Help!!! Situation you haven't heard of yet!

[bison1973]

Today (just before dark) I placed my VAC pump in the woods with hopes of getting it plumbed to the relaser tommorrow. Just for kicks I started it up to run it quickly before heading for home. What I forgot was the small plastic bag (to keep out moisture) I placed over the inlet pipe!!! I started the pump up and it sucked it in. It probably ran for 3-4 seconds before I shut it down.

What do I do? Can I get it out somehow? I don't know much of anything about the mechanics of VAC pumps. The pump is a Masport Master.

Please help!

[venus_amos]

If the pump don't make big noise or jammed, you will be lucky (no broken vanes). I think you will have to open it to remove bag... Simply unbolt the cover without pulley, using a punch on cover edge, slack it slowly, remove, check and clean vanes for possible dammage. If ok, replace vanes, they should slide freely, replace cover to his place and re-tight bolt. Turn manually pulley for checking if it's ok. I think if very little particules of plastic are still there... This will not damage your pump.

[danno]

I would look with a flashlight in the intake and exhaust to see if you can fish the bag out carefully with a piece of wire or metal hanger. Slowly turn the pulley one way or the other to free the bag if it's stuck on a vane. If it won't come out in one piece, I'd be pulling apart the pump head - it does not take long. Don't pry it apart with a screw driver or chisel, use a rubber mallet.

[Haynes Forest Products]

The proper way to remove the side plate is to take 2 of the bolts that hold the side plates on and use them to remove the side plate. You will find two thraeded holes in the side plate and gently thread the bolts into the holes and as you SLOWLY tighten them 1 turn each at a time the plate will seperate. Oh yea make sure ALL the bolts are removed before you do this

[Haynes Forest Products]

O by the way I would have dumped some oil in the intake an run the pump and let the bag blow out. I dont thing a plastic bag would have any chance against some cool oil and all that steel. It will blow it out in small chunks after it spins it around.

[3rdgen.maple]

The proper way to remove the side plate is to take 2 of the bolts that hold the side plates on and use them to remove the side plate. You will find two thraeded holes in the side plate and gently thread the bolts into the holes and as you SLOWLY tighten them 1 turn each at a time the plate will seperate. Oh yea make sure ALL the bolts are removed before you do this

Spot on Haynes. That bag doesnt have a chance well atleast till it heats up and melts and clogs the vanes up from dropping. FIsh it out or tear it down.

[Haynes Forest Products]

3rdgen is right tear it down its only a 15 min deal. Belt off first.