MEP-016a

[K D Redd]

I am working on a MEP-016A generator for the fire department that I respond with. We have had this unit for some years and I have worked on it before. It had been setting a couple of years not being run. I did not run it during the Ice storm we had in January 07 because I thought that the carb would be a nightmare and I did not have the time during the storm to clean it. I got it out of storage and to my surprise she fired up with little work.

To the problem. I had never really loaded the generator. It has been used to supply some power to a shop but that was not a very heavy load. Just a few lights and a torpedo heater. This generator has never self excited. the only way you could get it to excite was by EXTREMELY over revving the engine. Not wanting to do this I wired in an exciting switch from the 24 volt terminal on the starter to the field leads with some current limiting resistors. I loaded the generator with about 1800 watts load but It would not support the load. I reduced the load to about 1000 watts and it still would not support the load.

Do I have a regulator problem or maybe a rotating diode, if this unit uses them, problem? This unit was built January 69 so I could have some dried out caps in the regulator. Is there any schematic around for the military regulator if this is my problem?

Thanks for reading!

Kent

[Rich Mc]

Can you provide a photo or name plate data from the regulator case? I think there are 5-6 different types on the early units. The pin outs are the same but the internal circuits are not.
Rich

[Gunny]

I'd look at the rotating diodes closely first.

[K D Redd]

Thank Gunny for the info that this is a rotating diode unit. I wiil have to figure out how to get into the generator head ar it looks like you have to remove the whole cover. The only end cover is over the end bearing.
I know a guy who works part time at the High School who is retired military with a maintanance experiance. I go him the number from this unit. He thought he could get me all of the depot maintanance info.
The regulator is marked with connecting instuctions for 3K, 5K, and 10K generators of both 60 Hz and 400Hz but I would think you DO NOT usew the same regulator for 60 and 400 Hz.
Kent

[panzerwillie]

Yes those old military units use the same Voltage Regulator for the 3-5-and 10KW units plus where use in the DIESEl 3kw ONAN and YANMAR build in to the eary 90's saturn surplus sales good parts and manuals for those old unit and they are very reliable if i remenber corectly that unit you have is a 4KW you can also wire a new MCpherson voltage regulator in to it which is the sizes of a cigarett box ggod luck