Help me make lemonade from a MEP-003a

[abears3]

Ok I rolled the dice on a MEP-003a with only 1.4 hours from a GL auction. Charged the batteries, put filters and oil in and gave it a whirl. Started up great then the smoke and burning smell started.................. The motor was under extreme load and the alternator started smoking. Shut it down as quick as I could and yelled for my 11 year old to get the fire extinguisher. Luckily we didn't need it.

So my question is should I look for another GL auction and purchase a gen set that the engine is shot? Or should I try and see if it a generator shop can fix it. Problem with that is finding someone to work on it.

Thanks for the help in advance!

 

[R Racing]

It might just need bearings in the gen which isn't crazy expencive.

 

[abears3]

Thanks for the info...how would I go about checking this? I took the back plate off and it was very rusted.

 

[R Racing]

There should be a coupler that will allow the engine to run without turning the generater. If you remove it you can run the engine to check its vitals. if all is well remove the gen and have it checked out . bearings should be rather cheap like around $100.00 or less not including install.

 

[porkysplace]

www.jatonkam35s.com has the TM free to download

 

[deuceaid]

you could disconnect the field winding so it doesnt generate electricity (tape the leads up with electric tape so they dont ground out on anything) then start it,,,if it smokes,,,bearings,,,,if it doesnt, you have cooked electric wires, may not be worth fixing if you have fried wires.

 

[Speddmon]

From what you just described, the generator head (Alternator) is shorted. A bearing, even one that's really bad will not cause the engine to go to full load, or anywhere near it for that matter. Another indicator would have been the smell of the smoke coming from the alternator. There is nothing in the world that I can think of that smells like burning motor windings.

I would take the alternator off and take it and the -34 TM with the rewind specs to a motor re-wind shop and get an estimate to get it re-wound before I buy another generator that may or may not have the same problem.

 

[abears3]

Thanks for everbodies input. I will disconnect the alternator from the engine and try and find a shop to give me an estimate on rewinding. While the alternator is off, can I run the engine and check it out without damaging anything?

 

[Isaac-1]

What part of Louisiana are you in?

Ike

 

[abears3]

I'm between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

 

[RetiredNavy]

You can always use it for spare parts, if you decide to roll the dice and get another unit.

 

[abears3]

Well I took the generator head off and found a shop that re-winds electric motors etc. They called back and want just under $1000 to re-wind it and replace the diodes. Anybody know where I can buy a good used head to replace this one or should I have them fix it.
Thanks

 

[frodobaggins]

Well I took the generator head off and found a shop that re-winds electric motors etc. They called back and want just under $1000 to re-wind it and replace the diodes. Anybody know where I can buy a good used head to replace this one or should I have them fix it.
Thanks

I would bring it to another shop first.

 

[Speddmon]

For what you're getting out of the deal, $1000 isn't too bad of a price. If it's rewound to military specs, you'll never buy a 3 phase motor that big for that cheap. You'll most definitely save money if you find a used one....but is the used one going to be in the same condition as the one you bought? If you can find one tested and in good condition you would have a good chance to save money. But I will tell you this much...if I had a good usable tested spare laying around, I wouldn't part with it for less then $600 or more.

 

[bimota]

Another option is to find a good use for that long lasting engine. A generator clearly has value but I know farmers and other love diesel power plants for water pumps, machinery etc. These old Onan style air cooled engines with low hours may find new life as machinery power. At roughly 20hp, and probably capable of 30hp, and with 10,000 plus hours lifespans there is real value there. If you priced an equivalent engine now it would be in the $3000 plus range.

I tried to start another post about reuse of the engines without much response. Since there are so many of these out there we should really try.

 

[derf]

I paid $500 for a new, take-off 15kW Powertech/Marathon head on ebay. I would first try and find a used head or buy another gen set that obviously has motor trouble.

There is a nearby 20kW gen on CL for $600, NFI, just saw the ad. I'd investigate that before spending more on the gov liq gen.:

Commercial Generator

 

[bimota]

generator head retrofit?

Derf, key is mating up the head and power unit. Is that what you are doing or planned? I've asked several times on the site for reuse stories for the genset engines and have yet to see any success stories of resue of the head or engine. What were you planning with the Marathon head (which is a good unit)?

 

[glcaines]

Well I took the generator head off and found a shop that re-winds electric motors etc. They called back and want just under $1000 to re-wind it and replace the diodes. Anybody know where I can buy a good used head to replace this one or should I have them fix it.
Thanks

Did the shop test and prove that the generator head actually needs to be rewound? I would make certain that the only problem is the head before spending the money. It would be bad to pay $1,000.00 for a re-wind and find that you still have the same problem. Or, that the original problem is still there that caused the head to fail. Otherwise, I agree with Speddmon that $1,000.00 isn't bad for that job.

 

[derf]

I adapted the Marathon head to a Kubota motor. I had to make an adapter ring.

 

[abears3]

Thanks for all the input...the shop that I brought it to told me they had no way to test it but they took it apart and could see the windings were shot and it needed new diodes. I had a hard time finding a shop that would even look at here in New Orleans or Baton Rouge. If anyone knows of a shop pleas PM me. I am leaning toward having it fixed. No telling what I'll get if I roll the dice on another one.

I'd love to retool the engine and put a 15kw single phase generator head on it. But electricity scares me. Things I can't see...