Onan Military 3 ACK-4MV/191 OD affair.....

[KidDynamo]

While at my local metal recycler, I mentioned that I collect old engines and generators and asked: did he have any? I came home with an old (1963) Army Corps of Engineers unit that is mounted on what is essentially a towable gas tank that has cable brakes for holding still. It also has an auxillary gas tank of about 4 gal capacity. No lights or license plate.

This thing is a 2 cylinder, air cooled, 3600 rpm unit with single or 3 phase 120/208/240 vac power at the flick of two switches. While I've never swooned for 3600 rpm units, the price was right and I had a moment of weakness. Retractable rope pull start only, but the pull starter is a heavy duty thing of beauty.

Something had to be missing, right ? In this case, it is the air cleaner, thus it is a straight shot right into the carburetor air horn were it ever to rain in Seattle and it has been raining as/per the cow and flat rock of lore.

I removed the sparkplugs which are the radio suppression, full metal jacket variety, pulled the starting rope and one cylinder was dry! The other wasn't. Nothing seems stuck though, and the magneto has spark like you hope for.

I'm drying this thing out for a day and I'll give her a little try. The main fuel tank is rustier than Davy Jones's blunderbuss and the fuel pump is full of crap and has a diaphram flaccid as Grampa's noodle, so I'll go the lawnmower tank route for now.

With a little luck, and a day of sunshine, maybe it'll run! Kinda figure I'm in for a little sidetrip to carburetor land, though.

I'm not sure I can keep it but I am a little bereft of 240 volt generator power amongst all the dinosaurs around here and having a 3 phase "tester" might be handy on occassion. 3 kw is kinda small but if it is size ya' want, it takes up plenty of room!

Anybody got one of these or have any thoughs or comments?? I'll try to post a photo a.s.a.p. Thanks...........!

[KidDynamo]

I've got a running generator now. The carb needed cleaning and I bypassed the fuel pump for testing purposes. Ouput appears okay although I just plugged a 1500 watt heater into the panel receptacle, so far. This load did not register on the load meter.

I will need to replace the fuel pump but I have one and will repair the other as parts appear.

My main problem on start up ended up being the shielded plug system. For now, I will clean or replace the plugs and see how that works.

Arcing the plug wires to ground throws about 1/2" spark but the plug's actual spark was suspect. Intermittant running and stalling found to be bad sparkplugs !??? Wires ?!!!? It absolutely would NOT restart. With a pull start system, a guy can only take so much !

I installed a pair of used unshielded J-8 Champions with the shielded wire ends hooked on and it fired up and ran perfectly. Hmmmmmmm.

No information has turned up so far with the 3ACK-4MV model number in my searches but I'm not through the archives completely.

Pretty noisy unit but for free, I guess I can use earplugs for a while.

The guages from left to right are Hr./meter; Hz; Volts a.c.; and % Load.

The unit has under 95 hours on the meter.

[K D Redd]

Clean-up the outside of one of the old plugs and look for the number on it. Take to you local auto part store and see if they can cross the plug. My local O'Rielly Auto Parts store can get the 18 MM XMD15 Champion plugs that most Military Standard Engine used. I have some 14 MM Autolite shielded plug from a 1952 International Military FiretruckI could get you a number to cross. I would GUESS a Champion plug would be something like a XMJ7 maybe.

Kent

[K D Redd]

I just called my local O'Rielly's Auto Parts store. There is a Champion XMJ-14 which should be a 14 MM shielded plug. Stock number is 588. There is also a hotter XMJ-20. I did not get it's stock number.

Kent

[KidDynamo]

Hey Kent- I'm gonna check my wires and clean up the plugs I've got and see how that goes. It may be a while though.

When I search back on Harry's, I know I can look up the info you've passed along.......in numerous threads!!

Thanks for the info in various responses!