mep 003a no oil pressure

[mattburgey]

so i have tried it all, pump is definately not getting oil to guage, shut off sensor, or filter... have tried pressureizing the lines and drain hole on oil filter to pssibly free up a clog. since the oil pump is gear driven i was wondering if the gear has a key on the shaft that could have possibly failed. any help with this issue would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Speddmon]

Can't say for sure whether or not it is keyed....but if you want to fix it you're gonna find out when you pull the engine and open up the oil pan. That's the only way to get to the pump and parts you are interested in.

There is a pressure regulator spring and ball in the "back" of the engine, but you still need to separate the head from the engine and pull the flywheel to get to that part as well.

 

[mattburgey]

i kinda figured it would have to come apart just hoping for a easier fix that i hadnt thought of. have you seen many of these oil pumps fail, or do you think it is more likely its the check valve? because there is No oil circulation at all not even a trickle.

 

[Speddmon]

No, I have not seen or heard of ANY failing. That's not to say it can't happen though. It's probably not the relief/regulator ball and spring if you aren't getting anything at all. For your sake I certainly hope it's just the oil pump and not the cam or something majorly wrong with it.

 

[steelandcanvas]

I understand by the OP's text, he does not have any oil movement at all. However, just for the record, my 003A oil pressure guage did not work when I first brought her home. I bought an identical oil pressure gauge from Saturn, and she works fine.

 

[storeman]

OP and I spoke via phone yesterday. No oil getting to the filter canister at all. Totally strange to me.

He had not yet pulled the shroud, I suggested that he check the oil cooler. I wasn't at home (still not) and couldn't remember whether the oil flow route was from cooler to filter canister. Could the oil cooler being plugged cause this?
Jerry

 

[mattburgey]

well im sure its not the guage. and i have started it and it runs until i let go of the switch. This is the safety switch for low oil pressure cutting it off i believe. Gonna try to pull it apart over the holidays.

 

[steelandcanvas]

well im sure its not the guage. and i have started it and it runs until i let go of the switch. This is the safety switch for low oil pressure cutting it off i believe. Gonna try to pull it apart over the holidays.

I totally understood it wasn't the gauge, but wanted to throw that tid-bit into the thread for others. You are correct about the oil pressure safety switch. Good luck in your repairs, there is alot of talent in these genset threads, they'll get you going.

 

[mattburgey]

culprit

well i found the cause of no oil... gear got jammed up and sheared OFF. i believe that a tooth sheared off the cam gear and caused this i just cant figure out why. any ideas?

 

[storeman]

NJtoolnut had a similar failure with an engine with 2 hours on it after reset. An "extra" nut was found loose in the forward housing. Since your smaller drive gear from the block was sheared, I suspect there is damage interior to the engine if no foreign matter was found in the housing you removed.....engine replacement likely. All the damaged exterior parts are available but if the problem came from inside,good luck. You will need to pull the oil pan to have any clear idea of what you face.

Perhaps NJtoolnut will chime in.

Jerry

 

[Bit7]

I have the same "No Oil Pressure" problem on my MEP-003a w/3000+ hours on it. Pulled the line to the oil pressure gauge & the Oil Cooler and started it for a minute. NOTHING coming out of either. Betting it's the Oil Pump. Problem is I cannot seem to find an oil pump ANYWHERE on line for this genset. Emailed GreenMountain and am checking here & SmokeStack but haven't found anything but this thread, thus far. ANY assistance would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Chainbreaker]

With a 3000 hour engine and before investing in an oil pump (if you can even find one) and as a quick starting point I would drain the oil & oil filter and then inspect the filter & oil for any metal fragments/flakes that may have made their way there if it were to have sheared a tooth/gear. If nothing there you will probably have to pull the front off (fan wheel, cover etc.) to inspect the gears and/or pull the oil pan. If any broken gears/teeth as Storeman notes in post #10 you may have engine damage and it could be best to cut your losses by looking for a rebuilt/used engine.