Mep 003 Fuel Pumps

Need source for Mep 003 fuel pumps. Where and how much! Just picked up Mep 003 from Leterkenny, reset in 2007, has 187hrs, and looks like it sat for long time. Everything has been flushed and replace, fuel pump is spent, gummed up and will not hold volume just trickles. Once it fills all canisters and lines will run for a few then starves for fuel, does run clean and produces proper HZ and voltage. This unit was mis-marked as a 5kw after rebuild. Look forward to putting a load to it and challenging it.
As Always Thanks for the help!
Bob

Bob, start first by looking up the NSN, and then plug it into your computer. Fleabay is also a place to try. Put try first putting in your browser.

The Wiki has some good information about them. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/forumdisplay.php?149-MEP-002-and-003-Wiki

Check with Aircraft Spruce or Aftermark they both sell 24V Facet Gold Flo pumps, they may not be an exact match, but should have something that could be easily adapted.

If you don't mind getting away from the original Facet brand pumps ($250 each) most any low pressure (5-8 PSI) 28V electric fuel pump will work with a very little re-plumbing. If using after market fuel pumps you may not be able to use the aux fuel from an external tank.

cuad4u said:

If using after market fuel pumps you may not be able to use the aux fuel from an external tank.

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Why is that?

Triple Jim said:

Why is that?

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I guess you could use two after market pumps and re-plumb the hoses a bit. I understand the OE Facet pumps had internal check valves etc and were designed to run in a series / parallel configuration. That may not work properly if using other pumps.

Any way I refurbished a cannibalized 003A by using a two section fuel filter assembly bought off ebay and ONE after market 28V fuel pump. I sold it over 3 years ago and it is still going strong with just one pump. That was a very simple thing to do. If the OP wants to have two fuel pumps running at the same time AND a third pump as aux as the military did, using after market pumps MAY present a problem and they MAY NOT.

OK, thanks. The Wiki fuel pump information clears up some of the pump valve questions. But the pump from an external tank just pumps into the built-in tank, so there's no series-pump problem there. It's just when you put two pumps in series to the built-in tank like they originally were, when you have to be sure not to use the positive shutoff (anti-siphon) type, so if one fails it doesn't block flow from the other one.

Thanks for all the help!! I located NOS OEM FACET PUMPS! What a difference, actually was able to make a deal and bought all 5 he had and replaced the one on my 5 k.

RJM27,

Trading material!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guyfang said:

RJM27,

Trading material!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Copy That!!!! Or spare parts for next purchase!

If you look on eBay you will find these pumps for sell all the time. Usually under $100.00 . I was able to find several NOS ones for under $50.00 just a few months ago. Or you can pay full price of $200.00 at the dealer.

rustystud said:

If you look on eBay you will find these pumps for sell all the time. Usually under $100.00 . I was able to find several NOS ones for under $50.00 just a few months ago. Or you can pay full price of $200.00 at the dealer.

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The 480517 w/ suppressor, that can be hooked in series?

Yes, all the Facet pumps can be installed in series. Personally I don't use the suppressors as they are just another failure point and not needed on our generators.

rustystud said:

Yes, all the Facet pumps can be installed in series. Personally I don't use the suppressors as they are just another failure point and not needed on our generators.

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I was going by Intel supplied in our WIKI

Fuel Pumps

Facet Fuel Pumps are listed HERE

In particular you want PN 480517E
That is the Mil-Spec'd Pump.

Other 24 V pumps from Facet that will work are: 40010E, 477003E, 40128E & 480563E BUT

40010E & 477003E have 1/8-27 Internal Threads. You will need an adapter to make it 1/4-18 external threads to mate with the hoses. They CAN be used as direct replacements for 480517E. They do not have Positive Shut-off Valves.

40128E Has a Positive Shut-off Valve, but does have 1/4-48 external threads. It CANNOT be used in series with another pump.

480563E Has a Positive Shut-off Valve and 1/4-18 internal threads. Requires an adapter to convert to external threads. It CANNOT be used in series with another pump.

Some pumps have "Positive Shut-off Valves" to prevent siphoning. The mil-spec pump does not have that. So, they should NOT be used as a series pair. (Original Military design) If one of these pumps fails, it will shut-off the fuel. The mil-spec pump does not have a shut-off valve and therefore, if one of the two pumps dies, the other pump will continue to pump fuel through it. IF you want to maintain redundancy with pumps that have the shut-off valve, they can be plumbed in parallel.

Do not use pumps with Positive Shut-off Valves with a pump that does not have one. BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN.

These units will work just fine with one pump. Keep the second one on the shelf as a ready spare.

They can be dissembled and cleaned. They really dont flow that much. Not sure what specs are. But usually the little plunger is green/nasty. Its a very small electromagnet that makes the plunger work and it only takes a small amount of crap to make it stick.
Cheaper than new ones!! Ive bought [2] MEP-003A's, and had to clean the pumps on both of them from sitting. Of course the transfer pump never sticks because there is no fuel left in it.

Do you have a procedure on that???

For the military, there is no disassembly or repair of the electric fuel pumps. You wash them out, clean up the screens, and that's all she wrote! We always had 3-4 in a footlocker with other running spares.

No problem on spending $1000's probably 10,000;s of thousands on fuel pumps when they can be fixed...at least for the gumming up/ stuck plunger issue. Its the simplest pump in the world. An electro magnet pulls a small plunger up and a small spring returns... repeat...over and over. Mine's out there exercising right now a year later after cleaning.

Ok from what I can remember...so don't hold me to all of it. Remove pump from generator then turn off the bottom that has hex nut on it. Inside is a small basket type filter, remove. After that is a small clip that holds the plunger and spring in place [again if memory serves me correct] Take that out. Up inside that well where the clip is a small plunger and spring. Mine was stuck so had to mess with it to get it out. I used carb cleaner [2+2] and finally fine emory cloth as it was so nasty. Inside the the well where it goes I used a piece of solid rod [could use wooden dowel] with a slit in it and emory cloth and then a piece of cloth with 2+2 on it. So far Ive fixed 4 pumps this way. I will tell you, on the one generator that the fuel tank had such heavy varnish, I had to clean those pumps about every 2 months even with new clean fuel, I replaced the tank and no issues since. Hope all that makes sense, since its been awhile since Ive had it apart.
To test, you can just shake pump back and forth and here the plunger moving back and forth. You can just hold your finger over the well to test the freeness of the plunger. it should bounce freely on spring. If it doesn't, clean again.

The neat thing about the design is that it's the spring that does the pumping and the solenoid that causes the return stroke, so the pressure is constant, and if the flow is blocked, it takes a while for the spring to push the piston through its stroke, so the pump slows way down and draws less current.