Energy Diesel Generators, (surplus)

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by azrancher, Jul 19, 2017.


  1. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    OK, I've bought from the Government Liquidation contractor that disposes of surplus military "stuff" before, back in April I could have bid on ammo cans, went for $4.00+ each qty of 250, not bad if I could unload them on Craigs list or my LGS for a slight profit.

    Up this next month is something that I could use, a diesel generator (actually 2, almost identical).

    Anybody have any experience with the Onan diesel generators, they are Military, I can tell by the size and the de-rating of power output, probably would do 4KW.
    Rated at 3KW, 2 of them, one has 200 hours, the other 204 hours, MFG in 1989.

    I need Diesel, not going to store much Gasoline.

    This is what they look like:

    Here's the Auction, with more Pictures...

    1989 ONAN CORP, MDL: MEP-016B, 3 Kw, 60 Hz, diesel engine generator set, SN: EZ05875, meter indicates: 204 hours, 240 V

    @BTPost what do you think?

    Rancher
     
  2. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Those are NOT Onan Engines in the MEP 016B Gensets.... If you find a MEP002A or 003A, those are REAL Onan Engines and they are Onan DJE and DJF Respectively.... Very similar to the DJB and DJC Onans except they have a 3.5" Bore instead of the 3.25" Bore, of the later... Also the .MIL Onans are 24Vdc, instead of the 12Vdc for the Civilian Models, and they ALL have the LubeOil Cooler Option... The Genends are NOT Onan, on ANY of the .MIL Gensets... You can find ALL the information, you never want to know, about ONAN GENSETS and MEP GENSETS, over on the SMOKESTACK.COM website...
     
  3. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    My guess is Yanmar, or possibly Kubota, but I don't know for sure! Never messed with the "Small ones" only the BT-4 powerd and DDEC 4V53's and the bigger CAT's
     
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  4. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    Thanks for that website, it's spelled SmokStak.com, and so far the only mention of MEP 016B with an Onan engine states it's a custom 1 cylinder Onan engine, and it is a 3600 RPM generator, not good, but then I've heard good and bad things about Onan.

    Rancher
     
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  5. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    @azrancher Did you look in the MEP or .Military forum?
     
    sec_monkey likes this.
  6. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    I looked in the SmokStak forum where you are a Moderator.

    Thread is: "Which Mil Surplus Model?"
    Isacc-1 says....in part:
    "If your looking at small military surplus diesel generators there are a handful worth considering:
    3KW MEP-016 family generators, these are all 3600 rpm screamers, in particular the ones of interest are the MEP-016b, 016d, and 016e.
    MEP-016b - late 1980's vintage powered by a custom 1 cylinder Onan
    MEP-016d - retrofitted Vietnam era gas powered MEP-016c repowered with a 1 cylinder Yanmar L70
    MEP-016e retrofitted MEP-016b with a 1 cylinder Yanmar L100"


    Rancher
     
    sec_monkey likes this.
  7. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Here is the Manual for the MEP-016B Apparently, Onan built this engine as a Special Order for the .MIL, as there is NO COUNTERPART for the Civilian Market, and therefor any Repair Parts have to come thru the .MIL Maintenance Depot System...
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    Id take Yanmar, Kubota , over Onen .
    I have many Kubota Diesels here & they put out.
     
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  9. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    I run Isuzu diesels up here, and they will put last most others. I have heard really mixed results of Kubota, and nothing but good with Yanmar. I have no experience with Onan, so I have nothing to add on these.
     
    azrancher likes this.
  10. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    The J Series Onan Gensets are very robust Diesel engines... They are basically very similar Designs, and come in Air Cooled, Water Cooled, Radiator Cooled, Gasoline fueled, Propane/NGas Fueled, Diesel Fueled, and Single Cly. 3Kw, Twin Cyl. 6-7 Kw, and Flour Cyl, 12-17.5 Kw... Many of the Parts are interchangeable within the Series.... and Onan built a Double Ton of them, over the years....
     
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  11. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Something to note on the Yan mar diesel.
    I have a Titan 5KW and the first time I ran it (new) there was sound that resembled a lose bearing , so I took it to a dealer and he had another 4KW sitting in the shop with the same noise, and they could not figure it out.
    When I got a chance to look at the exploded view of the engine, I found the problem.
    Across from the cam shaft the other side of the crank shaft is a secondary shaft that rides the same gear on the crank the cam shaft rides, but "it does nothing," but counter balance the engine or provide a bit more inertia for the crank shaft .
    That sound " like a transmition with strait gears" is nothing to worry about.
     
  12. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    @BTPost OK went up to DM (Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson), the MEP 16B, are huge, and of course they are 3 phase. But they have a MEP 831A diesel, 3KW, 60 Hz 1 Phase that is cute, the hour meter looks new, it has like 44 hours... what do you all think of that one?

    Rancher
     
  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

  14. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    3600 Rpm..... That is going to make it Noisy, and not as many hours between rebuilds as a nice 1800 Rpm Genset...
     
    Cruisin Sloth likes this.
  15. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    3600 is pretty well necessary for a one lung to keep running. Ah, well, 3kw isn't much machine. Even so, stable speed isn't needed, and the governor turns it down a low loads. It's a PMG with inverter, if I read the data sheets correctly.
     
  16. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    This is strickly for when there is a fire and the Coop turns our power off again, it will keep the well pumping water, a 1/3 hp submersible, or a 1/3 hp booster pump up top for pressure.

    However it looks like it has a "new" hour meter in comparison to the other meters.

    Rancher
     
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2017
  17. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    3000 watt is MAX , so start up submersible can use 8000 watts , for the cheap submersible,
    Grundfos type (for the application 100's to chose from ) Don't , so 3000W might work .
    Mine starts at 4870 watt , & then trims down to 23-2800 W@ 240Vac
    Measurements are needed , dart board COST !
     
  18. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    What's the HP of your submersible, and is it a 2 wire, or 3 wire?
    I ran mine for about a year on a 4KW gas gen when I was building the house, no pressure tank, just sprinklers.
    Rancher
     
  19. Those small military gensets are notorious for breakdowns, and drink fuel like a sailor.

    If you are really looking for something worth investing in... go with the MEP-002/003/004 if you want air cooled, or MEP-802A/803A/804A if you want liquid.

    I have both styles (I refurb them)... and these are the best way to go IMO. The 5kw units drink just under a half gallon an hour at full tilt, and the 10kw are just over 1 gal per hour. Oh, and the 5KW is closer to 6250 at 100% output, and over 7k when pushed (gauging goes to over 125%)... the 10kw puts out 12.5k and up to 15 if pushed.

    Oh, and choice of single or three phase, and 1800rpm.

    And I dont know what the rules are offhand about mentioning other forums, but if you search out a forum called 'steel soldiers' you will find more than you ever wanted to know about this kind of stuff.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 9, 2017
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  20. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

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