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MEP-802A fuel shutoff solenoid & fuel leak? questions

fb40dash5

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Just picked up my 1st "real" generator, a trailered '11 802A. Just finished a couple minor things to see it running good for myself so I can not feel dumb spending some money to fix little stuff.

The main question: Anyone got a good pic of how the shutoff solenoid link from the solenoid attaches to the shutoff lever? My solenoid plunger & link were laying on the floor... I eventually found the little plastic knob, but no bolt or other hardware. Found the L-P # for the piece between the link & the arm & called an L-P distributor, who told me it's 'just some kinda castellated nut'? So I guess question the 1st, is it really just... a nut? Like, it goes bolt into knob, link, nut, thread bolt into the arm? I have that rigged up like that, and it seems to be working for now... And then 2nd question... any reason not to flip it around... thread the bolt in from thw backside of the arm, put the nut on (which would also lock the bolt so it doesn't vibrate loose, which seems to be not hard to have happen with the current setup) and then use a nyloc nut in the knob, rather than the bolt head?

And 2nd, even less urgent question... while towing it home, it had what appeared to be a very good class 4 leak that seemed to be from the fuel cap seal... it appeared to start narrow right under the cap, and spread the width of the back panel by the base. It doesn't seem to be the filler neck rubber... I pulled the rear panel, and everything around the tank looks bone dry inside. But the gasket inside the fuel cap looks perfect, the rim of the filler looks fine... and the enclosure was chock full of fuel from the absolutely massive leak from the IP supply hoses, so I dunno if I actually have a problem, or if I just had a bunch of fuel meander its way to a drain hole, and spray all over whilst I was driving down the road. No, I don't actually expect an answer to such a nebulous non-question, but figured I'd throw it out there in case one of the all-knowing was like "oh yeah, that, that's the ____"
 

Guyfang

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The leak could be because the rubber hose between the tank and the assembly that the cap screwes into is no moner tight. There are two hose clamps. If they are loose, or have slipped out of place, it leaks class 4 easy.

Have you downloaded the TM's yet? The parts TM is a good reference to the parts you are asking about.
 

fb40dash5

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The leak could be because the rubber hose between the tank and the assembly that the cap screwes into is no moner tight. There are two hose clamps. If they are loose, or have slipped out of place, it leaks class 4 easy.
Hose clamps are good & snug, the coupling looks good, and if it were leaking there it'd be some kinda black magic... I have the back cover off to investigate that & replace the well nuts, and the outside of the tank is bone dry.

Given the amount of leaking it was doing from the supply hoses when I got it (absolutely gushing with the pump running) I'm pretty satisfied at the moment to chalk it up to me towing it blew fuel leaking out of the base all over. It looked for the life of me like it was starting from the fuel cap area, but not the first time airflow has fooled someone diagnosing a leak.
 

Guyfang

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True. If the outside of the tank is dry, its not the hose. The cap should have a pressure relief valve in it. It needs to be open when you are running. Closed if there is a chance that water can get in. I have NEVER seen anyone change positions on it, including me. Always left it open. There should not be much if any fuel able to spill from it.
 

fb40dash5

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Yeah I saw the vent close thing after I got home, but the TM said basically what you said, and I'd never heard mention of closing it simply to tow it, so I figured that probably wasn't it.

Oh well, plenty of meaningful work to do to it, I'll maybe find out if my theory is correct in a few months when I maybe make it go somewhere again. Hopefully a good cleaning means no fuel "leak".
 

fb40dash5

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Problems NEVER just go away. 😂
Mostly true... but symptoms sometimes do, if you fix the problem. Hopefully I'm in the middle of fixing the 2nd possible problem... installing the bulkhead fitting in place of the drain well nut. Although I don't think the well nut was yet actively leaking.
 

fb40dash5

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Thank you! That looks very much like what I ended up with.

Follow up question: after reading both the engine & genset TM I'm still a little unclear. Is the MO to get the bolt/knob & nut locked together on the arm, with the link free to move within the slot? Or am I wanting the knob/bolt & nut to be firmly capturing the link at a point in the slot's travel... and I'd assume also locking the end of the bolt to the arm?

I currently have a little of Column A & a little of Column B going on (the link isn't tightened between the knob & the nut, but the slot doesn't slide very well on it either) and it'll both start & stop properly... for now. But I'd rather fix it now than when it inevitably fails when it's really needed.
 

fb40dash5

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It needs to freely slide in the slot.
Thank you, sir. See, this is exactly the kinda reason I told my wife I should buy 1 or 2 more... so much easier to fix when you know what "right" looks like...
 
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