Starting MEP002/003

[Harleyd315]

Starting a diesel engine at 10 deg F and letting it run at 1800 rpm without any warm up is against everything I have learned working around trucks and heavy equipment. I know never to let these gen sets idle. But this is my question, if the damage that occurs is on the A/C side of the unit, can't there be a way to not excite the field or keep the generator from working? If the generator master switch excites the generator, then could you remove the wires that excite it and conncet them to a spring loaded toggle switch and excite the field manually after a few minutes of warm up? I am no electrical wiz so I was hoping some of the electrical experts here would take a look at this. Thanks Chris

 

[pmramsey]

These engines are not the norm. The Cummins/Onan engines are designed for a life of 20,000 hours of the sort of "abuse" that makes you uncomfortable. Run it long, often, and service it to the TM requirements and there is little need to worry.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Good to see you posting again Phillip!

 

[pmramsey]

Good to see you posting again Phillip!

Good to be here. I died 23 March and was airlifted to the UVA medical center. I have been fighting a rare lung pathogen. Only one in 100,000 with lung issues get it. I picked it up traveling overseas jan 2011. I had to learn to walk again. Lost 100 lbs in 10-months. I still need help crawling into the 818s most days. Recovery will take up to a year. Thanks for noticing.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Wow, I hope things get better for ya. I figured you were busy with bees!

 

[Isaac-1]

Good luck with the recovery, I know what that is like the last couple of years, I had a double set of unrelated health issues over the last 21 months, although not as bad as yours. First I fell and broke my back, spent 4 months in a back brace, still hurts most days now, some more than others, then had liver level problems that resulted in a major surgery 1 year ago this week, I only lost about 40 pounds due to that one. So I kind of know what your going through, and can say the first 3 months are by far the worst, after that the rate of progress may slow, so don't get frustrated, just keep it going the right direction, and one of these mornings you will wake up feeling "normal" again.

Ike