robutacion
Member
Hi folks,
A couple of days ago, I refilled my vacuum pot with some wood to stabilize, the pump has worked every for the last week, something that is quite regular however this time, I repeated the normal procedures before I start the pump and that is, bleed the oil sump for any water generated from the day before but this time, nothing was coming out, the bleeding hole was clogged up with something that wasn't as soft as I was expected, a piece of strong wire require some force to get it through and I wondered, what it could be...!
Anyway, after the wire went true, some water start dripping put as normal, the oil lever was a little low so I topped up, as always. For quite some time (since I open the pump oil sump reservoir and cleaned the mess inside caused by water) I do this water bleeding procedure topping up with oil as needed so, I no longer, drained the hole thing out and refilled with new oil, every few stabilization sessions (about 6 to 8 hours, each), it seems to work well and I believe, I wasted less oil that way.
Turned the pump on and a terrible noisy come out of it, like something was stuck, checked everything, couldn't find anything wrong so, turn the on switch again and again. After 3 times, I though that the capacitor may have went, not allowing the motor the start turning so, took the fan cover and while flicking the power switch on, I tried to turn the fan but, it didn't burg and all of a certain, the motor start spinning and I could hear the normal sound of the tap tap of the pump sucking air.
I knew something went, looking at the fan, I could turn it easily by hand (power off), turning the motor on, there was absolutely no suction at the hose end so, was obvious that something in the pump itself, wasn't right.
When I saw the motor turning and the oil pump being so quite, I though immediately about what was linking the motor shaft and the pump shaft, I didn't know what sort of connection the shafts had so, I emptied the oil sump and remove it...!
Well, it wasn't easy to come out from the bottom, something was holding it so, I persevere a little more and the cover come out. What is the heck was that thick "gunk" at the bottom of the sump..???
I though that, the first time I open that oil sump, the damn thing was dirty
but this was overwhelming, what made that..???
The only thing I could think could do that was some cactus juice to be sucked into the oil but how, I have a dry paper filter in the system and anything coming coming from the pot, has to go through that filter and I wouldn't miss it, firstly because it has a clear plastic cover and, has a fair capacity before if overfills and goes into the pump.
The filter was clean and dry so, it had to have some juice in it but it didn't...!
I was also very surprised with the condition of the oil pump cast ion housing, that reddish gunk had to be from the oil that is reddish like red cordial drink. There had to be something that enter that oil and make it to react, thickening it into a considerable amount of deposit at the sump bottom and all over the pump.
The fist thing I had to do was to disconnect/unscrew the oil pump from the motor and see how they connect. It didn't take me long to see why the pump wouldn't turn, the direct drive link had snapped.
Now, the motor is only 1/2 HP, how could it snap a 15mm diameter x 5mm thick hardened tensile steel "tang"...????
The direct drive between pump and motor connects with a type "tongue and groove" slot joint, 1/2HP small motor be able to snap that, is beyond believe...!
The "groove" part, on the motor side was quite damaged from forces exerted while spinning, both parts tempered steel and still, the groove was squashed to one side on both ends, from the "tongue" torquing into it, unbelievable stuff...!
Now, what am I going to fix that...???? well, I though of something that I could use to make a tongue that is of similar density/strength to the broken tongue, I would cut a groove into the pump shaft end, similar to the one of the motor end and create a link with mainly a double tongue, each end securing both ends of the shafts.
Well, I saw this electric hammer drill cog that I pulled appart
after it burnt out, I could just get enough thickness to get the part done. Anyone that ever tried to cut this stuff know that, is one of the hardest things to cut but, I got there eventually...!
I may had no need to use such difficult material to work with, I had stainless and black steel that I could be used but, I started with the hard stuff and made the part I needed.
The tongue was pressed into the pump shaft end but before that, I pulled the pump appart to see if the inside was also covered with that redish gunk but, I was quite pleasantly surprised when I saw that, the inside of the pump was well lubricated with normal colour oil and perfectly clean.
Putting everything together wasn't much of a problem until I had to line up the 2 shafts inside a bearing that unless totally square to the shafts, will make it very difficult for the shafts to turn. I din't know that until I turned the switch on to test it and the motor would come on by wouldn't turn, that tightness as cause the capacitor to burn, by the time I realised was was going on.
I ordered a new capacitor but, I left the fan cover off, so that I can turn the fan to the right way when I turn the switch on, like on the lathes, it doesn't take long for the motor to spin normally, after that initial push is made...!
The pump worked all day yesterday and most of the day today, everything is back to normal, appart from the capacitor replacement that I will get done when I get it...!
I though that could be "handy" to write this thread about a type of pump that most of us use
Hope this repair can be hopeful to someone, one day...!
Cheers
George
A couple of days ago, I refilled my vacuum pot with some wood to stabilize, the pump has worked every for the last week, something that is quite regular however this time, I repeated the normal procedures before I start the pump and that is, bleed the oil sump for any water generated from the day before but this time, nothing was coming out, the bleeding hole was clogged up with something that wasn't as soft as I was expected, a piece of strong wire require some force to get it through and I wondered, what it could be...!
Anyway, after the wire went true, some water start dripping put as normal, the oil lever was a little low so I topped up, as always. For quite some time (since I open the pump oil sump reservoir and cleaned the mess inside caused by water) I do this water bleeding procedure topping up with oil as needed so, I no longer, drained the hole thing out and refilled with new oil, every few stabilization sessions (about 6 to 8 hours, each), it seems to work well and I believe, I wasted less oil that way.
Turned the pump on and a terrible noisy come out of it, like something was stuck, checked everything, couldn't find anything wrong so, turn the on switch again and again. After 3 times, I though that the capacitor may have went, not allowing the motor the start turning so, took the fan cover and while flicking the power switch on, I tried to turn the fan but, it didn't burg and all of a certain, the motor start spinning and I could hear the normal sound of the tap tap of the pump sucking air.
I knew something went, looking at the fan, I could turn it easily by hand (power off), turning the motor on, there was absolutely no suction at the hose end so, was obvious that something in the pump itself, wasn't right.
When I saw the motor turning and the oil pump being so quite, I though immediately about what was linking the motor shaft and the pump shaft, I didn't know what sort of connection the shafts had so, I emptied the oil sump and remove it...!
Well, it wasn't easy to come out from the bottom, something was holding it so, I persevere a little more and the cover come out. What is the heck was that thick "gunk" at the bottom of the sump..???
I though that, the first time I open that oil sump, the damn thing was dirty
but this was overwhelming, what made that..???
The only thing I could think could do that was some cactus juice to be sucked into the oil but how, I have a dry paper filter in the system and anything coming coming from the pot, has to go through that filter and I wouldn't miss it, firstly because it has a clear plastic cover and, has a fair capacity before if overfills and goes into the pump.
The filter was clean and dry so, it had to have some juice in it but it didn't...!
I was also very surprised with the condition of the oil pump cast ion housing, that reddish gunk had to be from the oil that is reddish like red cordial drink. There had to be something that enter that oil and make it to react, thickening it into a considerable amount of deposit at the sump bottom and all over the pump.
The fist thing I had to do was to disconnect/unscrew the oil pump from the motor and see how they connect. It didn't take me long to see why the pump wouldn't turn, the direct drive link had snapped.
Now, the motor is only 1/2 HP, how could it snap a 15mm diameter x 5mm thick hardened tensile steel "tang"...????
The direct drive between pump and motor connects with a type "tongue and groove" slot joint, 1/2HP small motor be able to snap that, is beyond believe...!
The "groove" part, on the motor side was quite damaged from forces exerted while spinning, both parts tempered steel and still, the groove was squashed to one side on both ends, from the "tongue" torquing into it, unbelievable stuff...!
Now, what am I going to fix that...???? well, I though of something that I could use to make a tongue that is of similar density/strength to the broken tongue, I would cut a groove into the pump shaft end, similar to the one of the motor end and create a link with mainly a double tongue, each end securing both ends of the shafts.
Well, I saw this electric hammer drill cog that I pulled appart
after it burnt out, I could just get enough thickness to get the part done. Anyone that ever tried to cut this stuff know that, is one of the hardest things to cut but, I got there eventually...!
I may had no need to use such difficult material to work with, I had stainless and black steel that I could be used but, I started with the hard stuff and made the part I needed.
The tongue was pressed into the pump shaft end but before that, I pulled the pump appart to see if the inside was also covered with that redish gunk but, I was quite pleasantly surprised when I saw that, the inside of the pump was well lubricated with normal colour oil and perfectly clean.
Putting everything together wasn't much of a problem until I had to line up the 2 shafts inside a bearing that unless totally square to the shafts, will make it very difficult for the shafts to turn. I din't know that until I turned the switch on to test it and the motor would come on by wouldn't turn, that tightness as cause the capacitor to burn, by the time I realised was was going on.
I ordered a new capacitor but, I left the fan cover off, so that I can turn the fan to the right way when I turn the switch on, like on the lathes, it doesn't take long for the motor to spin normally, after that initial push is made...!
The pump worked all day yesterday and most of the day today, everything is back to normal, appart from the capacitor replacement that I will get done when I get it...!
I though that could be "handy" to write this thread about a type of pump that most of us use
Hope this repair can be hopeful to someone, one day...!
Cheers
George
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