Connected my MEP-803A the proper way as my home standby generator... Install pics...

My rain cap rattles at the pivot point where the bolt holds the flapper. It would be great if I could reengineer that to eliminate the rattle. I have went through great lengths to remove things that rattle like the door stops and other things not necessary, add dynamat to the inside of the housing,etc. the quieter it is, the better suited it will be in my opinion.

Now that my "project" is nearing the end and I can no longer meddle with the installation to occupy my spare time, I have started collecting parts that I may need if I ever have trouble with the 803. Do any of you guys know of any "must have" parts that are prone to failure? My thoughts are to use the top of the toolbox as a parts bin and keep everything in one spot. I have collected quite a few spares to get me back up and running if I ever have a failure but I know there is something I have not thought of...

Noticed the same thing on a propane generator I just sold and never attempted to fix it but I think you can squeeze it tighter and or shim it with metal or possibly teflon/nylon washers and it may solve it. I notice that when I held the flap open with a rubberband it temporarily stopped the rattle so I do think you can achieve success with a little tinkering while still ensuring that it closes during shutdown.

What is currently in your failure kit? For now I have started with an order for basic maintenance items..

jimbo913 said:

What is currently in your failure kit? For now I have started with an order for basic maintenance items..

Click to expand...

I've got all the filters, a starter, an alternator, two serpentine belts, fuel pumps (primary and aux), an injector pump and a few relays and the voltage regulator. I know there is something I'm missing...

I'd get an external volt and frequency meter, so when the onboard ones go south, you have a reference point during an emergency.

Maybe an AC contactor.

Batteries...nothing sucks more than losing utility power and finding your genset batteries dead. I was thinking of adding a buzzer to mine that's active unless the dead crank switch is off, or the engine is running, though I have a maintainer on the batteries, so I'm not too worried about it.

Voltage regulator.
Antifreeze.


Regarding your rattling flapper, try removing the hinge pin and sleeving it with something non-metallic to reduce the vibrational resonance of the metal. Fiberglass wire loom comes to mind:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vpe-11904?seid=srese1&gclid=CIP9k_aHvcUCFUISHwod_2cAzQ
or this, but 50' minimum order:
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberg...=38094426869&gclid=CJ6T0KGIvcUCFYIXHwodMyQAIA
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberglass,-High-Temp-Wrap/p_807518

Ratch said:

I'd get an external volt and frequency meter, so when the onboard ones go south, you have a reference point during an emergency.

Maybe an AC contactor.

Batteries...nothing sucks more than losing utility power and finding your genset batteries dead. I was thinking of adding a buzzer to mine that's active unless the dead crank switch is off, or the engine is running, though I have a maintainer on the batteries, so I'm not too worried about it.

Voltage regulator.
Antifreeze.


Regarding your rattling flapper, try removing the hinge pin and sleeving it with something non-metallic to reduce the vibrational resonance of the metal. Fiberglass wire loom comes to mind:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vpe-11904?seid=srese1&gclid=CIP9k_aHvcUCFUISHwod_2cAzQ
or this, but 50' minimum order:
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberg...=38094426869&gclid=CJ6T0KGIvcUCFYIXHwodMyQAIA
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberglass,-High-Temp-Wrap/p_807518

Click to expand...

i have a Fluke 43B to verify voltage and the frequency. My contingency plan for batteries is to use my 24v charger which is capable of starting the generator from the slave receptacle but I hope my optima batteries last awhile... and to power my charger/jump starter in a power outage, I'd have to drag the EU2000i out I guess.

great idea on the hinge pin! I think I will do just that...

Glockfan said:

I've got all the filters, a starter, an alternator, two serpentine belts, fuel pumps (primary and aux), an injector pump and a few relays and the voltage regulator. I know there is something I'm missing...

Click to expand...

Brother, every good emergency kit needs a Saint Catherine Medallion; whether you're Mulslim, Christian, Jewish, Agnostic, or Other:

- Saint Catherine of Alexandria is the Catholic patron saint of Mechanics (see the third paragraph of the Veneration section in her Wikipedia article).

It's like Pascal's Wager; you got nothing to lose. Praise God and pass the ammunition!

I really enjoyed reading this thread. Nice setup and follow through here.

Only thing I noticed is the white tie straps. They won't hold up in the sun. Get you some black ones, they have UV protection.
(Some cheap black ones may lie though..)

Glockfan said:

...

View attachment 532447

Click to expand...

Nice setup!
I don't know if it was mentioned but your fuel tank should be placed in a temperature stable environment (out of direct sun) to minimize heating & cooling that would cause the tank to breath.
For lack of a cellar or garage a cover to shade the tank would help.
You can also install a filter on the breather opening.
90cummins

frodobaggins said:

I really enjoyed reading this thread. Nice setup and follow through here.

Only thing I noticed is the white tie straps. They won't hold up in the sun. Get you some black ones, they have UV protection.
(Some cheap black ones may lie though..)

Click to expand...

I never heard that one before; is that kind of rule of thumb (white nylon vs black)?

90cummins said:

Nice setup!
I don't know if it was mentioned but your fuel tank should be placed in a temperature stable environment (out of direct sun) to minimize heating & cooling that would cause the tank to breath.
For lack of a cellar or garage a cover to shade the tank would help.
You can also install a filter on the breather opening.
90cummins

Click to expand...

What kind of trouble does that set up: condensation or something?

90cummins said:

Nice setup!
I don't know if it was mentioned but your fuel tank should be placed in a temperature stable environment (out of direct sun) to minimize heating & cooling that would cause the tank to breath.
For lack of a cellar or garage a cover to shade the tank would help.
You can also install a filter on the breather opening.
90cummins

Click to expand...

You know I thought about covering it but figured the box would normally be riding around in the back of a truck exposed to the elements. I could build a shed over it. I'll have to think about that.

I will install a filter on the breather. Any suggestions as to which one to use?

Tim929stro, I was just curious as to where you are at with buying the Pri ocide? The 55gl drum is quite steep at around $3500 but it looks like a few places still list it in a 5gl pail for about $350.

Another Ahab said:

I never heard that one before; is that kind of rule of thumb (white nylon vs black)?

Click to expand...

The white ones are natural, the black ones as a rule of thumb have uvb protection.
The black ones are commonly labeled UVB. I'm constantly having to go around replacing other peoples old white ties
that get brittle. The black ones last years and years.

Ratch said:

I'd get an external volt and frequency meter, so when the onboard ones go south, you have a reference point during an emergency.

Maybe an AC contactor.

Batteries...nothing sucks more than losing utility power and finding your genset batteries dead. I was thinking of adding a buzzer to mine that's active unless the dead crank switch is off, or the engine is running, though I have a maintainer on the batteries, so I'm not too worried about it.

Voltage regulator.
Antifreeze.


Regarding your rattling flapper, try removing the hinge pin and sleeving it with something non-metallic to reduce the vibrational resonance of the metal. Fiberglass wire loom comes to mind:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vpe-11904?seid=srese1&gclid=CIP9k_aHvcUCFUISHwod_2cAzQ
or this, but 50' minimum order:
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberg...=38094426869&gclid=CJ6T0KGIvcUCFYIXHwodMyQAIA
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberglass,-High-Temp-Wrap/p_807518

Click to expand...

In regards to keeping fresh batteries you might want to look into a desulfator battery maintainer/charger. On my MEP-803A I have a 24-Volt Solar Battery Charger/Desulfator from PulseTech. High frequency pulses reduce the size and number of lead sulfate deposits on the battery plates so that the battery can get a deeper charge to extend it's life by a few years.

Ratch said:

I'd get an external volt and frequency meter, so when the onboard ones go south, you have a reference point during an emergency.

Maybe an AC contactor.

Batteries...nothing sucks more than losing utility power and finding your genset batteries dead. I was thinking of adding a buzzer to mine that's active unless the dead crank switch is off, or the engine is running, though I have a maintainer on the batteries, so I'm not too worried about it.

Voltage regulator.
Antifreeze.


Regarding your rattling flapper, try removing the hinge pin and sleeving it with something non-metallic to reduce the vibrational resonance of the metal. Fiberglass wire loom comes to mind:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vpe-11904?seid=srese1&gclid=CIP9k_aHvcUCFUISHwod_2cAzQ
or this, but 50' minimum order:
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberg...=38094426869&gclid=CJ6T0KGIvcUCFYIXHwodMyQAIA
http://www.delcity.net/store/Fiberglass,-High-Temp-Wrap/p_807518

Click to expand...

In regards to keeping fresh batteries you might want to look into a desulfator battery maintainer/charger. On my MEP-803A I have a 24-Volt Solar Battery Charger/Desulfator from PulseTech. High frequency pulses reduce the size and number of lead sulfate deposits on the battery plates so that the battery can get a deeper charge to extend it's life by a few years.

The sticking point I've come to is the repackaging - putting the Pri-Ocide in a smaller container (that will last a year or more) and then shipping it is killing me. I have too found the drum and 5-gallon pails (I bought a 5-gallon pail), but that looks to be as good as it gets. I wouldn't hold your breath on it getting done any time soon, I'm still asking a few container manufacturers about longer term packaging, but haven't had much fruit...

I have a question for tim292stro and others that care to chime in... Does my fuel/water seperator on my aux tank appear to be large enough (sufficent)or should I opt for a more elaborate prefilteration system? I like the idea of filtering the breather. Which filter should I use? Is there a dessicant filter that I could use to prevent excess moisture from entering the tank? Not sure where to look for what I need.

Thanks Gents!

Glockfan, excellent work! your setup looks great. I don't think you will need any more filtration or water separation, but if you really feel the need to filter the vent on the tank you could try adapting a disposable dessicant filter they sell for paint spray guns. They come with 1/4" NPT M/F threads and are about 3" long and 1 1/4" round. They start out blue and turn pink once the dessicant is wet. Look on ebay or www.Eastwood.com , search for mini dessicant dryer.
http://www.eastwood.com/mini-desiccant-dryer-2-pack.html
They are about $20 for a 2 pack. Just be sure to mount it in a protected location where it won't be getting wet. Like I said, I really think your setup is already well beyond sufficient, but its your call.

I did have one question for you and maybe I missed the reasoning in the post, but I see you have a ground rod driven near the generator. Is your service entrance grounded to this same rod or have you created a 2nd ground point? I've always understood that the generator should be treated like a sub panel where as the neutral and grounds are un-bonded at the generator and you run all 4 wires ( 2 hot, neutral and ground ) to your main panel, in order to maintain a single ground path. What did I miss here??
Thanks... Ray