MEP003-A Military Genset

Well it's been a few days since I have been able to work on my baby, I just about have the blower housing finished and I went and got the sheetmetal for the side cover. It has been in the high 90's here and now it's raining but I needed to go to work for a few days to get some $$. I should tell all about myself, I live in Southern California, married, 54 years old, work when I can as an engineer for a management company specializing in electrical, I fix what the others screw up, computer networking, licensed heavy diesel mechanic, worked for the county, repaired and maintained 200kw. Sullair and Cat standby generators for a medical center. I am known around here as the real life MacGyver. I said I work when I can because after the last drunk driver totaled my truck and ruptered 6 disk and fractured by back, It's time to SLOW down... Sorry sorry sorry..... Anyway, I have the blower housing almost done and now I will start on the rest this weekend. Rick, I will post a picture of the missing connectors as soon as I can uncover the set. And good idea about the grounding, there is a very large lug on the front to connect to the ground rod. I would hate to get hit with this thing.. I could probably hold private executions with this. I was reading in the training manual and it says this unit actually flashes the field every time it is started, guess they don't want this to ever fail. Thanks for lending an ear, I will keep all informed as the project progresses. Jim

It's hard to tell from the picture, but that looks like an engine I aquired a few weeks ago. Mine is missing the air shrouds also. No generator with mine. Show us what it looks like when you finish the shrouds.

Its "civilian" counter part is the Onan DJC. Nice sets...

Well a couple of emergency jobs came up and I did not get a chance to work on the engine but I got some done today. My way to celebrate Easter... welding and grinding sheetmetal. I quit about 10:00 P.M. tonight when I broke my drill bit I am going to bolt the front of the housing to the side so I can check the governor and 24 volt charging system without pulling the cover. I next will have to build the side cover that encloses the top side of the cylinder heads and then it should be ready to start. I will try to get a good picture of the missing connectors and get them posted. I am not sure about where you live but last week diesel fuel jumped from $1.85 to $2.19 and it seems to be going up about .10 a day. I know these generators can run on jp and other mixes but do you know how they run on biodiesel? I drive a Dodge Ram-350 with a cummins and I am thinking seriously about making my own. $50.00 every 4 days is starting to get my attention. The sun will be up soon and I got to go to bed, I will be back soon. Jim.

Be very careful with Bio-Diesel in Onan engines. Bio-Diesel is typically not carefully regulated, and some formulations can attack rubber seals, o-rings, and hoses. The most expensive part (and some of the hardest parts to get) on the Onan DJC engine is the fuel injection pump and it's innards. I wouldn't fool with Bio-Diesel in this case, although in a Dodge pick=up I might. In New England, at least, bio-diesel still costs more than regular diesel.

Jim Thomas

P.S. Cummins (now the owner of Onan) has published a tehcnical paper available on it's website about the use of bio-diesel. They say using it will not directly void a warranty, but if it's use causes a failure which can be traced to the fuel, the warranty is voided. Ah, lawyers.

Hi Jim;

Is red dyed "off the road" diesel available in your area? Sometimes called "Farm Diesel."

Sheetmetal's lookin' good.

RickinMt.

Thanks for the info on Onan, I will check out the Cummins website. How available are the parts to repair the injector pump? It should be the same as a civillian DJC engine wouldn't you think? My truck is a 1991 so there is no issue with a warranty and it is supposed to already have synthetic hoses in the fuel system. I am a diesel mechanic and I do all of my own maintence, I guess if I can use it in the Dodge and save enough regular diesel for the generator. Thanks Jim.

Rick, I have heard about the Farm Diesel and how it is dyed red but I do not know where I can get it. I live in Southern California about 30 miles East of Los Angeles. I would have to go probably way up into Northern Ca. before I even see a farm. Isn't it funny how it is the same stuff just without the TAXES. I hear it is a big fine if you get caught with it in your fuel tank. I will try to get thoes pictures of the connectors soon. Good to hear from you Jim.

Home heating oil is #2 Diesel dyed red. Yep, big fine if caught in road use. The taxes are for road repairs and such, makes sence, drive more, wear out the roads more, pay more.

Fuel is still cheap in the US. Currently gas in England is 5.00 a gal and france 4.95.

My year 2000 figures show England 4.83, france 4.25, Sweeden 4.01.

You can get cheap gas in Egypt 1.02 Saudi Arabia .93, Vietnam 1.19, China 1.16. Would you really want to live there? ( with all due respect to the peole that do live there)

"Farm Diesel" would also be available from the people who supply the fuel for the off-road equipment in your area. Construction vehicles, generators, compressors, etc. There are services that deliver this fuel to the sites. Check the Yellow Pages.

Hello again, Well I started welding the side cover for the genset and then this 100 degree heat hit and alot of work came up all at the same time so I had to put it on hold. Then last Tuesday, I was installing a video survallence system in a town called Rialto and I got robbed at gunpoint by 2 drug addicts, they took all my money, cell phone, misc and and then when they left, they shot me in the back 6 times with a .22. Thank GOD I survived... I try to keep busy so I do not have time to think about it. Now I have some friends with a house about 90 years old and it has a elevator in it I am trying to keep running. I need to do some work on the contactors because the contacs are burned. I cannot find and diagrams on it or dates but it appears to be from around 1920's from the looks of the parts. I think it is called a "Sheppard Home Lift" and the name plate says it was made in Cincinatti. I know this kinda off track but I am hoping someone may know something about them. It uses a 120 volt single phase motor driven gearhead and a roller chain to lift the cab. If it would help, I will post some pictures of the unit soon as I find them. Hoping to hear from you soon. Thanks Jim L.

I've been following your email thread ref the mil. gen-sets -what a life you lead! Hope you recovered OK from the assault. I have a couple of Onan 123L gensets (UK military) for which I need a manual. Also, anything on an 1945 ECC Ltd 80W Lightweight Battery Charging Set - I live in hope!

Cheers

David

Thank You everyone for your well wishes and concern.. Well I guess I am doing as well as as I can , it's only been less than a week. Not paranoid but I watch everybody's hands wherever I go even more so now. I need to get back on my genset maybe this week so I can keep my mind off of it. I was talking to a friend of mine in the Marine Corps. here and he said there is a T.M. that tells you how to turn the generator into a BxxB so it could be destroyed so the enemy could not use it incase they had to leave it behind. I would sure never hurt one of these things. From what he said it sounds like you would overspeed the governor, he said you had about 20-30 seconds to take cover before it detonated. Sounds like it takes the fuel tank, said it works on the MEP's and the TQG's. I was just wondering if anyone else has heard of this? I saw something to this reference on the T.M. website but it would not let me in. It's 4:00 A.M. here now and I need to go, talk to you later. Jim L.

Get your Arse to Montana now..Ya don't need that crap.

And bring the gen set.

RickinMt.

I recently ran across a MEP-003A. It is nearly new with only 16 hours on the hourmeter. What is the market value for something like this?

I was mistaken. It is actually an MEP-803A 10kw/60hz. Any value estimates?

Bio diesel is methyl or ethyl esther, depending on whether it is produced with methinol or ethinol. It seems you might be able to use straight up fryer oil after a serious filtering process, as this is a true oil not a modified esther. I belive it is likely the methyl or ethyl which would attack the rubber seals. Also F.Y.I. do not run an ozone generator (air purifyer) anywhere near any rubber parts you want to use again. The ozone eats the rubber, just something I stumbled across recently in my business, which may help someone reading.

I need to know why the engine would trip a breaker and shut down imeaditly when starting

First thing check and see how much fuel is in the tank, if there is less than 1 gallon in the tank it will not run, this is a saftey circuit. What is your genset doing? does it start and run for a bit or just stop? Will it run while the switch is in start position but not in run? Is the breaker that trips the one that says DC Control Circuit Breaker Was it running and then just quit? If this is so I would check for anything in the low voltage circiuts. Anything that would be powered with the run ciruits for a short to include Fuel Pumps, starter solenoid and also check the low oil pressure saftey circuits, and the high temp sensor in the shutter box. Let me know, I have all of the TM for this unit. If you check some of the earlier threads you can see I am slowly getting mine running, I am having to manufacture some of the sheetmetal as some was missing and also some work on the wiring. Then in August 27th 2004 I was robbed and shot in the back 6 times at point blank range only 3 seemed to do damage. 2 across my left shoulder and 1 in my lower back, I had a service manual folded in half and had it in my back of my pants that was the only armor I had. It did not bother me much when you are on adernelan but added to my previously fractured back it really SCREWED me up I guess so my generator work went on hold. Let me know if these work. Do you have any pictures of your set? How much did you get it for? I live in California, how about you?