Advice needed - new guy with MEP004A

[Mullaney]

Apparently, the guy who helped me by taking some of the pieces to his work has several blasters available there. 2 are cabinets that are big enough to get these pieces in and one is a "room" that has some kind of conveyor / auto-feed system that recycles the media. I think they are using aluminum oxide as media. But yes, the blaster I rented had a ~1" nozzle with a 184 cfm, diesel compressor and it was great while I had it but even with a 1" nozzle, with the thickness of the paint, it would have taken FOREVER to blast that much surface area simply because you had to do it inch by inch and it was taking 30 seconds to a minute for it to eat through the paint in each 1 inch circle. The guy who helped me out resorted to several different methods after realizing what he got himself into. He threw a couple of the heavy pieces made of channel into a fire and burned most of the paint off. On some of the bigger panels made of sheet metal, he buried them in paint stripper and covered them with visqueen to keep them wet and left them for days. I had to go over every piece with my blaster and clean them up but he saved weeks - probably months of work. Pieces that didn't have layers and layers of paint on them were pretty easy. Even with my blaster. I did the 2 side panels of the fan shroud the other day. Doing both side of each panel took only a few minutes because I was able to back away from the panel with the blaster nozzle so it was probably hitting 3-4 square inches at a time and I was able to move the nozzle back and forth at a pretty fast speed. It was almost like wiping the paint away with a rag.

Anyway, thanks to him, it's all done now. I've had that compressor for about 4 years now and when I started the blasting part of this project it only had about 6 hours on it - and I had used it to blast several times on other projects.. It's got over 20 hours now.

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Wow!! That is pretty amazing! Yeah, the one at the monument place has a 1" hose feeding it and that volume of air is pretty amazing compared to my toy blaster

 

[Back-in-Black]

Yeah, my blaster maxes out at 125 psi (safety valve) and I'm feeding it with 3/8* hose. The compressor keeps up with constant blasting but I never looked to see what pressure it's maintaining. Guessing it keeps it very close to 125 psi since it only runs 3-4 minutes out of every 15 or so of constant blasting. It's 175 psi max at the compressor and I think it kicks on when tank pressure is down to about 130-135ish. I'm also feeding compressed air to my blasting hood. Keeps positive pressure in the hood and keeps the sand out and keeps the glass view port from fogging up. I cranked up that pressure the other day since it was getting hot in that hood. The extra air really helped cool it off inside the hood. Overall, I'm VERY pleased with how the blaster / compressor work. I never have to stop blasting to wait for air like I did with my old 5 hp compressor.

Did some more wiring tonight. Very close to done wiring in the control box. Need to call Basler tech support and ask a few dumb questions that I forgot to ask the other day when I was asking other dumb questions. I did find out that I can use the LSM-2020 module that I got extra when I bought the control unit from Ebay. I can use that LSM to connect the controller to my home network via Ethernet. That will be a real added bonus being able to see engine and power stats live sitting at my desk and not having to drag my laptop out to the the genset and hook up via USB.

I still have to do the CAN bus wiring (just 2 conductors and a shield) from the controller to the LSM-2020 and I have to figure out what type Automatic Transfer Switch to buy and how to wire it up. The controller can operate the ATS based on "shore power" status or the ATS can send contact closure type signals to the controller to start and stop the genset. I probably need to call Eaton tech support first and ask them some dumb questions about their ATS's before I call Basler back.

Got a bit more wiring to do in the generator cabinet itself too and I still haven't soldered one wire to the other side of that 47 pin connector yet. Talk about a real PITA. That is some TIGHT soldering.

 

[Back-in-Black]

Added some wire mesh to the air intake grill last night. The existing stuff is 1/2" square gaps which is too big for around here. Wasps and dirt dobbers wouldn't even be slowed down by that. I used 1/4" mesh on top of the factory 1/2" stuff. Not sure that's small enough to keep all of them out but hopefully will keep the majority out. 1/4" was the smallest I could find without going down to screen door type screen which would most likely cause air flow problems. As is, I'm going to have to keep an eye on temp till I'm sure this 1/4" stuff won't cause an overheat problem.

Seeing as how I'm building this to be a fully automatic unit, I will either leave the air intake and exhaust doors open all the time or just leave them off all together. Although it does occur to me that I could use some of the spare contact closures available on the DGC-2020 I'm using for a controller to activate some kind of actuator to open those doors when the genset starts up and then close them back after shut down. I've programmed a cooldown cycle into the controller so I'll also have to take that into effect if I decide to tackle the automatic door project. For sure, that auto-door thing won't happen right now but definitely a possibility for later.

 

[Mullaney]

Added some wire mesh to the air intake grill last night. The existing stuff is 1/2" square gaps which is too big for around here. Wasps and dirt dobbers wouldn't even be slowed down by that. I used 1/4" mesh on top of the factory 1/2" stuff. Not sure that's small enough to keep all of them out but hopefully will keep the majority out. 1/4" was the smallest I could find without going down to screen door type screen which would most likely cause air flow problems. As is, I'm going to have to keep an eye on temp till I'm sure this 1/4" stuff won't cause an overheat problem.

Seeing as how I'm building this to be a fully automatic unit, I will either leave the air intake and exhaust doors open all the time or just leave them off all together. Although it does occur to me that I could use some of the spare contact closures available on the DGC-2020 I'm using for a controller to activate some kind of actuator to open those doors when the genset starts up and then close them back after shut down. I've programmed a cooldown cycle into the controller so I'll also have to take that into effect if I decide to tackle the automatic door project. For sure, that auto-door thing won't happen right now but definitely a possibility for later.

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Just guessing and looking at the neighbor's generator... It is on a bi-weekly fully automated run cycle, and for the past 15 years I haven't discovered any flying evil critters when I walk by and look at it. They have half inch welded wire applied to keep out the 4 legged critters.

Wonder if their regular running test is what keeps the winged hell out of their installation?

 

[Back-in-Black]

Yes, I will have mine programmed to "exercise" on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule so that's gonna happen... BUT North Carolina is not south Louisiana. We got more bugs here than you can shake a stick at. I've already had to knock out 3 wasp nests just this weekend. One on a 6 ft step ladder that was leaning on a fence for a couple of days, one under the seat of my lawnmower and another in my tractor. ANYWHERE there's a bit of shade / protection from rain, you will get wasps and dirt dobbers. I painted the ceilings of my front and back porches sky blue to keep them from building nests under there. Until I did that, knocking down nests was pretty much a weekly thing. The blue works wonderfully for wasps and dirt dobbers but it doesn't slow the spiders down one bit. Constantly having to use a broom to knock the spider webs down.

If you remember, I already had some kind of bee / wasp thing plant a nest up inside my fuel line last fall after having it disconnected for a few days. Those bugs like holes. They fly around looking for holes about 3/8" dia to build nests in. They're not dirt dobbers that pile up mud to build their nests, they just like holes. There were several dirt dobber and a few old wasps nests inside the generator housing when I got this thing. What's left of one large dirt dobber nest is still stuck to the side of my engine block. Even exercising it weekly won't stop that crap around here. It only takes a day or two and you've got a generator full of wasps and dirt dobbers. They may move out once it starts up and runs for 30 minutes or so but it's too late by then... you've got a mess to clean up.... if you don't get stung first!

 

[Mullaney]

Yes, I will have mine programmed to "exercise" on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule so that's gonna happen... BUT North Carolina is not south Louisiana. We got more bugs here than you can shake a stick at. I've already had to knock out 3 wasp nests just this weekend. One on a 6 ft step ladder that was leaning on a fence for a couple of days, one under the seat of my lawnmower and another in my tractor. ANYWHERE there's a bit of shade / protection from rain, you will get wasps and dirt dobbers. I painted the ceilings of my front and back porches sky blue to keep them from building nests under there. Until I did that, knocking down nests was pretty much a weekly thing. The blue works wonderfully for wasps and dirt dobbers but it doesn't slow the spiders down one bit. Constantly having to use a broom to knock the spider webs down.

If you remember, I already had some kind of bee / wasp thing plant a nest up inside my fuel line last fall after having it disconnected for a few days. Those bugs like holes. They fly around looking for holes about 3/8" dia to build nests in. They're not dirt dobbers that pile up mud to build their nests, they just like holes. There were several dirt dobber and a few old wasps nests inside the generator housing when I got this thing. What's left of one large dirt dobber nest is still stuck to the side of my engine block. Even exercising it weekly won't stop that crap around here. It only takes a day or two and you've got a generator full of wasps and dirt dobbers. They may move out once it starts up and runs for 30 minutes or so but it's too late by then... you've got a mess to clean up.... if you don't get stung first!

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Guessing that the blue looks like sky to them - so they don't try to nest there?

 

[Back-in-Black]

Yep - and as said, it works pretty damn well.

 

[Chainbreaker]

I Googled "What eats wasps and mud daubers?"

And got this:'

"A wide variety of creatures eat wasps, from insects and invertebrates like dragonflies, praying mantis, spiders, centipedes to birds such as mockingbirds, sparrows, nighthawks and starlings, reptiles and amphibians like lizards and geckos, and mammals such as mice, weasels, badgers, and black bears."

If you're really concerned, perhaps you should paint/stencil some of the above listed critters on your genset or find toy replicas and hang them near it and see if it has any effect. The last one listed in particular, Black Bear, might also deter any 2-legged varmints that encroach!

 

[Back-in-Black]

Well, I got PLENTY of spiders too. Especially in my shop. The only thing I've found that keeps the spiders out of my shop is bug bombs that have spiders listed on the box. I killed 2 black widows in there (that I know of) and that's what made me go looking for the bug bombs that kill spiders. Maybe I can set them up with a condo in the generator so they'll eat the wasps LOL! I've been stomping the spiders in the shop a good bit lately - since it started getting warm. It's time to go get some more bug bombs!

I've also had mice in there on a couple of occasions. Matter of fact, found a problem with mice this weekend. Not in the shop (got poison set out in there now) but in the mower. The wife started cutting the grass Saturday and the mower started running like crap. Had a miss on one cylinder so I started digging. Mice had made a nest under the top motor cover, over the winter. They set up camp right next to one of the magnetos (coils) and had moved the spark plug wire just enough where it was making contact with the edge of the flywheel. Just enough contact so that after she ran it for a couple of hours, it rubbed a hole in the plug wire and was grounding out on the flywheel about 80% of the time from what I can tell. $45 for a new coil! It ought to be here in a few days.

We live kind of in the woods and over the years critters have been a real pain at times. Probably about 7-8 years ago we had a crazy skunk that was convinced it wanted in the back yard with my dogs. Had 3 dogs at the time. That skunk was absolutely nuts and kept trying to get thru the fence into the back yard! Ended up having to shoot the stupid animal. Talk about a real stinker of a problem!!!

My current only outdoor dog caught a baby squirrel last weekend. I looked up and saw her carrying it across the yard in her mouth. She didn't kill it or even hurt it but the poor thing was petrified. Put him in a carboard box and when he finally recovered from shock he would do this funny rear up on his hind legs, spread his front legs and hiss / bark act that was quite funny to watch. Half the time he'd rear up and fall over sideways. Anyway, once he fully recovered from the shock, he climbed out of the box and hauled ass.

We get deer in our front yard pretty much every night. They pretty much stay away from the back yard due to the dog(s). Have also had wild turkeys on occasion. Couldn't tell you how many opossums and armadillos the dogs have drug up to the back porch over the years.

One night at about midnight ( when we had 3 dogs outside) I heard them raising a hell of a ruckus. Quite an unusual racket. They had cornered a medium size cane break rattle snake up against a tree, 30 ft off the back porch My neighbors must have thought a war had started. Here's me, out there in my underwear with a flashlight in one hand trying to hit a frickin rattlesnake with an AK-47 in the other hand. I now keep a box of 4-10 shells on hand for just such occasions. MUCH easier to hit a snake with that LOL.

 

[Abrant23]

I painted the ceilings of my front and back porches sky blue

Over here in South Carolina on the coast, there's a specific color called "Haint Blue" that is used to paint porch ceilings. The Gullah claimed it kept the evil spirits from entering one's residence. It works wonders for keeping the spiders and such away.

 

[Back-in-Black]

plug wire

 

[Back-in-Black]

Speaking of bugs that fly around looking for holes to lay an egg in...

I took the mower apart Sunday night. My parts came in today. Shortly after noon today I went out the to put the mower back together and low and behold, one of those stupid bugs laid an egg and plugged up the hole with mud. I took this picture after I had knocked some of the mud

 

[Mullaney]

Speaking of bugs that fly around looking for holes to lay an egg in...

I took the mower apart Sunday night. My parts came in today. Shortly after noon today I went out the to put the mower back together and low and behold, one of those stupid bugs laid an egg and plugged up the hole with mud. I took this picture after I had knocked some of the mud

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Wow! Wonder if it is laying time?
At this time of the year maybe?
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[Back-in-Black]

No, this goes on aa long as it's warm / hot weather. Remember the one that clogged up my fuel inlet hose? Same type bug but that was in October if I remember right. May have even been early November. Well, its 85F and 75% humidity out there right now. Miserable as hell. Summer is back.

 

[Mullaney]

No, this goes on aa long as it's warm / hot weather. Remember the one that clogged up my fuel inlet hose? Same type bug but that was in October if I remember right. May have even been early November. Well, its 85F and 75% humidity out there right now. Miserable as hell. Summer is back.

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Wow. It is 79 with 69% humidity and I had been grumbling about hot and sticky today when I was out delivering packages... Seems to me that it is too early for that - but spring doesn't seem to be but a few weeks long now days.

I'v noticed that the yellow jackets and wasps around here are doing the best to make nests. Time to stock up on cans of LPS (penetrating oil). Nice long stream and it knocks them down purty quick.

 

[Back-in-Black]

Soapy water. I use regular kitchen soap mixed with water. Throw it on a wasp or hornet nest and they die just as fast as using an $8 can of spray. The soap clogs up the breathing holes on their thorax and they suffocate in less than a minute or so. You can also load the soapy water into one of those pump-up water guns and do it that way but I just mix it up in a plastic cup and "toss" it on the nest. CHEAP.

 

[Mullaney]

Soapy water. I use regular kitchen soap mixed with water. Throw it on a wasp or hornet nest and they die just as fast as using an $8 can of spray. The soap clogs up the breathing holes on their thorax and they suffocate in less than a minute or so. You can also load the soapy water into one of those pump-up water guns and do it that way but I just mix it up in a plastic cup and "toss" it on the nest. CHEAP.

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Nice to know!

I have used gas the same way - but the possible hazard for that isn't going to happen with soapy water! Same purpose. Never thought about soapy water. THANKS for the tip!

 

[Back-in-Black]

Gas is more fun though! We get "ground hornets" around here. They'll build a nest under a tree in the leaves piled up at it's base and they are just downright viscous if you disturb them, A few years ago the wife got into a nest with the lawnmower and they just tore her ass up! I got 2 pieces of 3/4" PVC conduit that I had laying around and stuck them together for a 20' long pipe. Shoved the other end of the pipe up to their nest (they got pissed as hell but I was too far away and being very still) and proceeded to pour a half gallon of gas into their nest through the conduit. Then I pulled the pipe back slowly while still pouring a small amount of gas thru it and made a "gas trail" to their nest. When I got the trail back to me, I put away the pipe and gas can and lit the "fuse". That was entertaining LOL.

But seriously, the soapy water thing works as well or better than the expensive cans of spray. Knocks them down immediately and a minute or so later, they're dead.

 

[Back-in-Black]

Made some visible progress last night / today>

Broke down and bought 2 batteries. Got the battery cables finished and installed.

Installed the battery charger - it was just laying up in there. Now it's bolted down.

Got the radiator, shutter, radiator support, grille and fan installed. I'd like to meet the guy who designed the way all that goes together! 3 very heavy pieces and 1 light piece that all have to been put on at the same time and they all bolt thru / to each other. Idiotic!









I dry fit the lower radiator hose (best match I could find since you can't seem to get the "factory" one anymore) and it fits pretty damn good. I had to cut off about an inch where it connects to the radiator and fiddle with the clamps and fuel hose from the 2nd fuel filter to the injection pump. The radiator hose was touching the fuel hose a bit. I actually nay cut another inch off the radiator hose before I tighten it all up just to give a bit more clearance but there's plenty of hose left and cutting another inch off ain't gonna bother anything.

So, for all you guys who have 004's who at some point will need a new lower radiator hose, Napa 9301 fits purty darn good.





I've already decided to change the way one thing on my control panel is wired up but not that big a change. I do have to add another toggle switch but that's why I had the extra holes cut when they made the panel.

Still mulling over how I want to wire a few last things up but I think I've got most of it figured out and I'm about to order a few things for that. Back to wiring -Yea Ha!!!

BTW, in case you can' see or just haven't noticed; all the bolts, screws, washers, and lock washers for the casing are now stainless steel. Any non captive, spot welded or special nuts are now stainless steel nylocks.

 

[Guyfang]

Got the radiator, shutter, radiator support, grille and fan installed. I'd like to meet the guy who designed the way all that goes together! 3 very heavy pieces and 1 light piece that all have to been put on at the same time and they all bolt thru / to each other. Idiotic!

I could have told you that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!