802a #2 Gotta be easier than the first...

[Toolslinger]

Well, I started on the second machine today. Thought I'd start a thread to keep it all in one place.

To start...

• Bought it off Marketplace. Video of it running some loads. Seller indicated the fuel rail has an issue and the pumps drop out on shutdown.
• Got it home, and with a quick exam there is for sure something wrong with the fuel control system internally. The external portion looks ok.
• Has two brand new batteries on board, so that's nice. They're overwintering in my warm basement until I need to crank it.
• Has 3 hours on the clock since the last oil filter change. 2018 date on the filter. It'll do for the moment until I know it's running right.
• Seller indicated the oil pressure gauge is dead. Believe I have a spare on hand.
• Added rodent control, and put it out to pasture (literally) for a while. Winter project.
• Picked up a complete engine in the fall while on a business trip. Essentially a full set of spares, or in a worst case a full replacement.
• Winter arrived early, so I'm now on indoor projects...

Dec 12, 2025

• Got 802a #1 going to feed a heater in the garage.
• Pulled all the tools I should need from my barn, over to the garage I'm using. I'm sure I forgot something, but it is just across the street...
• Started pulling panels.
• No evidence of rodents! I'll take that win any day.
• Internals are very dirty/dusty.
• Didn't see any chafing on the heavy wires, but I didn't study them yet.
• Terminal strips have quite a bit of rust on the screws, and contacts.
• There's some non-military looking wire repairs in the control box. Not bad, but I'll be checking that out carefully. I don't want another wire fire...
• The fuel return line has been replaced with thin black rubber that isn't fuel line, and it's not going to survive long, so that's on the list. Looks about as robust as black fish tank tubing.
• The fuel drain line is rock hard. I know the instant I disturb that the well nut is going to go, so I just ordered one. I will dump the almost full tank of fuel tomorrow. Much easier since it's on a trailer than the first gen...

Questions...

• When I get to the governor, is that a dry system? I kinda think it is, or worst lubed on run, but drained otherwise? Just want to be prepared if I'm going to have to be ready to catch oil.
• I'm planning to pull the end of the gen for access. So, drain the rad for sure. Fuel will be empty. At that point I think it's just the wires, and fuel line out to the tank area. Anything else I need to be thinking about that I'm going to regret not knowing? Most of my time on the other 802a was on the other side of the machine, so I'm less familiar with the tank end.

 

[Guyfang]

If you take the top off the engine compartment, its really easy to pull the whole front of the gen set off in one piece. A few bolts and nuts, undo and pull the wire harness out of the way. Undo the fuel lines. (I would take the front end off, and then just pick up the fuel tank and empty it. Then a good cleaning and inspection.) Coolant lines and it comes off. THEN you got room to play.

The fuel rail area is lubed on run. Splash lubed?

If you choose to not remove the front end, you can still do what you want to do. But you will say to your self, "Never again will I do that and NOT remove the front end!"

 

[Toolslinger]

Oh, there is no way I'm doing it without taking the front off... In my 20's or 30's I'd probably make the dumb call to just work with it to "save time", and of course it would take far longer, and I'd be bleeding a lot more.

With arthritis, and the odd creakiness comes a bit of wisdom...

Splash lube sounds good to me. It has had lots of time to drain down. I'll expect a few drips then.

 

[Toolslinger]

Dec 13

• Drained coolant, and fuel.
• While the above was trickling out, I started working on the fasteners for the sheet metal. So far the only broken screws were on the control cube door.
• Managed to get all the electrical disconnected in the fuel tank area. Fished that back to the engine compartment.
• Separated the small coolant line to the block drain at the tee. Broke off the radiator hoses. They're still in good shape happily.
• Broke the fuel lines at the tank, and pump to allow the removal of the tank, and radiator/sheet metal assembly.
• Removed the tank and radiator/sheet metal.
• Removed the fan belt.
• Removed the crank shaft pulley. (Left Hand Threads)
• Removed the governor cover. Just a little oil drool. Not bad at all.
• Removed the muffler, and air filter.
• Removed fuel lines, and injection pumps. (kept track of the shims, but who knows what happened before me)
• Didn't see any smoking gun as to the problem...
• So I popped the cover off the spare engine for comparison.
• Everything looks, and feels pretty much identical...
• That's where I am now..... Waiting on some parts for reassembly mostly.

So I'm both glad I haven't found damage, and disappointed I haven't found the cause of the issue. I'm left thinking that perhaps the generator side pump was installed in such a way that it was causing an issue. I hadn't pulled that one during my initial inspection as it is much harder to get to the line to the injector without removing parts... It would be nice to be able to reassemble it with the gov cover off to make sure things are moving correctly. I think I can cobble something together similar to the fuel pump rack setting gage to limit the travel from going to far. I'm not really set up for machining here, but I'm not actually setting the rack, just need to get close to look at things moving, without going to far.

Both the injection pump levers feel kinda stiff to me. They're both smooth, but it just seems like they should be a little easier to move. That's not based on anything, just a feeling. Perhaps I'll pull one from the spare engine as a comparison. Probably nothing, and just being paranoid.




The gasket on the gov cover came off ok, except one corner... I believe the one on the spare engine is ok, so I might try that... Otherwise while I can find the PN in the TM easily, they aren't showing up in searches... I can get an overhaul kit for the sake of one gasket, but that seems excessive... Might try making, though they are pretty frail... I don't really want to go with silicone since I just don't know if I'll have to be back in there...

 

[Ray70]

The fuel levers will move slightly easier when installed vs. removed from the engine because the spring is slightly compressed when installed, thereby relieving the "pulling force" that is on the plunger, preventing it from turning easily when not installed.
If the fuel pump levers are coming out of the rack when you shut it down I would suggest looking at the stop screw the limits the travel in the "off" direction.
If that has been messed with and allows the lever to rotate too far, that can cause the rack to move too far and allow the metering pump pins to get out of the slot in the rack.

 

[uniquify]

Is it just me, or does the top right corner of this piece look like it was smashed with a hammer?

Not sure what that would affect, but it looked slightly suspect.

Maybe the fuel rack was stuck and someone attempted percussive maintenance?

 

[Toolslinger]

Dec 14
Slow start to the day because of 5 inches of snow... Didn't wrap up clean up until 12:30, so the generator session was abbreviated... Should have got the heat going in there early today, it might have been humane, but alas that was not to be...

• Per Ray above, I checked the stop screws. Safety wire was broken, and one of the screws was loose.
• Decided to drop the pumps in with the end cover off so I could see a little of what's going on.
• Ended up having to take more parts off to be able to work in there. This would be much easier in the summer, without gloves.
• Since this thing was dropping a pump, and the stops screws have been moved, and who knows what else, I went to the TM to see if I can get a zero point on the rail position for "off".
• Per the TM the rail should project 2.19" (55.5mm) beyond the face of the casting at "shut down". So I thought about making a jig, but thought I can get by with a high quality combo square. If I'm off enough to matter, I can easily make the gage they're indicating should be used.
• Set the square, and pulled the rail out to meet it, then carefully clamped it in place with vise grips.

• With that done, and that took some time to get right, because I don't have a third arm and hand, I was able to drop both pumps in place, and rotate them per the TM.
• It took a few tries to get it right, but the rail now moves fully, and the pumps aren't coming out of the slots.
• Cold got to me at that point, and I came in...
• Just reading the TM on setting the limits of the control lever. Obviously I don't have the gage specified, but it gives me 26.5 mm. That's going to be a little harder to fake, but the 1" blade from the square plus a #57 drill bit gets me 1.043", which is 26.5mm.
• Can't set them currently until I decide if I'm going to roll the dice with the gasket from the spare engine, or make one.
• Can't really lock anything down yet anyway since my torque wrenches are currently in Baltimore, and I'm not...

Not a ton of progress today, but a little, and some better understanding of what's going on... I'll call it a win.

 

[Toolslinger]

Is it just me, or does the top right corner of this piece look like it was smashed with a hammer?
View attachment 959222
Not sure what that would affect, but it looked slightly suspect.

Maybe the fuel rack was stuck and someone attempted percussive maintenance?

Hadn't noticed that until now...
I'll have to look tomorrow. That part doesn't move, and is just the end stop of the rail, but if someone did hammer on it, obviously that would not be good for the system...

Edit:
Had a photo from when I was comparing both engines...
Yea, that block has been chewed on a bit for sure. Will have to investigate tomorrow...

 

[2Pbfeet]

Good catch by you two!

There's more metal chips hanging around there than I would like to see. It does make me wonder why someone thought it needed percussive realignment, and what else might be warped/out of specification.

@Toolslinger I thought that was a nice demonstration of how to fixit without the "jigs"!

All the best,

2PbFeet

 

[Guyfang]

Could it be something other than a BFH? Food for thought.

 

[2Pbfeet]

Could it be something other than a BFH? Food for thought.

I think that you are right; if one looks at the main gear teeth on the outer edge, and number of them seem to have serratations on the teeth as if the teeth chewed on something. I just don't see how that part could fall down in operation.

All the best, 2PbFeet

 

[Toolslinger]

It was way too cold to go out there today... This is all something to think about before my next chance out there.
I'm not thinking the gear chewed on that end piece. If it had, and then someone put it back in place, the chips likely wouldn't still be present. I would lean more toward vise-grip, or channel locks grabbing it to twist, or bend for some bad reason. Since the PO told me the rail had an issue, perhaps they were in there trying to "fix" it.
Regardless, next time I get at it, I will have to bring the bifocals so I can actually see the details a little better... Will also make sure I get those little chips cleaned up...

 

[2Pbfeet]

It was way too cold to go out there today... This is all something to think about before my next chance out there.
I'm not thinking the gear chewed on that end piece. If it had, and then someone put it back in place, the chips likely wouldn't still be present. I would lean more toward vise-grip, or channel locks grabbing it to twist, or bend for some bad reason. Since the PO told me the rail had an issue, perhaps they were in there trying to "fix" it.
Regardless, next time I get at it, I will have to bring the bifocals so I can actually see the details a little better... Will also make sure I get those little chips cleaned up...

There are what look like a few nicks and dings that I would not expect to see. Here is a blow up of your photo;


There is also what looks like a ding on the inner/top side of at least one of the weights.

It could just be the angle the photo was taken.

All the best, 2PbFeet

 

[Tinstar]

When you make or find a new gasket, coat it on both sides with wheel bearing red grease.
I've been doing that for years and the gasket still seals like intended, but you can take it off again without destroying it.

Have done that with everything from lawn mowers to full size tractors.
Did that with my CUCV when I had the differential covers off during service and zero issues.
No more spending an hour scraping off the old gasket cemented on.

Rubber gaskets I don't do that treatment on.

 

[Toolslinger]

Thanks.
I've been doing the grease on paper gaskets for some time now. I haven't had to take anything apart that I've put together that way (other than during those particular repair projects when it's only been together a brief time ) but I'm hoping it works as well as folks say.

I ended up just ordering a full gasket set off Amazon. Better to have everything on hand than getting stopped due to an unforseen need... Rather have an OEM set, but these will likely be fine.

 

[Guyfang]

Something got chewed up in there. What, or how, I can't say. But maybe you should pull the Crank Case cover off and take a look see at the oil pump screen, for "Extra Parts."

 

[Toolslinger]

Something got chewed up in there. What, or how, I can't say. But maybe you should pull the Crank Case cover off and take a look see at the oil pump screen, for "Extra Parts."

I was so focused on the rail, I really didn't look at the surrounding bits... The more I look at the photos, the more I see questionable things. When next I get in there, I will need to really look at the entirety of the internals.

Will have to set the heater so it's blowing right on me so I can stand there and not freeze during inspection...

At some point it may really just make sense to swap the motor for the spare, and use this as the parts donor. I'm not there yet, but I will need to be a bit more observent...

 

[2Pbfeet]

@Toolslinger I think that there can be lots of things to see sometimes, and I admit to being prone to (over)focusing on occasion. Good luck on the repair(s).

All the best, 2PbFeet

 

[rickf]

We are mechanics, we cannot stop at the one intended thing we planned on doing. I will pull the heads on my motor to check the valves and figure "They are off, just do a valve job". Which opens the worm can! You know what? I have the heads off I might as well drop the pan and check the bearings. Well, The bearings are not bad but I am here so I will replace them. Since I have the rods disconnected I might as well pop out a piston and check the rings. Hmmm. Not so sure on that one, lets check another one. 15 minutes later all the pistons are on the table minus the rings. Did it need rings? Not really but I am this deep into it so why not. By the time I am done I have completely rebuilt the engine short of boring it. It is a mechanic thing. It is an OCD addiction.

 

[Toolslinger]

Dec 19

Weird weather today... Almost 60 when I woke up. No complaints about that.
Eventually made my way to the 802a. By now, it's knocking on the high 30's with almost gale force winds.

• Try as I might, I couldn't find any damage to any of the gearing, despite what the above photos seem to show.
• I did find some lint from paper towels, and a little bit of the gasket material. Cleared all that up.
• There was a bit of debris on the fuel rail block, which has been chewed on by something. Cleaned that up. Can't really ID what bit in to that block. I'm still guessing vise grips, but I don't see distinct tooth marks, and I can't imagine why anyone would have been grabbing that with that kind of force.
• Carefully scraped the old gasket off. This gasket had been stuck on with some kind of white material. Below that there was the remains of a previous gasket sealant more like a Permatex product I've used in the past.
• Cleaned up all the bolts. Most had something like teflon tape on them, but whatever it was had somewhat hardened. Weird stuff.
• Due to the above, I cleaned the tapped holes on the block as well.
• Noted I'm missing one of the roll pins that index the governor cover. Tried to pull one from the spare engine, but they're not budging. Have to take a caliper down there next time to see what I need to come up with.
• Have also noted the bellows on the shut down solenoid is torn. Not world ending, but I will try to find that.