MEP-006A Need advice

[vamellos]

Hello all - I'm new to the site and it seems like a tremendous resource. I recently purchased a MEP-006A on GovPlanet. After replacing the day tank fuel float the engine starts and runs beautifully. I am having an issue where the generator does not make power. The symptoms are identical to those i've sen on several older threads. If I hold the start switch on, the frequency reads 60 hertz and all the gauges read the proper voltages. When the switch is released the power does not stay on. I replaced the voltage regulator with no luck. I then sent the excitation assembly out to be refurbished. No luck. If I hold the start switch on after starting the unit, then release the switch, I get a reverse power warning light. The reset switch clears that warning light. I'm planning to check the K5 relay next. The manual says to disconnect the battery and the connector to the voltage regulator, apply 24 volts to terminals 13(+)and 15(-) on A5 assembly (I see those). Check continuity between terminals 1-14 and 2-15. Where are these terminals?

Reading some other threads on wet stacking, I'm wondering if i bought too large a unit. I have a blacksmithing shop and plan to use the generator to run a forging hammer with a 20HP motor that starts under a pretty heavy load (very large flywheel). Probably too much for a 10KW unit, but 30KW would probably be plenty.

Any advice is welcome.

 

[Scoobyshep]

Welcome to the club,

Have you had the opportunity to download the manuals? Are you competent at Reading schematics?

The reverse power light I've had flicker on sometimes or come on that is only really in play if you're parallel in two sets of course you could have a bad relay causing it to trip the circuit breaker.

You might be in Overkill range, double check your numbers because if memory serves a 005 is 30 KW a 006 should be 60 (unless numbers in my brain have gotten Tangled in the cobwebs)

Wet stacking is easy to clear up, run a big heavy load once in a while and it'll burn all that crap out.

Can you confirm if it's a 005 or a 006 and when I get to work in the morning I'll sit down and look at the schematics and see if I can point you in the right direction

 

[vamellos]

Welcome to the club,

Have you had the opportunity to download the manuals? Are you competent at Reading schematics?

The reverse power light I've had flicker on sometimes or come on that is only really in play if you're parallel in two sets of course you could have a bad relay causing it to trip the circuit breaker.

You might be in Overkill range, double check your numbers because if memory serves a 005 is 30 KW a 006 should be 60 (unless numbers in my brain have gotten Tangled in the cobwebs)

Wet stacking is easy to clear up, run a big heavy load once in a while and it'll burn all that crap out.

Can you confirm if it's a 005 or a 006 and when I get to work in the morning I'll sit down and look at the schematics and see if I can point you in the right direction

Thanks for the prompt reply. Yes, I have the 006A 60KW unit. Probably could have gotten by with less. I'm an engineer, but I'm a mechanical engineer, so not as familiar with electrical diagrams. The tech manuals are pretty clear and everything on the unit is well labeled so I think I will be able to figure it out. May talke me awhile.

 

[Guyfang]

Hello all - I'm new to the site and it seems like a tremendous resource. I recently purchased a MEP-006A on GovPlanet. After replacing the day tank fuel float the engine starts and runs beautifully. I am having an issue where the generator does not make power. The symptoms are identical to those i've sen on several older threads. If I hold the start switch on, the frequency reads 60 hertz and all the gauges read the proper voltages. When the switch is released the power does not stay on. I replaced the voltage regulator with no luck. (Where did you get the volt regulator? Are you sure its the right one? Part number matches whats in the parts manual? Did you replace just the card, or the card and chassis?) I then sent the excitation assembly out to be refurbished. (Where/who) No luck. If I hold the start switch on after starting the unit, then release the switch, I get a reverse power warning light. (This could be a bad Reverse Power relay. This could also be the Fault indicator. The fact that the reset switch turns the light out would have me question the fault indicator first. The reset switch ONLY resets the light. It hase no impact on the relay.) The reset switch clears that warning light. I'm planning to check the K5 relay next. The manual says to disconnect the battery and the connector to the voltage regulator, apply 24 volts to terminals 13(+)and 15(-) on A5 assembly (I see those). Check continuity between terminals 1-14 and 2-15. Where are these terminals?
(My computer crashed and all my tech data is gone. I am trying to reload it now. When done I will look at the schematics, maybe shed some light here. There is also a posability that your S9 Overspeed switch is bad.)

 

[vamellos]

Hello all - I'm new to the site and it seems like a tremendous resource. I recently purchased a MEP-006A on GovPlanet. After replacing the day tank fuel float the engine starts and runs beautifully. I am having an issue where the generator does not make power. The symptoms are identical to those i've sen on several older threads. If I hold the start switch on, the frequency reads 60 hertz and all the gauges read the proper voltages. When the switch is released the power does not stay on. I replaced the voltage regulator with no luck. (Where did you get the volt regulator? Are you sure its the right one? Part number matches whats in the parts manual? Did you replace just the card, or the card and chassis?) I then sent the excitation assembly out to be refurbished. (Where/who) No luck. If I hold the start switch on after starting the unit, then release the switch, I get a reverse power warning light. (This could be a bad Reverse Power relay. This could also be the Fault indicator. The fact that the reset switch turns the light out would have me question the fault indicator first. The reset switch ONLY resets the light. It hase no impact on the relay.) The reset switch clears that warning light. I'm planning to check the K5 relay next. The manual says to disconnect the battery and the connector to the voltage regulator, apply 24 volts to terminals 13(+)and 15(-) on A5 assembly (I see those). Check continuity between terminals 1-14 and 2-15. Where are these terminals?
(My computer crashed and all my tech data is gone. I am trying to reload it now. When done I will look at the schematics, maybe shed some light here. There is also a posability that your S9 Overspeed switch is bad.)

Thanks - I've had the same worry. I got the voltage regulator on eBay ("new old stock"). The number matched 6110-00-030-7815 and the regulator looked new when it arrived. I suppose it could be bad. I had the exciter assembly refurbished (with the new regulator installed) by an outfit called Radwell International. They seemed legit. I dropped it off at their shop in Norcross GA. I think they sent it to their lab in NJ for the work. The rebuild comes with a 2 year warranty and an anti-tamper tape that says (warrantee void if removed). I'll open it up if I have to, but would like to eliminate other possible causes first.

When I start the unit, I get the reverse power light. If I reset it and then hold the start switch on again, it comes back on every time I release the switch. I don't have the equipment to test the reverse power relay as described in the manual 545-34. I don't plan to ever run this in parallel, so I'm wondering if there is a way (and if it's safe) to exclude the reverse power relay, at least to see if it's causing the problem.

The starter does not come on if I turn the start switch on while the engine is running. Is that enough to rule out the speed switch as a problem? Maybe not the same as the overspeed switch. I'll go look for that.

My plan was to check the K5 relay next. Looks just like the other relays on the card. No visible signs of a short.

I really appreciate the help!

 

[Scoobyshep]

Thanks - I've had the same worry. I got the voltage regulator on eBay ("new old stock"). The number matched 6110-00-030-7815 and the regulator looked new when it arrived. I suppose it could be bad. I had the exciter assembly refurbished (with the new regulator installed) by an outfit called Radwell International. They seemed legit. I dropped it off at their shop in Norcross GA. I think they sent it to their lab in NJ for the work. The rebuild comes with a 2 year warranty and an anti-tamper tape that says (warrantee void if removed). I'll open it up if I have to, but would like to eliminate other possible causes first.

When I start the unit, I get the reverse power light. If I reset it and then hold the start switch on again, it comes back on every time I release the switch. I don't have the equipment to test the reverse power relay as described in the manual 545-34. I don't plan to ever run this in parallel, so I'm wondering if there is a way (and if it's safe) to exclude the reverse power relay, at least to see if it's causing the problem.

The starter does not come on if I turn the start switch on while the engine is running. Is that enough to rule out the speed switch as a problem? Maybe not the same as the overspeed switch. I'll go look for that.

My plan was to check the K5 relay next. Looks just like the other relays on the card. No visible signs of a short.

I really appreciate the help!

There are multiple contacts in the speed switch so not necessarily, both indicator is just an indicator and sometimes they get flaky. If you never intend to parallel the unit the reverse power relay can be fairly easily bypassed.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

 

[peapvp]

Thanks - I've had the same worry. I got the voltage regulator on eBay ("new old stock"). The number matched 6110-00-030-7815 and the regulator looked new when it arrived. I suppose it could be bad. I had the exciter assembly refurbished (with the new regulator installed) by an outfit called Radwell International. They seemed legit. I dropped it off at their shop in Norcross GA. I think they sent it to their lab in NJ for the work. The rebuild comes with a 2 year warranty and an anti-tamper tape that says (warrantee void if removed). I'll open it up if I have to, but would like to eliminate other possible causes first.

When I start the unit, I get the reverse power light. If I reset it and then hold the start switch on again, it comes back on every time I release the switch. I don't have the equipment to test the reverse power relay as described in the manual 545-34. I don't plan to ever run this in parallel, so I'm wondering if there is a way (and if it's safe) to exclude the reverse power relay, at least to see if it's causing the problem.

The starter does not come on if I turn the start switch on while the engine is running. Is that enough to rule out the speed switch as a problem? Maybe not the same as the overspeed switch. I'll go look for that.

My plan was to check the K5 relay next. Looks just like the other relays on the card. No visible signs of a short.

I really appreciate the help!

Radwell International should be OK. They have gotten plenty of repair work from the Government in bulk to repair obsolete equipment which is still in use.

We usually buy surplus parts from them when they are nla by OEM.
The switches for the S9 Speed Switch Assembly is one part we have bought from them.

 

[Scoobyshep]

here is the reverse power relay. One contact should be for the fault indicator the other for the set reaction.

 

[Guyfang]

Thanks - I've had the same worry. I got the voltage regulator on eBay ("new old stock"). The number matched 6110-00-030-7815 (Was the new regulator new in the org box? Look at the part number on the VR chassis, and the VR card on top, to see if they match the -24P. Do you also understand the UOC codes in the -24P?) if and the regulator looked new when it arrived. I suppose it could be bad. I had the exciter assembly refurbished (with the new regulator installed) by an outfit called Radwell International. They seemed legit. I dropped it off at their shop in Norcross GA. I think they sent it to their lab in NJ for the work. The rebuild comes with a 2 year warranty and an anti-tamper tape that says (warrantee void if removed). I'll open it up if I have to, but would like to eliminate other possible causes first. (I would wait on that also.)

When I start the unit, I get the reverse power light. (You can open up the box with the K15 in it. Its easy to get at. Use a DMM to see if the contacts on K15 are opening and closing . Have someone start the gen set and you measure. If I reset it and then hold the start switch on again, it comes back on every time I release the switch. I don't have the equipment to test the reverse power relay as described in the manual 545-34. I don't plan to ever run this in parallel, so I'm wondering if there is a way (and if it's safe) to exclude the reverse power relay, at least to see if it's causing the problem. (Like Scooby wrote, jump it. It a no big deal when you are not running two sets in parallel.)

The starter does not come on if I turn the start switch on while the engine is running. Is that enough to rule out the speed switch as a problem? Maybe not the same as the overspeed switch. I'll go look for that. (Like Scooby wrote, there are a number of contacts. Read the -34 on how to test the S9. Is it a mechanical switch? or an electrical switch?)

My plan was to check the K5 relay next. Looks just like the other relays on the card. No visible signs of a short. (Asimple way to check K5 is to take one ove the other relays on the A5 card out and swap them. Start the set up and then see if you have different problems. Or take K1 on the A4 card and swap them. See if you have other problems)

 

[vamellos]

I had an exciting time testing the K5 relay. I followed the directions in the manual. Unplugged the J9 connector on the exciter and disconnected the negative post on the battery. I jumped 24V+ to terminal 13 and negative to terminal 15. I heard the relay click and then while fumbling with the multimeter to test for continuity, I got a heavy spark and the solenoid on the engine starter motor kicked in. A little startling. Power was feeding back through something (maybe the speed switch) and energized the starter.

I'll try switching the relays tomorrow - that's a great idea.

My speed switch does not look like either of the diagrams in the manual. The two diagrams show part numbers 70-1105-1 and 70-1105-2. I've attached a picture of mine. I got a photo of the tag on the back and it shows a part number 70-1105-24.

 

[vamellos]

As Guyfang suggested, I swapped K5 and K8 on the relay card and get exactly the same behavior. According to the troubleshooting section, this leaves just the speed switch. They also list the diodes inside the generator set, but I’m hoping the fact that the unit makes power in the start position means the magnetic field in the generator is good. Any recommendations on sourcing a speed switch? Are these switches common across other models? Thanks for all the discussion. I’m way out of my comfort zone and this helps a lot!

 

[Scoobyshep]

If you have a failed rotor diode it shouldn't create power at all this includes during field flash

 

[Guyfang]

You need to stop thinks about the main gen. That can not be the trouble.