Beware of creative wiring! (MEP-016D)

[Isaac-1]

I had some time today to check over my "0 hour" MEP-016d today. I had already discovered that it was not really 0 hours thanks to the coating of sand and sludge in the fuel tank and clogging the fuel filter. I had also discovered the wiring diagram plate loose and rattling around in the control box. What I did not expect to find was the creatively engineered very neatly done professional looking wiring I assume done by the contractor that did the Yanmar diesel conversion 7 years ago. It seems they installed a 10-40VDC hour totalizer between the hot and neutral connections on the panel mounted outlet, better yet, they wired the outlet up using the same 24 gauge instrumentation wire as used for the hour meter, and ran both the neutral and the hot sides through the panel mounted fuses. All done with nice professional looking custom length fiberglass wrapped wiring.

So what sort of creative wiring have you found on surplus equipment?


Also any fellow MEP-016d owners, how is your hour meter connected, is it an AC meter connected similar to mine, or is it a DC meter, if so connected where?

Ike

 

[ETN550]

I had some time today to check over my "0 hour" MEP-016d today. I had already discovered that it was not really 0 hours thanks to the coating of sand and sludge in the fuel tank and clogging the fuel filter. I had also discovered the wiring diagram plate loose and rattling around in the control box. What I did not expect to find was the creatively engineered very neatly done professional looking wiring I assume done by the contractor that did the Yanmar diesel conversion 7 years ago. It seems they installed a 10-40VDC hour totalizer between the hot and neutral connections on the panel mounted outlet, better yet, they wired the outlet up using the same 24 gauge instrumentation wire as used for the hour meter, and ran both the neutral and the hot sides through the panel mounted fuses. All done with nice professional looking custom length fiberglass wrapped wiring.

So what sort of creative wiring have you found on surplus equipment?


Also any fellow MEP-016d owners, how is your hour meter connected, is it an AC meter connected similar to mine, or is it a DC meter, if so connected where?

Ike

Ike,

I have worked on a bunch of the d's. They all have very small gage wire on the service outlets. I would have guessed around 16ga. Not sure about the hourmeters. The box contents are totally separate from the rest of the unit. The only DC inside would be the field wire, I believe.

I found a bunch of burnt wires on an 016E with the flat braided ground cable outside on the frame melted in half.

There is a big danger grounding the B and the E because the manual shows L2 to ground for either 120 or 240 single phase and the machines have all been re-wired for neutral to be grounded and L0 is a common neutral in the 240 single phase mode. Can be very confusing. On most B and E the L0 is run from the inside of the box to the bottom frame ground.

The A, C, and D boxes seem to be more sloppy and filthy inside and out of all the ones I have been into only one was pristine like many of the Bs and Es are.

It would be pretty easy to gut the box on the D and install a modern voltage regulator and some modern gages. I must say everyone I have worked on has not had major issues inside the box despite the terrible appearance. access to parts in the box is a PITA.

My first project would be to revise the rectifier / float / pump / tank system. I have yet to see one work exactly as it should.

The L70 is a great match for the gen head.

 

[Isaac-1]

This one had that about 16 gauge wire going to the fuse holders, but the wire from the fuse holders to the outlet was the same smaller about 22-24 gauge as the instrument wiring. I am somewhat curious to see if the DC hour meter is dead, that will have to wait though as I am leaving to go out of the country on business in a couple of days, should be back just in time for the 4th though. The thing that surprises me most is this sort of stuff can be found with such professional looking wiring, the other MEP-016d I picked up which is going to a fellow board member was a field upgrade unit with sloppy wiring, hose barb missing hose clamps, etc. On that one I would be more inclined to expect such things.

Ike