MEP 003A No start

[Speddmon]

You don't need to pull the glow plugs. If you are getting the required ohm reading between the spade and the engine block then they are good. If they were bad you wouldn't get any reading. All it is, is a resistive heating element. Yours are good.

The stop solenoid could be sticking a little...it's worth a check

 

[LuckyDog]

Check out : http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?93268-002a-wont-start-when-hot
Look at least at post 29
You did mention the control lever was a little sticky earlier. The solenoid may be retracting properly, but the control lever may not be coming up. It is pulled up by a spring inside the rod coming down from the governer lever.

One thing about the glow plugs: be sure to remove the wire from it before trying to do a resistance test with them in the engine. I have an 002A, so only two cylinders ( 2 glow plugs) One was open but since the other one was ok, they both measured ok if the wires were connected. (Sorry if that is being nit-picky).

The manifold heaters are in series, so you can check them with the wires attached. Just check from the top lead to the base of the heater unit.

You can pre-heat for up-to 60 seconds, then crank for 15 seconds. If it doesn't start, repeat.

You may want to adjust your valves. It isn't real hard to do. Might not fix the problem, but wouldn't hurt either. (and it's a free-bee)

 

[Triple Jim]

The manifold heaters are in series, so you can check them with the wires attached. Just check from the top lead to the base of the heater unit.

Paul, the manifold heaters are in series with each other, but the series pair is in parallel with the four glow plugs, so you still need to disconnect them to measure their resistance.

 

[helomedic1171]

Check out : http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?93268-002a-wont-start-when-hot
Look at least at post 29
You did mention the control lever was a little sticky earlier. The solenoid may be retracting properly, but the control lever may not be coming up. It is pulled up by a spring inside the rod coming down from the governer lever.

One thing about the glow plugs: be sure to remove the wire from it before trying to do a resistance test with them in the engine. I have an 002A, so only two cylinders ( 2 glow plugs) One was open but since the other one was ok, they both measured ok if the wires were connected. (Sorry if that is being nit-picky).

The manifold heaters are in series, so you can check them with the wires attached. Just check from the top lead to the base of the heater unit.

You can pre-heat for up-to 60 seconds, then crank for 15 seconds. If it doesn't start, repeat.

You may want to adjust your valves. It isn't real hard to do. Might not fix the problem, but wouldn't hurt either. (and it's a free-bee)

I'll check the solenoid tomorrow, hopefully the rain holds off for a bit. dumb question: Can I run the generator without the solenoid? If so, I could just remove it altogether, and when I want to shut it off, turn off the switch, pull the DC breaker, and then go push the throttle lever down manually to ensure the fuel is cut off. if not, then I'll just work it up and down and make sure the plunger is good and freed up.

and that's not nit-picky, it's good advice, but I read the thread where speddmon found his glow plugs were not all working, and learned about the commandment "thou shalt not test thy glow plugs while connected to the wiring harness, lest thou findeth unreliable results." I made sure they weren't connected before I tested them.

Paul, the manifold heaters are in series with each other, but the series pair is in parallel with the four glow plugs, so you still need to disconnect them to measure their resistance.

didn't think about that, but I did test them with the connectors off, and they tested fine. also, the manifold is heating up, so they're doing their jobs. good catch though.

 

[Triple Jim]

Reading about this reminded me that my MEP-003A smokes and clanks a little from the blower end cylinder pair when starting in cold weather. I've been meaning to check the glow plugs, so tonight I went out with my meter. The 2nd cylinder from the blower end had a terminal that was rusty enough to not make a connection. I unplugged it and plugged it in about a dozen times and it made continuity. I'll go out and clean the terminals on all four, grease them, and plug them back in when I get a few minutes. It's funny how much entertainment value these things provide.

 

[helomedic1171]

indeed.

I'll be getting my fill of entertainment again tomorrow if the rain holds out.

 

[1800 Diesel]

WRT to the fuel-to-injector observation (by cracking the nut at the injector) I haven't had to perform that test on these specific engines, but on my Perkins (Stanadyne pump), the release of fuel if very, very high pressure and a distinctive spray noise can be heard over the cranking of the engine. On my Ford diesel tractor (old 172 cu-in engine) and with a Roosamaster pump, the release of fuel is more like a slight spray and flow. Since you have 4 lines to compare, observe inconsistencies among the four lines to see if any "low-spray" conditions match the cylinders that aren't producing smoke during cranking. If you're getting the same spray or seepage amount from all four lines, then this points back to injector(s) needing dis-assembly and cleaning.

 

[edgephoto]

Just be very careful with the high pressure fuel. If it breaks your skin it can kill you.

 

[1800 Diesel]

edgephoto--very good point..should have mentioned that...

 

[LuckyDog]

Paul, the manifold heaters are in series with each other, but the series pair is in parallel with the four glow plugs, so you still need to disconnect them to measure their resistance.

 

[helomedic1171]

looks like I'm cleaning injectors. I watched the solenoid plunger, prior to fooling with it, and it's functioning normally. I jiggled it up and down, really working it, and sprayed some WD40 (I'm out of PB blaster) on the lever, and it's all working right. fuel flow is the same squirting from each line, had them all undone at the same time to watch them. went ahead and changed out the fuel filters and cleaned the fuel pump screens, all were dirty, the screens were really bad, the primary filter was fairly dirty and the secondary was only a little dirty. new filters, clean screens, still same issue. gonna start removing injectors and breaking them down to inspect them and clean them, unless someone has another idea.

side note - glow plugs are working, they're getting warm. the heaters almost burned me, and the manifold gets too warm to hold onto for very long.

 

[helomedic1171]

Injectors broken down. the four pics of the nozzles themselves are 4-3-2-1 from first to last pic. in 4, the pin is flush with the nozzle body. in the others, it's in varying degrees of sticking out. I'm assuming that's not normal, correct? If that's true, then they should all look like the first pic, which is #4. I'm assuming, since the -12 and 034 don't cover this, and the -24P only shows the nozzle as I have it broken down, no further. I have the nozzles soaking in clean diesel fuel. I'm going to go get another can of PB blast tomorrow, if that doesn't work.

I'm also assuming that if this isn't normal, and I can't get them unstuck, I need new nozzles. I'm still not sure how this happened.

 

[storeman]

You have gone this far, see if you can pull the valves free from the rear of the nozzle and clean interiors. May have to do some convincing as they stick real tight but should be free-moving. I've used vise-grips in the past. Keep meter valve with original nozzle housings.
Jerry

 

[helomedic1171]

okie dokie. so then I guessed right, that's not normal. how could tha have happened right after running it? the heat coupled with the gunk from sitting around?

 

[helomedic1171]

got the nozzles covered in PB blaster, and I filled up the inside of them with it too. we'll see.

 

[Triple Jim]

I haven't had much luck with PB Blaster. I have much better luck with lacquer thinner for things that get stuck from old fuel making goo/varnish. If course if it works for you, more power to PB blaster!

 

[helomedic1171]

I may have laquer thinner - if the PB doesn't work, I'll try that. the diesel fuel bath didn't do much other than clean up the nozzle bodies a little more, and while that isn't a bad thing, it doesn't help unstick the metering valves. I also have brake parts cleaner in a jug. failing any of those, a torch? half-kidding...

 

[rickf]

As I have said many times before, Xylene.

 

[Triple Jim]

Yes, I'm sure xylene will work very well, but I don't think it's quite as easy to find as lacquer thinner. Lowe's carries lacquer thinner, at least around here. It contains toluene as well as acetone and glycol ether, so it is pretty aggressive with varnish. I'll have to try some xylene next time I have a problem like that and see how it compares to lacquer thinner.

 

[helomedic1171]

well, party's over, folks. at least until I get new nozzles. the metering valves were so horribly stuck in the nozzle bodies, that I broke the small pins (needles?) off the head of two of them, and I broke the stem off of one of the valves. I tried messing with the last one a little, but it's so horribly frozen, even after a bath in laquer thinner for a few hours, that it still won't budge. I'm certain I'm lialbe to break the needle off that one too, should it come free. I'm going to try and find others or buy the parts I need from Jerry. I appreciate all the help so far, and when I have any updates (like when it runs again) I'll post up here. it just sucks that after all that effort by everyone, I'm dead in the water.