Another newbie with MEP002A questions - gauges and oil pressure

[Hectorsosa]

I just acquired an MEP002A with 221 hours on the clock. Ran the house on it for an hour today. ran the electric dryer (5100 watts) to load test and made some observations.

My Hz and voltage meters are off by about 8%. Dialing in with my kill-a-watt to 60Hz and 120 volts gets me 65Hz and 260/130 volts on the meters. Is there an adjustment somewhere to get the gauges reading proper?

When the dryer was running I showed almost exactly 50% load on the load meter. Yes it's a 5kw unit, so I should have been reading just over 100%. Hoping this and the above are related.

Oil pressure gauge reads what it wants when it wants. On startup I'm lucky to see 20 on the gauge, and after an hour of running it read about 5. Low oil shutdown is wired correctly, so assuming the gauge is bad.

I am in the process of reading the manual, but hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Jon

 

[m38inmaine]

There is a screw on the front of the gage face where you can adjust the pointer, it's at the bottom. A new oil gage is a good idea.

 

[jamawieb]

What you need to do for you Voltage and load gauge is work the VM/AM switch on the front of the panel and the reconnection switch. Also check for loose connections on the VM/AM switch. Most of the time if you rotate both switches about 50 times, you'll see your meters running better. The oil pressure just needs to be replaced.

 

[glcaines]

Have you changed the oil and filters yet? If not, you have no idea what is in the crankcase. The oil could also potentially be contaminated with diesel fuel.

 

[GREENMV]

I have found that some fittings and hose for the oil pressure gauge needs to be cleaned of "Crud" Especially near the oil filter If you have changed the oil and It Is cold outside It can take a while for the oil to heat up and then the oil pressure gauge will settle into it's happy place. If that doesn't work then replace gauge.

 

[Guyfang]

I just acquired an MEP002A with 221 hours on the clock. Ran the house on it for an hour today. ran the electric dryer (5100 watts) to load test and made some observations.

My Hz and voltage meters are off by about 8%. Dialing in with my kill-a-watt to 60Hz and 120 volts gets me 65Hz and 260/130 volts on the meters. Is there an adjustment somewhere to get the gauges reading proper?

When the dryer was running I showed almost exactly 50% load on the load meter. Yes it's a 5kw unit, so I should have been reading just over 100%. Hoping this and the above are related.

Oil pressure gauge reads what it wants when it wants. On startup I'm lucky to see 20 on the gauge, and after an hour of running it read about 5. Low oil shutdown is wired correctly, so assuming the gauge is bad.

I am in the process of reading the manual, but hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Jon

The M-4 Ammeter takes it readings off the S-8 Volt/Amp Selector Switch. So just like Jamawieb suggested in post #3, exercise the switch. BUT, and we just talked about this in a very recent thread, the output box could be your problem with the Percent Rated Load Meter. Open the box up, and count how many times the output wires are wrapped around the Current Transformers. If the output box originally came from a 10 KW, or someone used a 10KW schematic to hook up the wiring in the Output box, that could also be the problem.

Here is the testing procedure for M-4:
Percent Current Meter (M4) (17, figure 6-3).Connect an ac test ammeter in series with the % rated current meter. Operate Generator Set with a single phase load. Continue adding load to set until meter reads 0.75 amps. Meter (M4) should read 100% ±2%.Replace meter if necessary

 

[Hectorsosa]

load meter - the box HAS been swapped, seller outright told me that. I never thought to ask him if it came from a 5k or 10k unit. How many times SHOULD the wires be wrapped around the current transformers? I spent about 15 minutes on lunch digging for the other thread you mention, but couldn't find it.

Oil pressure gauge - I ran the unit for an hour under load - more than long enough for the baffles to come open and the engine oil to get very warm. I'm gonna pull apart the gauge and see if the mechanics are sticky. Maybe a cleaning will help, but it sounds like a guage replacement is in my future.

 

[Guyfang]

The thread is a sticky. I think its called something like, mep-oo2 and mep-003 circuit breaker. Its the second sticky from the top. I am sending this from a GD tiny phone, and cant read the Tm's, (or hit the right keys most of the time) to tell you about the number of wraps, on the CT. BUT, our old buddy GREENMV, (post # 5 of this thread) Should know it, as he discovered his to be switch, just the other day. So I hope he will pipe up, or sent him a PM.

 

[jamawieb]

It should be wrapped 4 times for a total of 8 wires running through the hole. The 10kw has 1/2 the number of windings.

 

[Guyfang]

I thought it was 4, but "thought", isn't good enough! Thanks partner!

 

[GREENMV]

jamawieb Is the man. I still kick myself once a day for that. I had a 5Kw box on a 10Kw and It kept tripping breaker. I now say 10-4 good buddy. 10Kw 4 wraps. double that for 5Kw.

 

[Hectorsosa]

8 wires thru each hole - got it. Here's to hoping there's enough wire in the box to do that, and that I can get to all the terminals on the reconnection switch without taking the whole works apart. I was eventually gonna pull the fuel tank and clean it out, maybe pulling the reconnect switch is the reason to pull the tank while I'm at it. Thanks for the input everybody. I'll let you know how it goes, but the way my schedule is shaping up it's not gonna hit the priority list for at least a couple weekends.

As for one of the other comments, yes I changed the oil. No new oil or fuel filters yet, because the guy I bought it from said he already did it. I also know how much I can trust that comment, but the reality is there's no point throwing money at filters until I get a couple hours run time on it to make sure it's not a waste of resources.

 

[jamawieb]

8 wires thru each hole - got it. Here's to hoping there's enough wire in the box to do that, and that I can get to all the terminals on the reconnection switch without taking the whole works apart. I was eventually gonna pull the fuel tank and clean it out, maybe pulling the reconnect switch is the reason to pull the tank while I'm at it. Thanks for the input everybody. I'll let you know how it goes, but the way my schedule is shaping up it's not gonna hit the priority list for at least a couple weekends.

As for one of the other comments, yes I changed the oil. No new oil or fuel filters yet, because the guy I bought it from said he already did it. I also know how much I can trust that comment, but the reality is there's no point throwing money at filters until I get a couple hours run time on it to make sure it's not a waste of resources.

Don't take the reconnection switch out! Its a PITA! There is enough wire to do whatever you need because everything is the same between each. On the 10kw they zip tie the extra wire out of the way. One wire is connected to the reconnection switch and one is attached to the strip mounted on the back wall.

 

[jamawieb]

Also take the top off and move the lug board out of the way, without disconnecting them. It will make life a lot easier.

 

[Hectorsosa]

got it! Thanks again for the info

 

[GREENMV]

@Hectorsosa, I have a very nice 5Kw Box and would like to have another 10Kw Box.

 

[Hectorsosa]

GREENMV - I'll let you know once I get the cover off. If it looks like it's going to be a major pain in the butt I might take you up on that trade. Fair warning though - mine's a green box that was painted tan at one point, and tan is flaking. Front cover is original green, and was brush painted at one point. It's kinda ugly.

 

[Guyfang]

Yeah, pulling the switch, and putting it back in is for when you have lost interest in everything in life. Thinking about jumping from the roof, with an extension cord wrapped around your neck.

 

[Hectorsosa]

Nah - I'm the same guy that bought a $10 toy for the girl at the local scratch & dent store and proceeded to spend almost 3 hours taking it apart and resoldering wires thanks to an assembly error rather than return it. It's the OCD - sometimes the urge to make something work overcomes common sense and I find myself incapable of walking away. That said, the switch does look like a bugger to figure out. Only thing that really has me wanting to pull it is that I've got one that others have talked about - rotate it to 3 phase and it locks hard in the 8 o'clock position. I know from experience with smaller switches that the locking mechanism is somewhere in the top half dozen wafers and a good cleaning would fix it, but I think the only way I would tackle it is if I could come up with a replacement switch just in case.....

Anyway.. I've been reading the main breaker sticky. LOTS of stuff to absorb in that thread. I've made it to page 3, but I have to go back and re-read some of it. The big question I have (that may be answered on page 4) is this - is there a difference between the trip amps of the 5k and 10k main breakers, or are they designed to use that R3 setpoint that keeps being mentioned as a trip reference? I'm asking because if changing the primary winding on the current transformer is gonna also influence R3 and get the breaker to trip at the right point then I'm golden. If changing the winding is only half the equation and the breaker still needs to be swapped then GREENMV's offer of a swap just got a whole lot more appealing.

 

[Guyfang]

I would assume, and that is something that gets me in trouble every time I do it, but I would assume that yes, the R-3 would then need to be redone. Normally, if it was the "right" box, no you would not. But as its the "wrong" box, yes it should be done. AND, how do we know that the AC output box was originally from a MEP-003A? Or was it a box from a 002A, that was "repaired, by someone who used the schematic from the 003A TM? You see where I am going with this.

The CB`s, are the same, and they have no adjustment point, so it has to be using the R-3 setpoint, to trip the CB. Or how about someone else chipping in here. I certainly could be wrong.