MEP-002A has sat for 4 or more years

[Fordferguson]

I recently aquired an 002A that the previous owner said has been unused for atleast 4 years. Can i get any tips on getting it back in working order? I have made sure it isnt locked up, pulled the valve cover and it is quite clean, and ordered all new filters. Other than oil change, drain fuel, a new air filter, and new batteries what should i do?

 

[Chainbreaker]

First off have you downloaded the TM's here on SS for the MEP-002a/003a? In particular you should review the -24P (parts manual) to become familiar with all the gensets components & assemblies so you're on the same page nomenclature-wise.

What is condition of the fuel tank inside? Unless it has been stored dry, I would take the tank off & put a cleaning solution in it and let it soak for a day or so. Then empty it and take all the fittings off (Aux tank level sensor switch, Fuel level indicator, drain valve, etc.) and pressure wash it out. If it is really bad some have had success with putting in something (gravel, nuts/bolts, coarse sand) and then turning/shaking to break any crud loose and power washing again. Also, blow out all the fuel lines. Take the bottoms off the fuel pumps and clean the screens & magnets.

Not sure how you made sure it is not locked up but be careful to NOT TRY TO START without checking to make sure the Injection Pump is not locked up internally. It can easily get gummed up internally when sitting for that long and the first thing to shear/break is the plunger guide if it is stuck. Do a search here using "MEP-002a plunger guide stuck" or "MEP-003a plunger guide stuck" and there should be a lot of threads covering how to do it. In particular, SS Members "Jamawieb" & "Ray70" have some great tips on how to do it.

 

[Chainbreaker]

Also, what is MFG date of your -002a on the Placard on side of Control Panel? Need to verify if it has the common "Ambac" IP or not so common "PSU" IP. The PSU has a screw in a certain boss location (Ray70 posted id pictures not long ago) and does not use the same plunger guide and thus the PSU is not repairable unless you somehow have access to the right PSU part.

Thus, it is critical to ensure IP's are not gummed up before first start attempt.

 

[Fordferguson]

Build date is 92, I'll have to check what month. I gently turned it over by hand, no tools, just turned the fan half a turn. The fuel tank is mostly full and i get clean fuel out of all three filter drains. I will drain tank and inspect it when i change fuel filters. Also i just downloaded all the TMs

 

[Chainbreaker]

Wow a 92 vintage... haven't seen that many around. That's the last year the -002a/-003a's were manufactured. How many hours showing on the Hobbs meter?

Also, when you take the bottoms off the 3 fuel pumps make sure you get the filter screens back in the right orientation. The open end should mate with the gasket/magnet in the bottom cap. The end with cutout hole goes up into/onto pump base.

You may get clean fuel out but... today's diesel with its biodiesel content seems to affect certain metals and such and tends to gum up more easily as it ages especially with any contaminates in it. If it's truly not been used for 4+ years I would dump the fuel (use it for fire starter, weed killer, etc.) and not risk keeping it in your genset. Fresh fuel along with filter changes & periodic test runs are key to maintaining a healthy genset.

 

[Fordferguson]

1193 hrs. I assume i need to use something like power service cetane boost in the fuel to make up fir the ultra low sulfur fuel?

 

[robertsears1]

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.

 

[Chainbreaker]

That's a reasonable number of hours and indicates it has been exercised, which is good. There is one member here on SS located on some Caribbean Island Resort that he owns that put 22,000+ hours on his MEP-002a and said he could not kill the thing... it just ran & ran on & on. Apparently, the daily usage for his off-grid Resort along with proper maintenance kept it very healthy.

As far as fuel additives, it really boils down to added lubricity, keeping injectors clean and keeping the Biodiesel born critters under control due to long term storage of diesel, especially if you have an auxiliary fuel tank to store more fuel than the gensets day tank holds.

My personal favorites are: Optilube XPD with BioBore JF.

 

[Ray70]

Like Chainbreaker said, it is critical that you check the IP before cranking it over, although if it was frozen, turning by hand may have already damaged the plunger guide.
Check to make sure the linkage lever on the IP moves freely once you get the fuel solenoid plunger out of the way.
If it does, you may be in good shape. I would still remove the center cap and the delivery valve holder so you can look at the plunger and verify it is rotating and plunging in and out as you rotate the motor by hand.

If the linkage is bound up or sticking, that is a good indication that the pump is gummed up and you really need to try cleaning it before cranking the motor over. This can be done by removing the fuel line near the oil pressure gage and pouring carb clean line Berryman B12 into the line allowing it to fill the pump housing, then let it sit several days.

92' vintage would be an Ambac M50 pump from the Libby factory, unless anyone ever changed it to the older PSU ( flat head screw in the boss sticking straight down from the underside of the pump housing.

 

[Guyfang]

I would encourage you to read Ray 70's description on how to check the IP plunger, to see if its good. DO NOT turn the set over until you do so.

 

[Chainbreaker]

this thread may prove useful. In post #11 I posted some PDF's that may be helpful in identifying the Pump's internals.

 

[Fordferguson]

Thank you all. I have consulted all the materials provided and will be checking IP before further turning of the motor. I have a friend who picked up a 90 MFG date in similar condition as mine. Would it also be an Ambac pump?

 

[Ray70]

Yes, a 1990 should be Ambac. Easiest way to identify is to look for the ( absence of ) flat head screw on the underside of the pump.
Pump on left with the screw is Bosch PSU and pump on right without screw is Ambac M50

 

[Fordferguson]

Thank you. Ive got a bit off work to do but i should end up with a good genset.