PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-584
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 584
JULY 2001
PS 584
JUL 01
51
2-KW Generator Set.
..
H
ey, Big Foot, Army boots were made for marching—not for tripping the governor
control levers on MEP-531A and MEP-501A 2-KW generator sets.
I know what you're thinking.
Why break your back bending over to use your hand on the black engine RUN lever
or the red engine STOP lever when a pull or push with your boot will do the job?
The problem is, it does another job, too. It screws up the governor linkage and
spring!
How?
Every time you put a boot on the red or black lever, you bump the governor
regulator bracket. That bracket houses the governor lever, thrust plate and springs. It
doesn't take many bumps until they're out of adjustment.
Now you have a throttle that no longer correctly regulates the flow of fuel!
So, Big Foot, take a knee and get handy with the RUN and STOP levers.
2-KW Generators.
..
ow clean is the diesel fuel that’s poured or pumped into your MEP-531A or
MEP-501A 2-KW generator engine?
Depending on where you're operating and under what conditions, the answer to
that question can vary from real clean to real dirty.
To clean all fuel before it reaches the diesel engine, your generator uses a two-
filter system.
The first filter, a plastic-mesh strainer, NSN
4240-01-328-4878, sits just inside your fuel tank,
right under the cap. There's good news and bad
news about this strainer.
The good news is, it's removable. That makes
it easy for you to keep it clean and replace it
when it's damaged. The bad news is, it's remov-
able. That means you can take it out and lose it or
just forget to put it back in. It's a good strainer,
but only when it's in place and kept clean.
The second line of defense is the fuel filter
mounted between the fuel tank and the engine.
Replacing the filter element, NSN 2910-01-420-
9067, in this filter is a 100 run-hours task. But if
the fuel you're using is really dirty or has a great
deal of water in it, the interval between changes
should be much shorter.
If your gas-colored filter has turned black
with dirt or is swimming in water, replace it.
Also replace the gasket, NSN 5331-01-
431-7566, that holds the bowl to the filter
head. Otherwise, it won't be long until you
have a fuel leak around the filter head.
One more thing: The lines that run to and
from your fuel filter need to be made from
clear, plastic hose, NSN 4720-01-464-0400.
Some of you are using standard black hose,
but you need to be able to see the fuel flow.
That way, you can spot dirt, water bubbles,
and blockages.
Also, don't paint the fuel hoses. Paint not only prevents you from seeing the fuel,
it rots your plastic hose and leads to leaks.
The
strainer is
your first
defense
Change
the filter
and the
gasket
Clear hoses help you
see dirty fuel
Keep foot off engine run lever…
…and engine
stop lever!
TAKE A HIKE,
BIG FOOT!
you ain’t
got nothin’
on
me,
big boy!
584. 50-51 (C)
5/27/01
3:54 PM
Page 1
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