Mep 831A load issues

[grywitt]

I see in the pics and videos that somewhere in it's life someone cut the safety wires off the two mechanical governor adjustments. Not good... Those are adjusted at the factory and normally would not ever be messed with. Someone messed with those adjustments.
In the short video the governor arm does not stick to the magnet causing problems with not shutting down properly. My hunch is that someone messed with the strength of the magnet and now it's not strong enough.
The magnet strength can be adjusted. If you loosen the nut securing it to the bracket you can rotate the magnet inside the round collar to move it closer to the collar opening to make it stronger.
The magnet strength has to be set strong enough for the arm to stick to it at shutdown but no so strong that the Governor Controller can't pop it off the magnet at startup.

Is the rod adjusted so the gap is set to 5/16" running at no load?

I do have it set to 5/16 at no load. That little piece of lead just fell off in the last couple days. It was only hanging on by one side and I've been moving the gen around to get the exhaust off and stuff. The magnet not holding just happened basically over night. I can promise I didn't need with the magnet and I don't think I bumped and bent it either but it stopped holding. I'm kind of baffled on that part.

I guess I can move the magnet out and keep really close track of how much I move it.

 

[grywitt]

I see in the pics and videos that somewhere in it's life someone cut the safety wires off the two mechanical governor adjustments. Not good... Those are adjusted at the factory and normally would not ever be messed with. Someone messed with those adjustments.
In the short video the governor arm does not stick to the magnet causing problems with not shutting down properly. My hunch is that someone messed with the strength of the magnet and now it's not strong enough.
The magnet strength can be adjusted. If you loosen the nut securing it to the bracket you can rotate the magnet inside the round collar to move it closer to the collar opening to make it stronger.
The magnet strength has to be set strong enough for the arm to stick to it at shutdown but no so strong that the Governor Controller can't pop it off the magnet at startup.

Is the rod adjusted so the gap is set to 5/16" running at no load?

 

[grywitt]

I do have it set to 5/16 at no load. That little piece of lead just fell off in the last couple days. It was only hanging on by one side and I've been moving the gen around to get the exhaust off and stuff. The magnet not holding just happened basically over night. I can promise I didn't need with the magnet and I don't think I bumped and bent it either but it stopped holding. I'm kind of baffled on that part.

I guess I can move the magnet out and keep really close track of how much I move it.

Sorry I really need to get better at proof reading before i send. Sometimes I go back and i have a hard time figuring out what I was saying. " I didn't mess with the magnet "

 

[grywitt]

Well this morning was pretty informative. Apparently the times I've held 3kw were all first run of the day. Today it held 3kw for a bit before starting to choke. Also thank you kloppk for the magnet fix. The tms say don't touch that so I haven't but I moved it just enough to grab the arm and now my not shutting down problem is gone. Yay!!

In reading the TMs the one thing comon to my problem seems to be injector. I ordered one with the same part number as the TM calls out but it's too long. 714350 53100 yes? I'll keep trying. This gen will run great eventually.

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I see in the pics and videos that somewhere in it's life someone cut the safety wires off the two mechanical governor adjustments. Not good... Those are adjusted at the factory and normally would not ever be messed with. Someone messed with those adjustments.
In the short video the governor arm does not stick to the magnet causing problems with not shutting down properly. My hunch is that someone messed with the strength of the magnet and now it's not strong enough.
The magnet strength can be adjusted. If you loosen the nut securing it to the bracket you can rotate the magnet inside the round collar to move it closer to the collar opening to make it stronger.
The magnet strength has to be set strong enough for the arm to stick to it at shutdown but no so strong that the Governor Controller can't pop it off the magnet at startup.

Is the rod adjusted so the gap is set to 5/16" running at no load?

BTW. I was out there checking voltages ect and with no load 5/16 gap I'm running 172 and with load 2.75kw a high as she will hold I'm at 186. Is this acceptable with how you've built the boards? I did run with the actuator held open and adjusted the throttle to 219 like the instructions say

 

[kloppk]

Well this morning was pretty informative. Apparently the times I've held 3kw were all first run of the day. Today it held 3kw for a bit before starting to choke. Also thank you kloppk for the magnet fix. The tms say don't touch that so I haven't but I moved it just enough to grab the arm and now my not shutting down problem is gone. Yay!!

In reading the TMs the one thing comon to my problem seems to be injector. I ordered one with the same part number as the TM calls out but it's too long. 714350 53100 yes? I'll keep trying. This gen will run great eventually.

- YouTube

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BTW. I was out there checking voltages ect and with no load 5/16 gap I'm running 172 and with load 2.75kw a high as she will hold I'm at 186. Is this acceptable with how you've built the boards? I did run with the actuator held open and adjusted the throttle to 219 like the instructions say

Close enough.
My board measures the AC Frequency to measure the engine RPM. So, at no load the RPM should be about 3,050 RPM (254 Hz PMA Frequency).
It adjusts the throttle to achieve the required RPM based on the Load signal from the inverter so that the engine RPM is correct for the load.

 

[grywitt]

Close enough.
My board measures the AC Frequency to measure the engine RPM. So, at no load the RPM should be about 3,050 RPM (254 Hz PMA Frequency).
It adjusts the throttle to achieve the required RPM based on the Load signal from the inverter so that the engine RPM is correct for the load.

Copy that. Thank you. I figured but right now I'm trying to make sure I check every possibility. So the not shutting down came back again. I'm pretty sure i got it now. The actuator arm is/ was slipping on its rod. It had been squeezed down to much and I'm still not sure it won't again but I seem to have it holding. Thanks again for your time.

 

[grywitt]

Ha ha. I bet none of you guys have ever had a machine that just wouldn't give you a break. The not shutting down thing came back. The way I figured out it's slipping on the shaft is after shutting it down and holding it over against the magnet there is a little gap even when you are pushing it over. Readjust and it's good for a couple times. But just for good measure the fuel pump quit working. It's definitely the pump. I have 24 volts and if I put the plug on the other pump it runs. It would be funny if the power issue was a failing fuel pump.

 

[grywitt]

Update: new fuel pump, New injector and no governor control. Well the mechanical governor is working. I decided to just run it with the mechanical governor since I'm having trouble with the arm slipping on the rod. Technically no change. I did get it to hold 3kw for a minute or so but it started smoking and was ready to die when I dropped it back down to 2kw.

I've ran it now for several hours at load try and clean out and carbon. ( well the load it would hold anyway). I'm running out of ideas. I guess I could just call it a 2kw gen. Oh BTW it was spitting a bit when I had it at 3kw. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Little interruptions in smooth. I was pulling out my phone to try to video but it was about to die so I didn't have time.

I don't have the tools or knowledge to do a compression test. Maybe find a diesel mechanic to look at it. Any one want an 831A?

 

[2Pbfeet]

When you write "spitting", do you mean it was stumbling and dropping rpms?
Can you run it at 2.5kW for a bit? I would keep your altitude de-rate in mind as the full 3kW at your altitude may be pushing it, though you might be able to work up to it by more hours at 2.5-2.7kW.

All the best, 2PbFeet

 

[grywitt]

Almost like backfiring I guess I would call it. I'm sorry it's pretty hard to describe. It seemed to be holding it's rpm's okay. You can tell when it's about to choke. The smoke gets thicker and thicker and it coughs some and if I don't reduce load it will then start reducing rpms until it drops the contact. You are right. I did want to get my hands on one of those 2kw gens and this way I can have a 2kw TQG. Lol. Heck at 2kw it runs nice!

I'll keep exercising it and see what happens. She's up to a whopping 35 hours already now.

 

[grywitt]

Stumbling and dropping rpms comes later after the spitting. Ha ha
Sounds funny. Maybe later I'll see if i can catch it on video