Mep-002a Recommended Spares List?

[Chainbreaker]

Hi guys, new member here. I recently purchased a very nice Mep-002a 1986 vintage with 1697 original hours off of Craigslist after searching for a year for one on a trailer complete with canvas cover. As it turns out it was being sold by a very nice fellow SS member "MACSOG2000". Thanks Ken for letting her go!

After load testing my new unit the other day (220V 5600 W dryer load) I told my wife I was disappointed in the generator I bought. She looked at me very puzzled and said "I thought you really liked it?" I said "I do but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it for me to fix, it is perfect!" She laughed and said "don't jinx it!"

Anyway since I have nothing that needs fixing (knock on wood), I am wondering what spares (not consumables like filters, etc.) you guys might suggest that I begin to collect. I am wondering what parts might be considered to have a low MTBF or higher failure rate? I read and searched and it looks like it may be wise to stock a couple of the 2N3584 output transistors. I am also thinking glow plugs. What else might I be prepared to have on hand within reason (a 2nd Mep-002 would be nice but not this year). I'm kind of looking for a top 10 list of spares based on others experience.

Thanks,

Dennis

 

[3dAngus]

Everything is so much more expensive on the Pacific coast, but here it is almost as cheap to just buy a whole new spare. They are running a little over $500 here, untested, unless fully new.

Double check the prices there first. I would not buy up a spares kit for a gen set unless it is the
Disposables you mentioned like oil and all filters. Just not worth it. You'll probably never need them.
If it were a deuce or something you drive down the road it would be worth it.

 

[Chainbreaker]

Thanks 3dAngus – After looking at parts offered on eBay I thinkyou might be right about just going ahead an looking for a 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] unit. Might be much cheaper in the long run. If I stock a spare Murphy’s Law says thatpart won’t fail on me.

We have a few units offered via GL at Ft Lewis but they arepretty slim pickings. I’ll just have tokeep my antenna up over the next year and see what pops up on Craigslist, eBayand GL auctions.

 

[steelandcanvas]

After load testing my new unit the other day (220V 5600 W dryer load) I told my wife I was disappointed in the generator I bought. She looked at me very puzzled and said "I thought you really liked it?" I said "I do but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it for me to fix, it is perfect!" She laughed and said "don't jinx it!"

I shared your quote with my Wife who chuckled and said, "That guy thinks exactly like you do!"

 

[Chainbreaker]

Yep, after being in the hunt for one so long (I am particular) and then finding one its kind of anticlimactic since it just works! By the way, my wife was initially not too cool to me buying an "ugly hunk of iron" as she called it before seeing it in person. "Where you gonna put that thing on our property?" she asked. Well now that I have it and it is parked along side of our garage it is not too noticeable. Then after we lost power for 45 minutes last Friday she thinks it is really cool now that she can watch her TV with little interruption during an outage . Wives are so understandable when it benefits them!

 

[steelandcanvas]

The Bosslady really became impressed when I had the house and shop powered up, off the grid. We're on well water here, and being able to have water in an outage is what sold her.

 

[Isaac-1]

If I were to pick a top spares list it would be the above mentioned transistors, a spare DC charging regulator, and maybe a spare electric fuel pump. If going beyond that it would probably be a spare AC voltage regulator to drop in.

 

[n1oty]

I have really gone overboard. I have a complete, brand new control box with all the gauges, relays and AC VR board in it. I also have a couple of completely rebuilt AC Reconnection Boxes that were fully refurbished with new parts at OSMS Oregon.

John

 

[1800 Diesel]

Thought this question sounded familiar....found this thread for an MEP-003A, but parts list should be the same as far as filters. Anyway you should be able to get some good ideas here:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?104377-Spare-parts&highlight=spares

Kevin

 

[Chainbreaker]

I have really gone overboard. I have a complete, brand new control box with all the gauges, relays and AC VR board in it. I also have a couple of completely rebuilt AC Reconnection Boxes that were fully refurbished with new parts at OSMS Oregon.

John

I am, or should I say was, very tempted to do the same. However, after pricing a new control box @ ~$1k plus a spare this-and-that I am thinking a second redundant fully operational unit might be a good route as "3dAngus" alluded to. If I were to incur a power outage late at night and my present unit won't start or produce any AC output I would not want to be wrenching on it with a flashlight during a cold pouring rain as our house sits in darkness.

In addition, we have two service entrances on our property with 2 well pumps and two pumped septic systems at opposite ends of our property. Last week I installed an inlet box on our shop/barn service entrance power pole with interlock kit so I can trailer my present -002a and hook it up should our horses run low on water during an extended outage or if I need to power up my workshop. So, having a 2nd unit may actually make things a bit easier vs. shutting down and disconnecting my present -002a from house, leaving the house in darkness during an outage while trailering the genset the 700' to shop/barn area just for a temporary hook up there and then hauling it back to the house and reconnecting. So, I have pretty much come to the conclusion that a 2nd MEP is in the cards, both for redundancy and added convenience due to my situation.

Oh boy, wait till the wife hears this! "Honey you know the generator that I bought that is running so good....well, the guys on SS said I should really consider purchasing another one just in case...".

 

[n1oty]

I also have a second generator, but I'll probably sell of the 002A now that I have acquired an 003A recently. IIRC, the brand new control box I acquired for about $200 on GL and the refurbished reconnection boxes cost me about $100 or so each. I bought a few of them as a lot out of OKC and my eldest son lives nearby. I let him trade a couple of them for a shotgun, sold a couple off to recoup my money and had him ship the remaining two to me. The shipping hurt though, almost $70 each.

John