My MEP-803a experience

[Another Ahab]

It finally occurred to me tonight to stick the pump inlet into a cup of diesel and try to start the generator. Good news is that if fired right off. So that confirms a clogged fuel pickup, but at least I know the rest of it is OK and I could bypass the tank in a pinch if needed. I did also buy a back-up back-up generator on prime day, 14kw Duromax, hopefully that will be enough to oomph to start my 5-ton AC. If not, a soft start will be going into the AC.

5-tons of cooling is a right big unit! But then, you're in Tallahassee...

 

[lonesouth]

I got my back-up back-up generator in yesterday. 13kw Durolast, 10kw running. I also ordered a softstart for the AC so I should be covered on running the AC and everything else. Going to go ahead and fill my 100 gallon transfer tanks, one with gasoline and the other with diesel.

 

[lonesouth]

The city tree trimmers shorted a city utilities transformer today, so I was able to confirm that the back-up back-up generator, running on propane, will not start the AC. New start capacitor and soft-start come in friday. Better to find this stuff out now than in a storm.

 

[lonesouth]

Paint thinner to remove sludge?

 

[Ray70]

Acetone / Lacquer thinner....

 

[lonesouth]

Anyone have a link to a dumbed down how-to on removing the fuel tank? Which panels do I have to take off?

 

[Ray70]

You have to remove the top cover , the rear cover where the tank is located and the entire radiator support assembly.
It may sound difficult, but it really isn't hard at all.
just have to be aware of a few hidden screws, mainly where the radiator support attaches to the 2 strips under the side doors.
Everything pretty self evident once you get your hands into it.

 

[lonesouth]

Should I remove the radiator or just the support?

 

[NotThatGuy]

This was why I just loved AOAP. The Army Oil Analysis Program. It saved so much oil and unnecessary maintenance. In your case, it would not help much, since you have to start with a baseline test, and go from there. The analysis would tell you if there was serious levels of metals in the oil. But not if its a long standing problem, or just started. The lab can tell you from where the metal comes from. Which bearing is bad. If rings are bad. Its a great tool. Most people would say the cost precludes it being used in small gen sets. In sets that run high hours, I beg to disagree.

Blackstone Labs will send you free sampling kits and only charge $35 for an oil analysis.

https://www.blackstone-labs.com/products/free-test-kits/

 

[Guyfang]

I pulled the who thing out. Simpler that way. AND, you get a chance to clean up in there. Have seen two failures where a nut fell into the place where the tank sits. Then moved under the tank. Years of use, wore a hole in the tank. So it never hurts to clean as much as you can.

 

[2Pbfeet]

Sigh. Not what I wanted to hear, but thanks for the warning. I just lost a tank filler neck nut back there, despite having a magnet on it, and then fishing for it.

I will add it to my do list; it seems important as I would hate to try to find a tank on short notice...