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Why is my MEP-531 puking oil up into the air filter?

Falstaff

Member
43
18
8
Location
Valley Springs, CA
When I received my 531, the air filter was soaked in engine oil and there was oil on the air heaters . After I repaired the fuel lines and got it primed, she started righht up and produced good power but she blew liquid oil, water and smoke out of the exhaust for about an hour, then it cleared up and ran fine.

Next day started it up, ran beautiful for about 20 minutes then started smoking and losing power, rpm dropped to about half and then over the course of a 15 minutes slowed down and died pumping lots of dark grey smoke. The air heaters are now covered in oil again. I read that the oil level is critical on these but I checked it and its right at the top level on the dipstick.

Engine hours are only 45 but who knows if thats just a new Hobbes meter.. Has very good compression though. Could this be bad valve guides allowing all this oul into the intake???
 

Chainbreaker

Well-known member
1,740
1,810
113
Location
Oregon
As a start, I would pull the valve cover off and take a look-see at the top end. Never know what you may find...

I was on a motorcycle road trip long time ago with a buddy when his motorcycle started puking oil. We started taking off what we could in a rest area with limited tools. We got lucky, it turns out a beetle had lodged itself in an oil return orifice just enough so that oil could not return fast enough to bottom end. Plucked that sucker out and all was fine.
 

robson1015

Active member
515
132
43
Location
New Concord, Ohio
Lower the oil level below the mark. Syringe works well to siphon oil out. May take a couple syringe full to lower level. Full mark is too much oil. See if runs correct after oil level is dropped, mine did - I had the same issue....
 

Falstaff

Member
43
18
8
Location
Valley Springs, CA
As a start, I would pull the valve cover off and take a look-see at the top end. Never know what you may find...

I was on a motorcycle road trip long time ago with a buddy when his motorcycle started puking oil. We started taking off what we could in a rest area with limited tools. We got lucky, it turns out a beetle had lodged itself in an oil return orifice just enough so that oil could not return fast enough to bottom end. Plucked that sucker out and all was fine.
well, no beetles but the exhaust valve rocker was a little loose, i drained some oil, tightened up the exhausr valve lash, she tries to start but still no go. I'm suspecting maybe a bad injector nozzle now. the fresh oil is black as coal
 

Falstaff

Member
43
18
8
Location
Valley Springs, CA
tILl
Lower the oil level below the mark. Syringe works well to siphon oil out. May take a couple syringe full to lower level. Full mark is too much oil. See if runs correct after oil level is dropped, mine did - I had the same issue....
Problem solved ! ( i think)
after lowering the oil level (just noticed that there are 2 dip sticks on this gen, one read full to the line, the (other looked like 3/4.) Anyway i drained some oil and after hours of pull starting and recharging batteries for electric start, re doing the fuel line , disassembling the injector nozzle, soaking it in solvent, dissaembling and reassembling injector pump, re priming, she STILL wouldnt start. Then i saw the oil seeping out the exhaust( the spark arrestor) dang, i wonder if its plugged? Took the spark arrestor off and whaddya know, she fired right up the next pull. The SA disks were plugged up with sludge/ carbon. She ran fine and after a few minutes, burned off the oil in the exhaust pipe. Running nicely under a 75% load for 30 minutes and then she quit ( fuel switch was tripped off by the oil pressure switch i think) the oil i just drained was very thin. i think it was ful of fuel and got so thin it lost pressure? I am going to refill oil and see what happens...
 

robson1015

Active member
515
132
43
Location
New Concord, Ohio
Probably should of changed oil first thing, but sounds like you had too much oil in it. These are very sensitive to the oil level. Seems that they need to be below the full line. Mine would belch and hunt and smoke when I got it....drained out some oil and runs perfect. If I remember correct I pulled out 3-4 syringes of oil well below the full line.
 

Falstaff

Member
43
18
8
Location
Valley Springs, CA
Yup, after changing oil (which was full of diesel) runs great now. The hours of trying to start with plugged exhaust must have pumped raw fuel into the sump. Interesting to note, the spark arrestir is nade by “Supertrapp” who’s main business has been tunable 4 stroke dirt bike exgaust systems.
In pic note how i ran 5/16” fuel line using the zip tie, mine was missing the 90 elbow, so i had to run hose in tight radius but it works
 

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Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
15,686
21,630
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
Do not remove the wire tie holding the fuel line down towards the Fuel pump. This is a CECOM "autherized" fix, I wont call it a repair, to correct the hard starting of this set. When the hose is too high up, an air bubble will form there and you can crank this thing for days and it will not start.
 
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