Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!
Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.
I remember in 1987 at pilot training in Columbus MS when the maintenance switched from military to civilian. We just shutdown from a sortie and the fuel truck came over. I remember the so called crew chief walked all the way around the aircraft trying to figure out where the fuel went. For...
If you are not getting any white smoke while cranking, try this. My 003 got balky all of a sudden with no white smoke and this was the solution in that case. See the picture and where the pen is pointing. You need to unlatch the cover to really see it. When the switch goes to crank, that...
Silly question since you said it ran fine for a year. If you read the starting instructions under the flip up panel carefully, you will notice that it says to hold S1 in start until you see at least 25 psi on the oil pressure gauge. You can sometimes get an under voltage light if S1 is...
I had been negligent about cleaning my fuel systems over the years on my 804s, 003, and 002 gensets until they just wouldn’t run right. My fuel pumps ran erratically if at all sometimes and the fine screen inside the fuel fill had become coated. The screens on the 003/2 fuel pumps also had...
Have you verified at the lugs with a meter that there is no voltage? For frequency backup, you can buy a Kill-a-watt meter that plugs into the duplex plug from Lowes. On my 804s, I believe I have always gotten the voltage and frequency readings over the last 10 years but it is always a...
. I am about an hour away. I have both an A and a B that I have run for around 10 years. Perhaps I can come take a look and listen in the next week or so.
Robert
For your house project, get the book Wiring A House by Rex Cauldwell, 5th ed. It is very complete and has the latest code requirements. I built and wired my 2400 sf house with a 400 amp service entrance and two main 200 amp panels plus a 125 subpanel and passed the electrical on the first try...
Another thing to watch for on the 804 is the MPU (magnetic pickup) either failing or getting funk on the end of the magnet. If you do not start to see white puffs out the exhaust after a few seconds of cranking, it is not getting fuel and it usually turns out to be a MPU issue. Search MPU and...
Carb/throttle body cleaner melts the fuel residue off nicely, especially the screens inside the fuel pumps. Also check the strainer where you put in fuel, pull the chain attached to the cap and rotate it and it will come out. That fine brass screen is not pressure washer proof, DAMHIK.
I have taken apart 2 switches like that but they are only1/3 the length. Somehow I got one back together and the other still sits in a jar. That will be extremely difficult to reassemble!
Lowes sells something in the electrical area called a Kill A Watt EZ that you can plug into the duplex plug to get voltage and hertz If the gauges do not work. To get amps, you need a clamp on meter that does amps and clamp around one of the hot wires at the output lugs. I have a cheap Sperry...
Here is the male end of a FDECU-5 cord (5 ton heat pump, 60 amps per phase, 208V). The other picture is a male and female connector on my 804b. If you are lucky, you may find a used one for around $50.
Robert
I used to randomly lose the prime on my 804a. It would run fine, then upon trying to start later, no start. Replaced the hand pump with an Isuzu unit off eBay and no problem since. The big clue is if no white puffs after about 3 seconds of cranking, it is not getting fuel. Unit still only...
On my MEP 804b, I installed a 24v NiCad battery I had ruined for the airplane (About $9k) Had to buy an ElCon connector made for airplanes. It works fine as long as I don’t run it out of fuel and not get to it inside of 12 hours and switch it off with the fuel low light on—it drains the...
I discovered recently while working on my generator fuel system that carburetor and throttle body cleaner melts the old fuel residue right off. It did much better that the pressure washer in most cases without damage. On some of the smaller generators like the MEP 003 & 002, you can damage the...
A few things I have learned since getting my 003a many years ago:
1. Set the RPM to hold 60 hz (or 61.5hz) and then DO NOT TOUCH IT Even for shutdown. You can buy a Kill a watt meter at Lowes and plug it into the duplex outlet and monitor the hz and amps, even if the gauges don’t work.
2...
It was Valvoline carb cleaner mostly because it was BOGO at Advance Auto. I used some other brands and they all seemed to melt the residue right off.
Robert
I have had a 003 for probably 15 years now. I noticed that the strainer inside the fuel fill was slow to let the fuel through. You can twist and remove the whole strainer assembly. Mine was coated about 95%. I tried several things and damaged the fine screen cone with a pressure washer. I...
Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!