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Just beginning my mep-003a journey

2

2Pbfeet

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Mt. Hamilton, CA
Rodburner said:
So I started the generator yesterday afternoon and let it warm up, then applied the load. It worked fine for a while but at times white smoke would blow out the exhaust, light amount and engine sound would change slightly. Then the engine blew gra smoke,bogged down and died. Smoke was coming from the 3 & 4 cylinders’ exhaust. That part of the engine only had injectors replaced. Called the mechanic and he suggested adding atf to help lubricate the ip. I added a quart to what I figured was about 4 gallons of diesel in the tank. I had treated the fuel with “hot shots” before I filled the tank. Started the engine and let it run and it seemed to be a little quieter after about a minute. There was slight smoke coming out the exhaust. Began applying a load on the generator and noticed the % amps meter was fluctuating above 50% and back down to 0% (this could be the heaters). As the load increased the engine would pull and Hz would only drop from 60.1 to 59.8. I’m noticing blow by com out of oil filler tube. And at times 3 & 4 exhaust would turn gray as load increased. Took a couple of videos and spent all night and part of this morning trying to get them to YouTube, hopefully I can link them here. What are your thoughts? Fuel system was cleaned and filters replaced. Let’s see if I can link the videos, the one that is less than a minute shows blow by and gray smoke. The other one which is over 2 minutes only shows the meters as the load fluctuates.
Click to expand...
@Scoobyshep thanks for parsing the link!

@Rodburner That is more blow by than I would be comfortable with, but that may just be me.

When you say that you applied load, how much load, and for how long?

I think checking the valve lash might at least rule that out, and I would look for malfunctioning springs while I was in there, but in my experience valve lash issues are more consistent. The amount of blow by suggests a sticking or bad ring to me. If you have time, I would pull the injectors (or glow plugs) for #3&4, and put in a small amount of SeaFoam and let it soak for a day or more. Then crank it with the injectors out, and reinstall the injectors. (While you have the injectors out, I would clean those, too, as that gray/black smoke isn't doing anything nice to the injectors.) While my first thought is sticking rings in a old unit, I do have the concern that something more substantial might be going on, like needing new rings and a honing job.

@Guyfang suggested WD-40 in this thread a few years ago;

MEP 003a engine replacement

Well It looks like I am having a blowby problem on my MEP-003a, and am debating if it is economical to try to salvage it, or if I should look for one of those rebuilt engines that seemed to be everywhere a year or two ago, but seem to have all disappeared now. Any suggestions with the cost of...
www.steelsoldiers.com

All the best,

2Pbfeet
 
R

Rodburner

Member
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Location
NW Oklahoma
2Pbfeet said:
@Scoobyshep thanks for parsing the link!

@Rodburner That is more blow by than I would be comfortable with, but that may just be me.

When you say that you applied load, how much load, and for how long?

I think checking the valve lash might at least rule that out, and I would look for malfunctioning springs while I was in there, but in my experience valve lash issues are more consistent. The amount of blow by suggests a sticking or bad ring to me. If you have time, I would pull the injectors (or glow plugs) for #3&4, and put in a small amount of SeaFoam and let it soak for a day or more. Then crank it with the injectors out, and reinstall the injectors. (While you have the injectors out, I would clean those, too, as that gray/black smoke isn't doing anything nice to the injectors.) While my first thought is sticking rings in a old unit, I do have the concern that something more substantial might be going on, like needing new rings and a honing job.

@Guyfang suggested WD-40 in this thread a few years ago;

MEP 003a engine replacement

Well It looks like I am having a blowby problem on my MEP-003a, and am debating if it is economical to try to salvage it, or if I should look for one of those rebuilt engines that seemed to be everywhere a year or two ago, but seem to have all disappeared now. Any suggestions with the cost of...
www.steelsoldiers.com

All the best,

2Pbfeet
Click to expand...
Thanks, I’ll be trying those suggestions next week
 
R

Ray70

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maybe a compression check while its hot, as soon as it dies might tell you something.
Scoobyshep might be on to something if your valves are too tight.
I'm also wondering about the possibility of a head gasket leak between cyls. 3&4 when it heats up?
 
R

Rodburner

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Location
NW Oklahoma
I’ve been busy and the generator isn’t a real high priority but I was able to look at it today. I adjusted the valve clearance on cylinders 3 and 4 and tried to start it. After cranking and smoking a little bit it would start but dies when releasing the knob to the run position. Oil or diesel or a mixture of both is dripping from the exhaust flange of the head and muffler on the #2 cylinder oil pressure sensor wires are still connected because I haven’t purchased the correct one yet.
Trying to go back and touch on all the suggestions given plus relay any information previously left out. Purchased sea foam but haven’t soaked the cylinders. In the 9 hours that it ran it used about 2.5 quarts of oil. And the load was 30 amps on a 2 pole circuit. No compression tests done yet. Testing done today was with the cooling shrouds off. Valve lash was greater than spec before I adjusted them.
 
R

Ray70

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I'm back to suspecting you may have a skipped plunger guide, possibly even a plunger guide that has not only skipped once, but may be occasionally skipping additional times while you have been testing and troubleshooting.
This may explain both the odd running behavior as well as the fuel residue dripping out of the exhaust.
Only other possibility would be if you now ( also ) have a couple valves accidentally set too tight, keeping them slightly unseated.
I think a compression test is in order. If that checks out good I really feel you should pull the IP off and open it up to check the plunger guide.
 
R

Rodburner

Member
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63
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Location
NW Oklahoma
Ray70 said:
I'm back to suspecting you may have a skipped plunger guide, possibly even a plunger guide that has not only skipped once, but may be occasionally skipping additional times while you have been testing and troubleshooting.
This may explain both the odd running behavior as well as the fuel residue dripping out of the exhaust.
Only other possibility would be if you now ( also ) have a couple valves accidentally set too tight, keeping them slightly unseated.
I think a compression test is in order. If that checks out good I really feel you should pull the IP off and open it up to check the plunger guide.
Click to expand...
Not what I wanted to hear but thanks for your advice 🙁🙁. It will take me a while to study up on the ip removal and testing along with finding the adapters for the compression test. Don’t give up on me if it takes a few weeks to get the results.
Which direction would be better? Do I rebuild the spare ip I have and use it or the one that’s on the generator now? Also, am I in danger of burning another hole in a piston with these symptoms?
 
R

Ray70

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IF it comes to that, I would just rebuild the one in the machine. It's pretty easy and the parts are fairly east to get.
Once you understand the method of timing and find the "PC" timing mark on the flywheel, the rest is simple mechanics.
Start by doing the compression test and go from there.
Before buying the compression tester, take a good look at your glow plugs. If they are working but they look like they are rotted to the point of breaking off before they unscrew, let me know. I have a compression adapter that goes in place of the injectors that you can borrow.
I've seen many that come out with no problem and some where the glow plug looks like it's become one with the head!
 
C

Chainbreaker

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Oregon
Ray70 said:
...
Before buying the compression tester, take a good look at your glow plugs. If they are working but they look like they are rotted to the point of breaking off before they unscrew, let me know. I have a compression adapter that goes in place of the injectors that you can borrow.
I've seen many that come out with no problem and some where the glow plug looks like it's become one with the head!
Click to expand...
Just went through removing a glow plug on my latest, new to me MEP-003a & it was VERY STUBBORN & I thought it was going to snap off in the head, however it finally succumbed to my socket wrench & it came out stubbornly.

Start with using something like "PB Blaster or Break Free" and spray the glow plug base where the threads enter the head. If you can, heat up the engine first, or use a heat gun to directly heat up the cylinder head/glow plug then hit the GP base with the spray. Do it a few times...morning, noon, evening and then do it again the next day.

You REALLY don't want to break off a glow plug in the head if you can prevent it... take your time. When you do decide to have a go at it you might try heating the head (heat gun) and immediately cooling the glow plug's base/threads.... ice cube, or using something like Therm Cool or whatever to help it break free (In other words...Expand Cylinder Head/Contract GP base threads). Make sure you use a good deep socket on the Glow Plug as you don't want to bugger it up! 🤞
 
Scoobyshep

Scoobyshep

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Chainbreaker said:
Just went through removing a glow plug on my latest, new to me MEP-003a & it was VERY STUBBORN & I thought it was going to snap off in the head, however it finally succumbed to my socket wrench & it came out stubbornly.

Start with using something like "PB Blaster or Break Free" and spray the glow plug base where the threads enter the head. If you can, heat up the engine first, or use a heat gun to directly heat up the cylinder head/glow plug then hit the GP base with the spray. Do it a few times...morning, noon, evening and then do it again the next day.

You REALLY don't want to break off a glow plug in the head if you can prevent it... take your time. When you do decide to have a go at it you might try heating the head (heat gun) and immediately cooling the glow plug's base/threads.... ice cube, or using something like Therm Cool or whatever to help it break free (In other words...Expand Cylinder Head/Contract GP base threads). Make sure you use a good deep socket on the Glow Plug as you don't want to bugger it up!
Click to expand...
I use a product from CRC called knocker loose. It typically makes pb blaster look like water

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
 
R

Rodburner

Member
42
63
18
Location
NW Oklahoma
Chainbreaker said:
Just went through removing a glow plug on my latest, new to me MEP-003a & it was VERY STUBBORN & I thought it was going to snap off in the head, however it finally succumbed to my socket wrench & it came out stubbornly.

Start with using something like "PB Blaster or Break Free" and spray the glow plug base where the threads enter the head. If you can, heat up the engine first, or use a heat gun to directly heat up the cylinder head/glow plug then hit the GP base with the spray. Do it a few times...morning, noon, evening and then do it again the next day.

You REALLY don't want to break off a glow plug in the head if you can prevent it... take your time. When you do decide to have a go at it you might try heating the head (heat gun) and immediately cooling the glow plug's base/threads.... ice cube, or using something like Therm Cool or whatever to help it break free (In other words...Expand Cylinder Head/Contract GP base threads). Make sure you use a good deep socket on the Glow Plug as you don't want to bugger it up! 🤞
Click to expand...
I’ll try that
 
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