It is almost the weekend as I write this, during my lunch break. I’ve gotten a goodly amount of work completed and am looking forward to cleaning the generator fuel-pump and putting it back together.
Fuel Pump
The diesel engine used in the Cummins-Onan MDKBM generator is a very common one. It is a Kubota 1505 1.5l aspirated diesel engine used in generators, boats, lawnmowers, tractors, etc. The cooling is modified to use water instead of air. Water is a lot more efficient for cooling the engine, but there are more moving parts involved so that tends to be a source of problems. The fuel pump on this engine is a Bosch/Zexel 1660 injection pump.
The fuel pump is the most expensive single component on the engine and it is a marvel of engineering and precision mechanics. This, in turn, means that it is very difficult to repair. I’ve made several mistakes from mixing up the shims and later mixing up the components on the 4 cylinder pumps. Despite looking identical, the small differences between them mean that the ignition timings will no longer match. The pump will need to be recalibrated before it can be used.
I’ve ordered a new one, but will continue cleaning and repairing this unit; it can then be sent in and refurbished at some point in time.
Noon & Afternoon
After finishing up at work I got all the cleaned pump parts together and began the assembly. This took a lot longer than I expected, because the tolerances for the different pieces are quit tight small and overtightening in one spot can cause issues in another. And there was the obligatory spare washer left over when I finished. The correct cylinder for replacing it was on attempt #4 of 4.
In the end the pump is now cleaned, assembled and actually works again. But due to the tight tolerances and my not knowing which shim goes where, the pump will need to be calibrated and most likely rebuilt. But it can now serve as a functioning “core” for an exchange. The new pump will be delivered to the cargo company in Florida on Monday, so I’ll hopefully get it on Tuesday next week.
Happy Hour and Dinner
I missed the bridge opening by a couple of minutes. I’d wanted to shower before going out in public. I didn’t have time to shave, though – so I’m looking like a proper salty old dawg.
After a while at the SMYC I decided to get some food at the Tap & Still. It wasn’t too busy there and I was thinking of heading elsewhere. As I was ready to settle my bill I saw that a band was setting up to play on stage.
I chose to wait a bit and see what the music was going to be like and I’m glad I did. The Squall Band was really good. Their playlist was great with old 70’s and 80’s Rock ‘n Roll classics.
