MEP002A Priming

[Ray70]

Yea, maybe I should look into that. I remember waiting and waiting and waiting to get fuel out of the top vent hole of the first unit I ever worked on. After that I just prefilled them all.

 

[Ray70]

Instead of paying $598 for 2 bolts you could spend a couple bucks more at GL and get yourself a set of used bolts with a spare generator attached to them!!
And here I thought $480 for a frequency transducer was insane

 

[BadBrad1]

Mine also were replaced with solid bolts, I just cracked the line loose at the check valve until fuel came out there let it run for a couple minutes then cracked the injector lines at the injector until fuel came out when cranking it over.

 

[hurst01]

All you have to do is loosen the bolts until you see fuel seeping out. It is not so much pressure that it will shoot to the moon. If need be, get me the size bolt and I can make you some with a 1/8" pipe tap in the end. You pay for the bolts and shipping.

 

[rustystud]

No one ever needs to bleed their system if their pumps are working OK. The trucks are the same. All military equipment has come with pumps that will fill the filters so that no priming is ever needed. The old diesel engines that ran out of fuel or when you replaced all the filters had to be primed. This took a lot of time, time you don't have in a combat situation. So the military has for years now spec'ed out there equipment with extra pumps. So if your equipment will not self prime, check your pumps !
If someone comes back with "why did they have these vents added to the filters ? " , it was for diagnostic testing and of course redundancy.

 

[rustystud]

I'm not sure if any fuel will flow through the return line if the unit isn't running, I thought the IP had to be going in order to get fuel through the return? I'd just prefill the canisters and loosen the line near the IP infeed , like 1800 said and let the primary pumps run. If you leave the canisters dry, expect it to take quite a while. the pumps don't push very much volume so it will take a long time to fill 3 canisters. Once you get it running any residual bubbles should work themselves out through the return line. Hopefully she's a good runner after that!

I forgot to add, if your pumps are working properly, you can hear the fuel return to the tank when the switch is in the run position. Even if the engine is not running.

 

[hurst01]

No one ever needs to bleed their system if their pumps are working OK. The trucks are the same. All military equipment has come with pumps that will fill the filters so that no priming is ever needed. The old diesel engines that ran out of fuel or when you replaced all the filters had to be primed. This took a lot of time, time you don't have in a combat situation. So the military has for years now spec'ed out there equipment with extra pumps. So if your equipment will not self prime, check your pumps !
If someone comes back with "why did they have these vents added to the filters ? " , it was for diagnostic testing and of course redundancy.

I agree, however some may want the bleeders. Makes no difference to me either way. It will still run. You are very correct on the diagnostics. By removing the "bleeders" a pressure gauge can be installed to test the pump pressure while still and running. Easier to do that rather than taking the fuel line loose.

 

[mkcoen]

Here's a bit of a different set up than I've seen on the filter housings. Both are the same, i.e. bottom spring, o-ring, metal plate, then top spring. Does the plate go on top of the filter? Below the filter? Take it out and throw it away?

 

[Keith_J]

Ok, you got me there. Those are not the same filters as my 002 nor your 003 or the other ASK 002 you had. Is that an acorn nut?

Or is that the first filter can, the one closest to the control panel? If so, that is the strainer. Since the two pumps already have strainers, this is actually to remove emulsified water since the shaking during operation tends to suspend water droplets...

anyhow, getting long winded here, if that is the first can, you should be able to run on fresh diesel as the filters will also block water. This just prevents overloading of the filter elements with water.

 

[mkcoen]

That is not the strainer. That is the filter canister closest to the oil filter. The other filter canister has the same set up. Instead of the flow through bolt on a normal set up this has the bolt inside the canister sticking up through and attached with that hexagonal nut on top of the canister (strainer has the nut on the bottom).

 

[jacobsk]

In order to bleed the system you can just remove the fuel line (or crack it) which is going into the check valve down stream of the three filters. The check valve is the ~3" long cylindrical looking pipe fitting mounted horizontally in a P clamp typically with a 90 degree elbow on each end so that the fuel lines are easier to mount. The check valve is mounted underneath the Oil pressure gauge on both of my MEP-002a's.

I just did this yesterday with one of my units.

 

[Keith_J]

Ok, I've got nothing, that isn't a stock filter. You have all the luck, don't you?

 

[rustystud]

Here's a bit of a different set up than I've seen on the filter housings. Both are the same, i.e. bottom spring, o-ring, metal plate, then top spring. Does the plate go on top of the filter? Below the filter? Take it out and throw it away?

View attachment 529812

There was a picture in the PS magazine I'll try and find for you.

 

[mkcoen]

Ok, I've got nothing, that isn't a stock filter. You have all the luck, don't you?

Yep. My guess is spring, 0-ring, plate - then the filter - and then the last spring. It looks like the o-ring is sized to fit inside the raised part of the plate. I just hope it uses the same filters since I've already bought them. Worst thing that can happen is it sprays diesel all over the driveway when I try and prime it and I get nothing but a big sucking sound of my money going down the toilet.

In-laws got theirs back to Farmington, NM this afternoon with no problems. I still need to get the info on the gauges for them though.

 

[Keith_J]

Which gauges? I should order a few of those meter movements for frequency. At $19 each, they are a steal. Brand new too.

 

[hurst01]

Yep. My guess is spring, 0-ring, plate - then the filter - and then the last spring. It looks like the o-ring is sized to fit inside the raised part of the plate. I just hope it uses the same filters since I've already bought them. Worst thing that can happen is it sprays diesel all over the driveway when I try and prime it and I get nothing but a big sucking sound of my money going down the toilet.

In-laws got theirs back to Farmington, NM this afternoon with no problems. I still need to get the info on the gauges for them though.

The spring is to put pressure on the filter holding it upward. By the spring holding pressure on the filter, if a blockage occurs, given enough pressure it will collapse the spring enough to allow bypassing the filter. You should see no leakage on your driveway unless you have the large "O-ring" in the wrong place or if it is missing.

 

[hurst01]

What gauges are you referring to please? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[mkcoen]

The spring is to put pressure on the filter holding it upward. By the spring holding pressure on the filter, if a blockage occurs, given enough pressure it will collapse the spring enough to allow bypassing the filter. You should see no leakage on your driveway unless you have the large "O-ring" in the wrong place or if it is missing.

Only 1 o-ring and it wasn't particularly large. Hopefully have it together this afternoon and give it whirl.

 

[mkcoen]

"if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all"

Well things went from bad to worse. I got both filters in and was just tightening them down when the canister bolt on the 1st filter broke it's spot weld. I don't think there's any way to fix that and since not too many people have seen one of these set ups looks like I'm just going to have to find an older style canister set up to replace it. So much for giving it a test today.

 

[mkcoen]

"On our latest episode of As the Earth Rotates..."

Pulled the petcock out of the filter housing with the broken bolt and put a pipe plug in it then closed the upper opening with a 3/8" bolt. Used a ratcheting tiedown strap to tighten the canister up against the o-ring hoping that would apply enough pressure to let me at least try and get things started. Hooked up a couple of batts, added diesel, and started priming. Never got to the filter housing as the strainer housing is gushing fuel out from around the o-ring. Drained it, pulled it off, made sure there was only ONE o-ring present and that it was seated, retightened, started again and got the same results. Stumped at this point. I'm as sure as I can be that the canister is seated against the o-ring and tighted as it should be. Just about ready to start stripping it and selling parts.