Problems with "new" MEP 018A

[ozark*]

I posted earlier about the 2 "new" MEP 018's that I just aquired.

The good news: I got one unit started (after cleaning out the carb and fuel lines) and the engine seems to run fine, and the generator seems to put out OK (without a load).

The bad news: The oil pressure pegs at 60 PSI and I checked it with a manual guage. Is there an oil pressure relief valve somewhere ?

Also; It will not stay running in normal mode. It will only run in emergency mode. When it tries to start in normal mode I switch it to emergency mode and it runs fine until I switch it back to normal, then it quits.

I have a manual I'm trying to get through and a spare unit to borrow parts from if needed.

Any suggestions ?

PS what weight oil do these use.

Thanks

 

[coyotegray]

I posted earlier about the 2 "new" MEP 018's that I just aquired.

The good news: I got one unit started (after cleaning out the carb and fuel lines) and the engine seems to run fine, and the generator seems to put out OK (without a load).

The bad news: The oil pressure pegs at 60 PSI and I checked it with a manual guage. Is there an oil pressure relief valve somewhere ?

Also; It will not stay running in normal mode. It will only run in emergency mode. When it tries to start in normal mode I switch it to emergency mode and it runs fine until I switch it back to normal, then it quits.

I have a manual I'm trying to get through and a spare unit to borrow parts from if needed.

Any suggestions ?

PS what weight oil do these use.

Thanks

I haven't worked on one of these but it would make sense to me that there is a failsafe that is tripping such as a low oil or hot temp sensor that is causing it to quit. Beyond just checking the manual you might try bypassing sensors until you find the one or more that could be causing the problem..

First thing I would do is find out what running is emergency mode bypasses...

Possibility a clogged filter, clogged pickup in the pan, problem with the pump, etc...


Andy,,

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Are you starting it in emergency more with a pull rope? I've got an MEP-017A, and if you're rope starting, you put it in emergency mode. If you switch from emergency to normal mode, the control circuit will shut the machine down - unless you 'blip' the electric starter switch for a fraction of a second once you've made the switch from emergency to normal mode. That re-enables the magneto and the generator keeps running. If you use electric start in normal mode to spin it up, it will behave as one would expect - and keep running once it fires up.

Take a close look at the starting section of your operating TM on that model. The relay-based control circuit behavior is a little on the non-intuitive side, to say the least, on the MEP-017A.

BTW, 'blipping' the start switch doesn't do anything bad - like trying to engage the starter gear to the flywheel - because it's not a bendix gear, but rather a sliding gear that is engaged with a separate solenoid. That unit isn't energized to make the gear move into contact with the flywheel when the engine is spinning down from the switch to normal from emergency mode. Like I said - it's a strange beast. Please verify what I'm telling you on your model - since I only have direct knowledge of the 017A.

 

[cranetruck]

Here is the wiring of the engine/magneto. Check for broken wires or peeled insulation.
Download the Lo 9-2805-259-12 from the resources section (15W40 oil).

 

[ozark*]

Thanks for the help. I think I have a bad Start Switch. I'm still working on the oil pressure issue. I took all of the washers out of the check valve but still have 60 PSI.

I'm wondering if I may have the wrong oil filter. Anyone know what it takes ?

 

[tmaca]

If you still get notices when someone posts about this....... These things use 2 12 volt batteries. Are they connected in series or in parallel?

 

[DieselBob]

You can use 2 - 12 volt batteries in series or 1 - 24 volt battery alone or 2 - 24 volt batteries in parallel. Either which way you go it uses 24 volts.

 

[jbk]

60 lbs. oil preasure 3600 rpm cold on this eng. is normal it will come down a little once hot. i use mobil 1 20-50 symthetic motorcycle air cooled eng. motor oil for my 017a and 018a. the tm recomends straight 30 wt. and 15-40. connect your batteries in series strap a positive and neg. post. doubles the voltage, capacity as one. i had a 017 that would die once the starter switch was released, if i would flip it to emeg, run then it would take off. anyway it had a bad low oil preasure cutout switch. the emeg. run postion defeats the safties.

 

[coyotegray]

This is four years old...
OP has not posted since then...

 

[storeman]

What a great introduction for a potential member posting his first. Welcome tmaca

Jerry

 

[tmaca]

You can use 2 - 12 volt batteries in series or 1 - 24 volt battery alone or 2 - 24 volt batteries in parallel. Either which way you go it uses 24 volts.

Thank you very much. I bought a 1967 Fermont MEP O18A (10Kw on skids) about 2 years ago. It sat at the old Tooele Army Depot in Utah for decades, was bought in a surplus sale by someone, sat there a while, and was bought about 12 years ago by someone else. The last owner left it sitting outside until I bought it. Turned out the carburetor and fuel pump were shot (rubber diaphragms do tend to turn brittle from sitting around unused for decades). I did find a carb, but had no luck with finding a fuel pump. I finally gave up on that, found out what fuel flow it needed, and bought an electric automotive pump which had the proper output. Since I had to spend a bunch of money getting myself and my wife to Florida when my father died unexpectedly in April, the project stopped all summer long. I finally came up with enough money to get batteries ($277 with core charges and tax). I'd originally gotten the engine running using a couple of borrowed 12V batteries, but I just discovered that I couldn't find the TM (can't recall where I stashed it last March) to see if it wanted 12 or 24 volts, and I'd forgotten if they'd been hooked up in series or parallel. You'd think I'd remember, back in '68 I was an Engineer equipment mechanic in the generator shop in the 3rd echelon maintenance battalion that supported, besides a bunch of 8th I.D. units, the 7th Signal Battalion, or was it 7th Signal Brigade? Darn - long time ago. Maybe senility is finally catching up with me.

Anyway, I'll install the batteries tomorrow and finally find out if this generator will generate. I sure hope so. If, say, the voltage regulator is shot (my biggest worry) a 10Kw generator with only 33 hours on it might end up getting scrapped. I've already got about $700 in it, probably more than it's worth. Even if I could find a voltage regulator, I doubt if I could buy it. I live on a disability pension from the VA, which is why it took me some 6 months to get enough together to buy the batteries. I'm kinda at the point where it'd be stupid to pour any more money into it, no matter how cool it'd be to get it running.

 

[DieselBob]

Glad to be of help. Hope you have a keeper and don't need to pour much more into it. As these units hit the 40+ years old they do tend to need more and more TLC. There is a certain “cool” factor to these old units compared to the Harry Homeowner new stuff but there is a point where you just have to cut your losses. Just a FYI the VR is still available but not inexpensive.

http://eriksmilitarysurplus.com/vorefor3kwmi.html