 Hz, current dropped to zero. That is good enough for me.
Now to make a meter that reflects this...not easy. I could take a 0-180 uA direct current meter and make a new scale to make an exact replacement. But I would like to have a digital meter without resorting to a microstamp or PIC programming.
Unless someone has a working spare for less than $50.
My digital read out meter idea just became a bit closer to reality. I found a cheap way to convert the 0-180 micro ampere transducer output into a millivolt output which matches frequency. Meaning the $9 millivolt meter from Marlin P Jones is perfect.
How you ask? First, the transducer output is loaded with series resistors for total resistance of 580 ohms. This is done with a 64 and ~516 ohm pair. This makes the voltage drop over the 65 ohm resistor to be 5 mV. Using a few 741 operational amplifiers, a stable 55 mV source is then run through a summing op amp circuit to make 60 mV, an analog to 60 Hz. If frequency drops to 55, the current from the transducer drops to 0 meaning the summation op amp now outputs 55 mV. And if the frequency is 65, the transducer is now putting out 170 micro amperes, over the 64 ohm resistor, that is 10 mV. Added to the 55 mV reference, that makes 65 mV! As a benefit, the digital read out can be calibrated over the entire scale.
Total cost? Under $15. I love it when a plan comes together. My Measurements and Instrumentation professor would be proud...wonder if Dr. S. is a member here? Word from the university is he got tired of retired life and went back to professing.
I am removing the weathered Nylon and replacing it with clear heat shrink, then covering the groups with black split corrugated loom. I'm also looming the generator's uncoated wires to avoid the fiberglass fraying...
Post some photos of your spiral looming material, installed on your genset. I am doing the same thing and would like to compare notes.
__________________
Jonathan
Secretary/Newsletter Editor, M.V.C.C. Denver, Colorado www.mvcconline.org
M.V.P.A. #32113
U.S. ARMY 01/74-12/79
Proud Member of the Patriot Guard Riders
A Veteran - Whether Active Duty, Retired, National Guard or Reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life". That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand that."
MEP 002A is ALIVE!
That means it can probably do 230 volts in 3 phase. Which means it will also do at least 8 kW, meaning it will drive my welder up to 200 amps of output. As the duty cycle of the welder is 20% at 200 amps in stick welding mode, that means 2 minutes of welding out of every 10 minutes of clock time. The generator should easily handle that.
. I ran that as my base load, using the noisy gasoline unit for when changing the oil in the 002A. About two 55 gallon drums between changes. And never used more than 5 gallons of Mogas on a field exercise.
