New Member/Western North Carolina RE: MEP 003A

[dangier]

Bill,

Reading your posts, the symptoms do sound like low compression. A compression test will show up that if so. You mentioned you had it running with the house load (iirc). Do you have any way to measure full load amps/wattage to see what it is putting out under load (amprobe). Do you have the means to put full nameplate load on it? If low compression, it will not carry nameplate load (will start to stall). Do you have excess pressure in the oil sump when running? That would also indicate low compression.

After my fiasco with starting fluid, I am using WD40 to troubleshoot. Much easier on the motor.

David

 

[ZeusDiesel]

Thanks guys. I went to the TM and looked up the compression test. Pretty straight forward, wondering if anyone out there has done this test? Question being, where to find the proper size equipment to do it, i.e. compression adapter that will fit the injector ports on this engine. Suspect I could go to NAPA or such and get the test gauge and studs.

Side note, Earlier on in this process, I did put some small squirts of engine oil in each cylinder and then cranked it by hand several times during a 24 hour period, noticed quite a bit more resistance in the compression (TM mentions this). Could be we are on to something here.

Anybody has an idea where to pick up the test components, I would appreciate it.

ZeusDiesel

 

[Jimc]

I know you can get a tester at, dare i say, harbor freight for $20 BUT it doesnt have the correct adapter. All the set i have looked at are all for metric glow plugs. These gens are 7/16-20 threads. You would have to make something up

 

[massey]

Someone on here was machining them. I just got a 7/16 x 20 bolt, center drilled it, welded a quick coupling that fit the compression tester, and put an O-ring on it. Not pretty but it works.

 

[Jimc]

i think that was njtoolnut that made them but i havent seen that guy on here in a really long time. ed i was thinking the same. you could just drill out an old glow plug, take one of the adapters from the hf kit, cut it and weld them together.

 

[dangier]

Hasn't been mentioned yet, but the compression gauge needs to be close as possible to the adapter to prevent errors in reading. HF setups have a schrader (like tire valve), fitting in the connection hose.
I went the injector port route-had a machine shop make up an adapter to take the place of the injector (had them out anyway), with the metric threads from the HF kit.
Interested to see what your readings are when you get them....
David

 

[Ray70]

Here's the link to the compression gage adapter that Jim C was thinking about. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?83566-Compression-Testing-on-MEP-002A-003A it gives some dimensions if you can machine or fab-up an adapter. I think any store bought Compression gage will hava a schrader in it, so just adapt it to fit the 7/16-20 and crank away! If you try using a bolt have difficulty drilling it and, go to the auto parts store and get a 7/16-20 Banjo bolt (used on some brake calipers to attach the flex hose, they usually have them in the little packages in the "HELP" section). Dorman makes them too. Cut the head off at the cross hole and weld or thread on an adapter to fit your gage. CAUTION: some older fords used a non-standard 7/16-28 Banjo bolt, so check the thread pitch carefully to be sure its a 20TPI! Another note: an oxygen sensor bung has the same thread as a standard 14mm spark plug. You could buy a banjo bolt and a weld-on O2 bung, weld the 2 together, screw in your HF gage and have at it!

 

[storeman]

Zeus/Bill,
I tried to PM Njtoolnut and he doesn't any longer show as a member. A shame, as I had met him and he was a fine addition to the board.

I have one of his glow plug compression adapters which I will LOAN you, if you like. Emphasize LOAN, as I only have one. Let me know.
Jerry

 

[ZeusDiesel]

avid
Our house is only 1225 Sq ft, when I l run gen at full load I turn everything on and still don't come close to demanding 10KW. When I ran it for 5 hrs the other day (no load) I saw the oil pressure hanging around 45 psi most of the time, which for this engine seemed a little high. I am currently searching for testing equipment to check the compression values. A friend lent me an old Mac hand held tester, but it didn't configure with either the injector ports or the glow plug ports. I'll keep looking.

I have seen some testers advertised that show different adapters, but no specs. Got another friend that is a certified CAT engine re-builder, believe he told me once that he had a MEP 003 stashed out in the woods just collectin moss. I'll see if I can roust him out.

Thanks for your input.

Bill

 

[dangier]

Bill,
You might check with your local hvac contractors to see if they will let you have a discarded heat pump air handler section with the fan and heating elements. I have one set up in the shop with four 5kw manually switchable heaters for load testing. Makes a neat package.
David

 

[ZeusDiesel]

Hey Guys, sorry to be outa touch a few days, school and I have been collecting the materials needed to measure the compression. Found a helpful guy at Home Depot and between their store and his rec to check out Air Gas ($10 pressure gauge) and a friend who braised together the 7/16 x 20 bolt (1/4" center drilled) and the quick-connect I am ready to measure compression after I clean up the Glow Plug port threads.

Got rain movin in today. Hope to test tomorrow.

Thanks again for all your good rec's.

Will report back with the compression results.

ZeusDiesel

 

[Jimc]

if you got just a regular pressure gauge, i believe you have to have one with a check valve inside so the psi builds and you can read it. most comp testers have a schrader valve of some sort in them.....just a thought

 

[ZeusDiesel]

Check valve/schrader valve

Thanks, Jimc. I will follow-up on this and hopefully rig something up. Its always something, isn't it?

ZeusDiesel

 

[ZeusDiesel]

found the components needed (check valve) and such, been recommended that I warm up the engine first before doing the check, so need to re-install the glow-plugs, bleed lines etc. and warm this thing up, was only getting about 200 psi in each cylinder with cool engine,see what I can get done tomorrow.

ZeusDiesel

 

[storeman]

Bill,
I think you have found your problem. Warming up may help somewhat but I doubt very much.
Jerry

 

[Jimc]

yes unless the procedure for diesels is different than gas then your low on compression my friend. with all the glow plugs out, so it free spins when cranking, that is when it should be checked. engine doesnt need to be hot or warm. as jerry said it might add a few psi but not enough to get into spec. i dont remember exactly what that is. if i remember right its in the 300's somewhere

 

[storeman]

As Jim says, you are not checking it running, only cranking. No need for glow plugs or heat. Believe readings should be about 350, as I recall, (But I don't recall much according to my bride.)
Jerry

 

[dangier]

TM says 350-450 is acceptable for healthy engine compression.
David

 

[Ray70]

I don't think I'd bother warming it up and rechecking. If everything on your gage is working correctly and compression really is 200 PSI, a little heat isn't going to get you into spec. Unfortunately it sounds like its time to pull it apart.
Wasn't there another member recently with low compression on one cylinder, turned out to be broken piston rings, if I recall?

 

[dangier]

I had one this past summer that was doing the same thing that Zeusdiesel's was doing (starting and then wouldn't start). Turns out I had low compression and one cracked piston and one broken piston. Damage may have been somewhat self-inflicted with starting fluid. Although, there was a problem with starting which is why starting fluid was used in the first place. This repaired unit is now my primary back-up and runs very well. So there is hope.
To Zeusdiesel-How is the crankcase back pressure? Has it been blowing out the oil fill cap when it did run? I am with Ray70 in thinking that it is time to pull the head, check valves, and then possibly the oil sump to pull the pistons. My money is on issues with a ring and/or piston. The compression on all cylinders at 200 lb is too low to play with it anymore. If I can work through a problem like this, anyone can.
David