MEP-003A ASK Insulation Improvement

[nf6x]

I have an MEP-003A genset with the Acoustic Suppression Kit (ASK). The ASK is an insulated enclosure that wraps around the genset, and quiets it down enough that you can approach to within 10 feet before putting on hearing protection, rather than hunkering down in a bunker a mile away crying "make it stop!". I got the MEP-003A separately, and then managed to find a NOS ASK for it in the original crate, many a year ago.

The ASK box is made from sheet metal panels with folded edge lips about an inch deep, which bolt together on and around the genset. It encloses the unit to muffle engine block noise, and it ducts the still-noisy exhaust upwards. The panels have noise insulation that appears to be yellow fiberglass batting around an inch thick, with a flimsy black fibrous liner on the inside surface, all held in place with long rivets and fender washers. There are a few access hatches to get to things like batteries and filters, but the kit needs to come off for major work on the genset.

My set has sat idle for a few years, and the local rodents have done a number on it. They've shredded the heck out of the insulation and used it as nesting material. I'll need to take off the ASK to clean out the set and check for rodent damage, as well as pulling out the injectors due to a scary knocking sound that I've been told is likely due to injector slobber.

I'd like to rebuild the ASK, preferably using a better insulation material that will be more rodent-resistant. Have any of y'all done something like this before? Do you have any suggestions for better insulation and/or a better installation method? I don't think there's any chance that I can keep the rodents out of the set in this rural area, but I'd like to make it less inviting to them and better able to resist their presence. Whatever material I choose, maybe I should put some hardware cloth (wire mesh) over it to make it less chewable.

I don't have any pics of the set handy, with or without the ASK. Sorry!

 

[coyote62ny]

i dont know much about the ask units. i have a mep-003 with out the ask i wouldnt even want to try working on one with the ask it would take longer to remove the ask than fix the gen set. but i can tell you what to do about the rodents. just get your self a box of moth balls and put them inside the ask and in the cover over the injectors and intake manifold mice and squerrils hate moth balls and they move real quick. they built a nest in my 003 around the intake what a mess i had to replace all the wires in that compartment. havent had them come back since i put the moth balls in the gen set. another good place to put moth balls is in the control panel and the compartment where the ct/ctv and voltage switch are located.

 

[nf6x]

Thanks! I'll give the mothballs a try. I live in a rural area, and have constant problems with rodents in my equipment. I've also read about folks using pure peppermint oil as a repellant, especially in spots where the mothball smell would be offensive. How often do you need to replace the mothballs?

 

[coyote62ny]

i also live in the country i put new moth balls in everything in the fall . i live in a mobile home and also use them to keep the mice out of the house just throw a couple of boxes under the trailer in the fall works good

 

[nf6x]

My house is a mobile, too (well, technically it's "manufactured housing" since it's bolted down, but it's still a doublewide). Lots of trouble with rodents in the crawl space. I should try mothballs under there, too. Maybe a crate of the danged things! Hmm, my whole house might end up smelling like a urinal mint...

 

[coyote62ny]

i really dont smell them inside the house but wow when you open up the skirting no wonder the mice move

 

[Harleyd315]

I also have an 003 and an 002 with the ASK. When I got the units the insulation was torn in a few spots and dirty. I cleaned everything as best I could with solvent and then used Gorilla tape to cover all the insulation. Just kept running strips overlapping each strip as I went up the panels. I started from the bottom and went up so the overlaps were facing down, like putting shingles on a roof. I cut holes where needed for bolts etc. I looked into some weather proof insulation but found it very expensive. So far the tape has help up for 2 seasons outside. I also drilled all the holes that had nuts behind them and installed nutserts so all the panels now come off with out having to put a wrench behind any thing. Takes about 15 mins to remove the entire ASK from the unit. Don't have any trouble with rodents here but then again we have a couple of stray cats the like living under my shed.

 

[gimpyrobb]

NF6X, to replace what you have lost in insulation, look for a product called "Armaflex". It is a rubber insulation sheet and is great. I used to be an insulator and used this on quite a few projects. If you have any questions let me know.

 

[CUCVFAN]

I have had good results with the automotive sound deadener called "Dynamat". It is mostly used for stereo stuff, but does a nice job of reducing engine noise in hot rods, too.

 

[nf6x]

NF6X, to replace what you have lost in insulation, look for a product called "Armaflex". It is a rubber insulation sheet and is great. I used to be an insulator and used this on quite a few projects. If you have any questions let me know.

Thanks! I found the manufacturer's web site. Is it available in small quantity through distributors?

 

[storeman]

I'm looking at some stuff on GL that might do the trick, but you would have to own a hundred generators. Think I'll try for it anyway to do my over sized gen shed and garage door.

 

[nf6x]

LOL! I hope it works well, and I'll give you a call if I buy 99 more generators. And given my weakness for buying toys, I can't definitively rule that out.

 

[quickfarms]

Interesting

 

[gimpyrobb]

Thanks! I found the manufacturer's web site. Is it available in small quantity through distributors?

I'm not sure. I left the company on good terms and can get some from there if you can't find it near you.

 

[pfazioli]

closed cell vinyl/nitrile

Here's my two cents. I recently re-furbished an MEP-003a w/ ASK. I removed all the old fiberglass insulation and glued in 1" closed cell vinyl/nitrile pad.

Although I did not measure before and after, the noise coming off the machine is greatly reduced.....like less than half. Glad I did it.

This is kind of expensive stuff, but worth it. Check out Joel at Super Soundproofing, San Marcos, CA. He knows his stuff.

Enjoy

 

[robkiller]

Thanks! I found the manufacturer's web site. Is it available in small quantity through distributors?

Did you ever order this? what did you use and did it work? I am looking at doing the same thing.

 

[nf6x]

Did you ever order this? what did you use and did it work? I am looking at doing the same thing.

No, this one is still on my to-do list. I'm a lot better at starting projects than finishing them because I keep getting distracOH LOOK, A SQUIRREL!

Thanks for reminding me of this thread. I was just thinking that I should get around to working on my MEP-003A again, and finally set things up to be able to use it as a backup generator. Last week some lunchtime talk turned to the prospect of rolling blackouts this summer, possibly turning into a multi-day power outage due to various generating plants being offline here in CA. That got me thinking about the genset again.

 

[nf6x]

On a related topic, if I'm going to overhaul my generator and get it set up to backup-power my house, maybe I should give it a more permanent spot to live in to keep it out of the weather. So, do any of y'all have suggestions about how to construct some sort of shed that will:

• Keep the genset out of the sun
• Avoid encouring buildup of dust and other debris
• Discourage varmints from accessing it
• Provide enough ventilation for it
• Have some means of piping the exhaust outside, possibly with an added on muffler
• Allow easy access for maintenance
• Have some provision for safely storing fuel in a 55 gallon drum or three
• Not be too difficult or expensive to build

Building some sort of frame to support the genset off the ground might be nice, too, and might give me more options for making it inconvenient for rodents to live inside.

Any ideas?

 

[steelypip]

Temporarily (for two years now...) my MEP-002A sits on the corner of the parking pad beside the house. Sitting on pavement makes it easy to keep debris out from under/away from it and it dries out quickly after a rain. The generator is oriented so that the control box panel faces almost due north. I have a smallish cheap plastic tarp draped over the top of it weighted down with stones to keep the tarp on in the wind and rain. It is arranged to keep water out of the control box, gen head, and most of the engine tin. It only covers the top half of the genset, which allows plenty of airflow under and around it, and prevents it being an appealing nesting site for rodents. The tarp does an effective job of keeping moisture out of the fragile parts of the set, and has the added benefit that the set is ice and snow free once the tarp is removed if it is needed because of bad winter weather, as it was last winter.

The permanent installation plan is to put it up on four treated 2x8 concrete footed pillars. I don't plan on pouring a pad for it, mostly because it's going to be near a lot of mature oak trees and I want it far enough above the annual leaf litter so that it's easy to blow/rake the leaves away (or better, so that wind will do it for me). The spot I've picked out for it has a natural slope, so the skid at the control box end of the genset will be about 15" above ground with the genset sitting level. Orientation will again be control box facing North. There will be some sort of small open pole shed arrangement to keep the weather off. I might do hanging screen sides (paper machine felt is perfect if you can find it), or I might eventually build it hook-and-hinged ASK panels to attach to the poles and damp/deflect some of the noise when it's running. Most of the sound damping will be provided by the new location, which is about 100' from the house behind a mower shed.

 

[nf6x]

Rodents like to live inside my generator because of its ASK housing. Can rodents climb a vertical section of steel box tubing? If not, then it may help if I made a steel frame to lift my genset off the ground on legs of box tubing. I'd still need to do something to keep them from running along any cables, conduits, fuel lines, etc. to get to the generator.