Mep-802a auxiliary fuel questions

[ribs1]

Hello,
Power has been out for 6 days now. I got tired of filling the tank so I went out and got a barrel.
I have the military dip tube and have it hooked up. I'm about to go out and get some fuel.
Do I need to open the small cap to vent? Or does the military auxiliary tube have some kind of vent?
Do I need to open and remove the vent or just open a little bit?
Also, when the main fuel tank empties will it automatically switch over to my barrel?
Thanks

 

[Light in the Dark]

The military dip tube assembly has a very small, but hidden, hole to relieve pressure... you don't need to do anything else. The way the aux fuel works is that the machine will activate a fuel pump above the fuel tank (in line with the fitting next to the fuel fill) and the machine will refill the onboard day tank to sufficient level. When the level has been reached, the special float that turned that pump ON, will now turn it OFF... and your machine will continue to run.

It never runs off the larger tank, just activates the circuit for refilling. Just make sure that when running, your S1 switch is set to PRIME + AUX, and not just PRIME. Otherwise it won't work as outlined above.

 

[loosegravel]

I’ve had a couple of different 802/803 units where the auxiliary fuel pump didn’t work. Have you heard yours running? As LITD said above, simply select the auxiliary fuel setting on your master switch and if everything’s working correctly, it will draw from the auxiliary source only to keep the main tank full.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I’ve had a couple of different 802/803 units where the auxiliary fuel pump didn’t work. Have you heard yours running? As LITD said above, simply select the auxiliary fuel setting on your master switch and if everything’s working correctly, it will draw from the auxiliary source only to keep the main tank full.

Were the units that didn't work the cube pump, or round?

 

[loosegravel]

Were the units that didn't work the cube pump, or round?

You guessed it, the cube type. They have a high failure rate huh?

 

[Light in the Dark]

You guessed it, the cube type. They have a high failure rate huh?

Higher than Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock.

 

[ribs1]

Thanks for the help fellas. Another question, the drum I bought had sesame seed oil in it. I don't plan to clean it, just add diesel and go. Is this a bad idea?
I figured the miniscule amount of sesame seed oil wouldn't hurt anything.

 

[ribs1]

I did a lot of testing of my unit last summer, running the house on it etc. I wish I had setup my aux fuel situation then too. It's much better to do all your testing in the summer than in the middle of the winter during a windy ice storm.
It's fun running this thing though.

 

[loosegravel]

Thanks for the help fellas. Another question, the drum I bought had sesame seed oil in it. I don't plan to clean it, just add diesel and go. Is this a bad idea?
I figured the miniscule amount of sesame seed oil wouldn't hurt anything.

That small amount shouldn’t be a problem.

 

[Daybreak]

@ribs1
Before you end up with 50 gallons of diesel on the floor......
Set scene
In the front of the unit, right next to the fuel fill, behind the panel is where the AUX fuel pump sits. OK, good, you now know where it is.
Inside the fuel tank, you have another metering float system. (The main idea of it) to turn on and off the AUX fuel pump. The DAY tank gets around 20%, the AUX fuel pump kicks on. It runds until that meter then gets to around the 75-80% full mark, and shuts the pump off.
You can manipulate the floats in the tank. If the DAY tank is empty, makes it easier, turn to prime+aux+run, you should here the AUX fuel pump and main fuel pump run, if you reach in, (look into the manual to know which one to grab, feel around and manipulate the float. Raise it up until you hear the AUX fuel pump stop.

Reason why I say this.
So many units have not made use of the AUX fuel fill, that varnish and gum have the floats stuck. Guess what, that AUX fuel pump does not shut off. It empty's the 55 gallon drum into the DAY tank, and it all goes on the floor.

Another test, have it all hooked up and all working. Start a siphon out of the DAY fuel tank into a few 5 gallons cans, until you hear the AUX fuel pump kick on, and stop the siphon. Then watch the fuel gauge, and the fuel level in the tank, and hope it shuts off before its full.

 

[CallMeColt]

@ribs1
Before you end up with 50 gallons of diesel on the floor......
Set scene
In the front of the unit, right next to the fuel fill, behind the panel is where the AUX fuel pump sits. OK, good, you now know where it is.
Inside the fuel tank, you have another metering float system. (The main idea of it) to turn on and off the AUX fuel pump. The DAY tank gets around 20%, the AUX fuel pump kicks on. It runds until that meter then gets to around the 75-80% full mark, and shuts the pump off.
You can manipulate the floats in the tank. If the DAY tank is empty, makes it easier, turn to prime+aux+run, you should here the AUX fuel pump and main fuel pump run, if you reach in, (look into the manual to know which one to grab, feel around and manipulate the float. Raise it up until you hear the AUX fuel pump stop.

Reason why I say this.
So many units have not made use of the AUX fuel fill, that varnish and gum have the floats stuck. Guess what, that AUX fuel pump does not shut off. It empty's the 55 gallon drum into the DAY tank, and it all goes on the floor.

Another test, have it all hooked up and all working. Start a siphon out of the DAY fuel tank into a few 5 gallons cans, until you hear the AUX fuel pump kick on, and stop the siphon. Then watch the fuel gauge, and the fuel level in the tank, and hope it shuts off before its full.

Definitely watch it do it's first cycle & then monitor often after to make sure the function works.