I think I got lucky buying a Mep803A form auction!

I purchased a (what I would consider) very clean Libby 1993 MEP803A with 626 original hours. No reset tag and I think I figured out where this unit came from. I picked it up from Camp Dodge in Iowa and I think it was a National Guard unit which used it for their local exercises. It has HQ with some numbers painted over but can still be made out. Also all filters are new and marked with the present hours. Fuel tank is drained as well as the radiator. Oil is very clean and topped off. I ended up breaking the master switch and am now waiting for the new replacement rotary switch to arrive. This unit is trailer mounted and quite easy to pull behind my Ford F250 truck.

It has the fuel hose, manuals, ground rods and ground cable. Two additional items I found in the tool box are a 'Jerry Can' nozzle and I believe a 'Jerry can' fuel tube to connect to the fuel line. It did not have a crank for the tongue jack so I took an old 1/2" socket I had and ground a slot so it would fit over the crank lug and was able to use my drill to retract and extend the jack.

I will, no doubt, have many questions as I gain experience with these generators.

The following pics are of the socket I ground for the jack and a pic of the genny along with my other two toys, my truck and RV.

That is a very nice one!! Congrats!!

Nice lookin set. You done good!

Welcome to the club.

Thanx for the picture, can you share more on the real hitch and what or how that seems to be working so well from the picture, I ended up going to tractor supply and getting a make up of parts, but typically the trailer is still tilted down at a pretty severe angle, you can with effort remove the nut holding the Lunnette eye and reverse that to gain a bit of height as well.. but now i am at the point of making a riser plate where the towing fixture can be raised more.. I will wait to see or hear how you solved the effort.
I will add however, last week i had left the Tractor supply hitch fixed to me truck [Tahoe] and while stopped at a red light a young girl i noticed coming fast and texting i think didn't see us still stopped i reached over and held my wife as we were crashed into .. my truck and rear bumper has about $1,100.00 we are both fine BUT Oh let me share the massive ass damage the that ugly ass towing fixture did to the entire front end of the kids car, i will be surprised if it was not a total loss , it was IMPRESSIVELY so bad by the fixture extending out that several 3-4" extra inches more than a typical hitch and the height, that Honda was so jacked up I couldn't be upset, she was a nice kid and knew she had screwed up, and i knew she would soon have her own set of problems to deal with as she was making her call to her parents .. Towing help welcomed please .. thanx: mac/mc

For my tow setup, I went to etrailer.com and bought the following components:

https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry...2"+Hitches+-+15"+Shank+-+14+Hole+-+16,000+lbs

https://www.etrailer.com/Pintle-Hitch/Tow-Ready/TR63011.html

The plate is a beast and the shank is solid steel! I turned the plate so that the pintle hitch would be raised and had no issues with that arrangement. the only problem I ran into was the safety chains on the trailer wouldn't reach to my truck so in order to get it home, I just put some eye bolts in two of the mounting holes of the plate. Not the best and probably not legal. I will be buying a couple lengths of chain to extend the trailer chain so I can get those chains connected properly. Otherwise the etrailer components work great!

Here's a pic of it on my truck:


Sorry to hear of your accident. I hope all goes well for you with that. It was probably a good thing the hitch was there (for you)! Years ago we were in a McDonald s drive-thru when a lady rear-ended me while I had a hitch in the receiver. No damage on my end but her bumper was damaged pretty bad, and I'm sure had to be replaced!

Congrats on the Gen. That is a clean looking set from the outside.

csheath said:

Congrats on the Gen. That is a clean looking set from the outside.

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It sure is! The one thing is the exhaust flap is missing so they plumbed the exhaust down. I have been looking for a replacement (original) but have had no luck. Anybody have one I could buy? Otherwise I will be getting a small tractor flap and re-plumb straight up and mount that on top.

The flap is something you could make. It not even close to complicated. A few inches of hinge material and the bit of sheet metal for the lid. Someone here could probably take a few measurements and your all set up.

Guyfang said:

The flap is something you could make. It not even close to complicated. A few inches of hinge material and the bit of sheet metal for the lid. Someone here could probably take a few measurements and your all set up.

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I thought about that too. Take some thin stainless and bend to shape. Can someone take some close-up pictures of the exhaust flap on an 803 and post? Seems like 1/8" thick might do it. Any details would be greatly appreciated.

stugpanzer said:

I thought about that too. Take some thin stainless and bend to shape. Can someone take some close-up pictures of the exhaust flap on an 803 and post? Seems like 1/8" thick might do it. Any details would be greatly appreciated.

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Think the flap is AL, and I'd be shocked if it was 18ga even.

Nonmagnetic, probably Al. As some folks have pointed out the pipe/rain cover definitely adds some rattle harmonics to the sound of the generator....

Just measured mine. Look like 20 gauge AL.

Thanks for the details on that exhaust flap. Maybe I can make one after all!

I took some closer pics to share.....

Howdy,
The set looks good.

Some things to check to start off with.

MEP-802/803 Filters and Parts the second post has quick links to lots of stuff. (fuel return lines, well nut (fuel drains))

MEP-8xx S1 and S6 switch variations

Military MEP generator reset information go to PDF page 29 and check to see about the quad winding MOD update. It should have been done in the field, but, it might not have. Important to do!



Optima batteries charged on a AGM charger brings them back to life most times too.

Daybreak said:

Howdy,
The set looks good.

Some things to check to start off with.

MEP-802/803 Filters and Parts the second post has quick links to lots of stuff. (fuel return lines, well nut (fuel drains))

MEP-8xx S1 and S6 switch variations

Military MEP generator reset information go to PDF page 29 and check to see about the quad winding MOD update. It should have been done in the field, but, it might not have. Important to do!

View attachment 709853

Optima batteries charged on a AGM charger brings them back to life most times too.

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Thanks for the great tip! I just checked mine and it seems that fix has not been done. I will get the fuse block and fuse in place before I try to start her up!

stugpanzer said:

Thanks for the details on that exhaust flap. Maybe I can make one after all!

I took some closer pics to share.....

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Fine looking gen set. Even got the ground rods mounted on the frame! Rare!! In picture #7, where the wire harnes is attached to the air baffle, take a gander at your wire harnes. This is a place where the wires rub frequently through on the sheet metal. Bend the clamp up a tad, and give the wires some breathing room.

I wish everyone took as many good pictures as you. Sometimes other can things you have overlooked. So far you are looking good!

Guyfang said:

F the gen set. Rare!!In picture #7, where the wire harnes is attached to the air baffle, take a gander at your wire harnes. This is a place where the wires rub frequently through on the sheet metal. Bend the clamp up a tad, and give the wires some breathing room.

I wish everyone took as many good pictures as you. Sometimes other can things you have overlooked. So far you are looking good! Even got the ground rods on the undersides of the gen set. Rare!!

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Thanks Guyfang, I will follow your advice! Any other pics I could take to post for more input?

stugpanzer said:

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You are going to have a problem with screws, nuts and bolts. Before you tear into this beast, look at day breaks thread about fasteners. Get enough to replace them all. Don't have to do it right now, but if you ever need to remove the skin, you will be needing replacements.

Picture #8. Where the wire harnes lays across the fuel filter, I always took sone thin rubber, like inner tube rubber, and wrapped it around the wire harness. This is another place that gave us problems. Easy fix.