tachometer for gensets

[metalworker393]

Hello all and hope everyone is having a good summer. I would like to tach my genset (002) and would like to know what are you guys using. Anything better than another , appreciate your help in selecting the right tool for this.
metalworker393

 

[leedawg]

well frequency meter will tach it just fine since the gen head is directly connected to the motor. And you already have a freq meter built in. OR if you need to have a broader range plug your multimeter into the outlet on the front and measure away. All you have to do then is a little math. Hz means cycles / second. So One hertz is equal to 60 revolutions per minute, since 1 hertz = 1rev/s = (1 rev/s)(60 s/min) = 60 rev/min

So if we plug in for example say 60 hz we would get 3600 RPM. Since this is a 12 lead generator head you would then have to divide by a factor of 2. So 3600 RPM/2= 1800 RPM.

Hope that helps you out.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Digital Contact Tachometer

 

[coyotegray]

No real reason for a Tach. It should always run at 1800 rpm giving you 60hz.

Never idle it. That will cause damage to the AC Voltage Regulator.

 

[MidnightDuramax]

I am looking to use the engine from a MEP002 for a different aplication. I would love to have a tach on it in a panel mounted gauge form. Any help would be great.

 

[steelypip]

Well, it's a diesel, so your options are down to either 1) running a direct contact tach, 2) picking AC off of the magneto leads for the DC power system and using that , or 3) an optical tach shining on the fan or flywheel.

 

[Isaac-1]

One correction to leedawgs statement, The MEP-002a is a 4 pole generator so generates 2 cycles of electricity per rotation and therefore runs at 1800 rpms while generating 60 Hz. (1800 rpms = 30 engine rotations per second = 60 Hz). If this were a 2 pole generator like the MEP-015/016/017 family then it would have to run at 3600 rpms to generate 60 Hz. Either way your frequency meter is already showing you how fast the engine is spinning, and some math will give you rpms. If your frequency meter is broken / not accurate the cheapest reliable option to check it is a Kill-a-watt P4400 for about $20 available numerous places.

Ike

 

[leedawg]

One correction to leedawgs statement, The MEP-002a is a 4 pole generator so generates 2 cycles of electricity per rotation and therefore runs at 1800 rpms while generating 60 Hz. (1800 rpms = 30 engine rotations per second = 60 Hz). If this were a 2 pole generator like the MEP-015/016/017 family then it would have to run at 3600 rpms to generate 60 Hz. Either way your frequency meter is already showing you how fast the engine is spinning, and some math will give you rpms. If your frequency meter is broken / not accurate the cheapest reliable option to check it is a Kill-a-watt P4400 for about $20 available numerous places.

Ike

Thanks ike for the clarification I knew I it was something to do with the gen head. However division by two fixes the math and that's why...

Lee

 

[derf]

Different app probably meas no gen head.
The contact tachs are probably your best bet, depending on your app. If you need remote meter then they make some that strap to alternator that might be adapted.

 

[PsycoBob]

You can also get digital tach & hour meter combinations. The gas engine versions are cheap & use inductive sensing from the spark plug. Diesel versions are much more expensive, usually using a piezoelectric sensor on a injector line to detect the flex when the IP pulses the injector.

Gear driven & gear-tooth sensing models than can read from handy gears like the flywheel or IP/cam drive are out there, but they're mostly application specific. 002a's use an onan engine with an non-civilian cylinder bore, right? Maybe parts from the civilian version might include a tach sender. If you use an alternator, many vehicular diesel tach's can be used to read off it, once you do some pulley ratio math to set it right.

SenDec Magnetic Surface-Mount Tachometer, Model# SFT806-0222 | Automotive Diagnostics| Northern Tool + Equipment
Design Technology, Inc., Home of the Tiny-Tach - Diesel Tiny-Tach Tachometer

 

[metalworker393]

Tach for genset

Thanks guys for all of your help