How hard to push those old dairy pumps?

[danno]

I've got a Deleval 75 on a 2 hp elec. that I started running yesterday. Before hooking it up I tore it down and cleaned it up good. Immediatly got great vacuum - I have to keep the relief valve open a few turns to keep the vacuum under 20. I've been running it at 18.

Yesterday I had it on and off several times because I was concerned with frying it. After about 2 hours it gets pretty hot to the touch, as does the oil vapor. The electric motor stays pretty cool.

Today, pump went on about 10 and I plan to run it all day. Figure I've got to put the old girl to the test to see if she can deliver. Anyway, assuming something does not malfunction, can these be pumps be run for 12 or more hours without self destructing?

[Krasas Maple Products]

How many taps do you have running back there and how much does one of those cost? is it gas or electric? We have about 200 taps but could go up to 3-400 on a line and we are trying to find a cheap way of maybe hooking up a pump.

[maplwrks]

Be careful Danno,Delaval does NOT make parts for the 75 anymore. I think I would drop it back to 18" and see if she still heats up. You can also put a fan blowing on it to help cool it down.

[maplwrks]

OOOPS! I just finished reading your post. Try dropping it down to 15". This is where it was designed to run. Good Luck

[maplehound]

I have been running mine at about 18" for the last several years. I also run it for 20 hours at a time. As long as it has plenty of oil going to it, or as in my case I have a reclaimer, make sure it is full of oil and a good grade of oil. The dairy dealer near me sold me a high cooling oil to use since I was running it for such a long time.
As for the cost of such a pump. I again have been real lucky and have found them at auctions. The best one that I have been using for several years I paid $10, Even the dairy dealer was shocked and offered me $100 for it. I have since bought another one for $50 that didn't turn out to be in as good of shape but I keep it for a spare. Both of these pumps are 2 hp Another pump I have is 3 hp and I gave $350 for it.

[danno]

Maplehound - does yours get real hot to the touch after a couple of hours? I'm using vacuum oil from Tractor Supply and keeping her full up. On 300 taps, I'm running her at 18 at the releaser. Stays right at 18 along the 2500' line I use to get to my taps. At the top of my taps I'm down to 13 but I can hear the leaks. I've got a few leaks to fix.

To Krasas question - the motor/pump were free to me as they came out of my bro-in-laws barn. But that does not mean I want to blow it up.

[maplehound]

The get hot to the touch but as long as they arn't smoking I don't worry to awfull much. I guess I just feel that after as many years as I have had the pump that it doesn't owe me anything if it does quit. But I would be real bumbed out if it did quit. I have had to fill the pump with deisel fuel a couple times, just to get it freed up a little. The dealer told me that it is common for these pumps to get gummed up from the oil gelling on the bearings and around the pump veins. If you fill the whole housing up with deisel or kerosein it will free them up to the point where the motor runs easier and the pump will run cooler over all. If you can thow check with a dairy dealer and see if he has an oil meant for high heat disipation.

[mapleman3]

I asked Syrupmaker which whom I "traded" with to get my Deleval 75 if I should break it down and check it it's my 3rd year with it. He rebuilt it for me before he gave it to me. He said if it'd pulling the vacuum it's doing it's job. I run 19" steady ALL day... it has no trouble getting there. I do run SAE 20 non detergent oil in it.. and keep a box fan on HIGH blowing over it anytime I run it... sure I go through oil... about a pint or so each day... but the ole girl hums along just fine.... yes if I dont run the fan to disperse the heat I would be more worried... but think about all of the vac systems out there as Rick says Clogged with hay or sawdust, in a corner of the barn running for hours with no air movement... and they are still running !!

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[royalmaple]

Danno-

I got my delaval 73 running at the house and I run it all day long, thaw to freeze and it has been fine. When I first started using it, it was colder and would get hot to the touch, I recently put a box fan on it and even though it is outside and has good air movement that fan really helps. It just gets warm now and I run it at 18" with my regulator. Unreal but that fan even though is not ducted right on the pump head, just blowing over it does make a huge difference.

[maplehound]

Maple hill,
I would get you a picture of my pump but it is out in the sugar bush and I am not allowed to go to the woods. that is why I am not making syrup this year after my back surgery. If I think about it I will try ti get some pictures of it this summer.

[danno]

Pump ran like a champ today from 10 am to 6 pm, and so did the sap. Any preferance running 20 weight over vacuum oil, is there a reason for one over the other.

Anybody running long exhaust pipes? My pump is about 5' from my holding tank and I don't like all that oil vapor that close to my sap.

Now if I could get my sap pumps running. After pumping about 100 gallons of sap tonight, both pumps are now malfunctioing and my holding tank will overflow tomorrow.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[maplehound]

The reclaimer on my pump is definitly a factory job. It is part of the pump housing. The pump would be open at the bottom and sits on a base that is full of oil. Then I believe there are chanels that pick up the oil and send it to the bearings. I have seen some of them that others have put there own pickup tubes on to bypass the built in ones. After the oil goes through the bearings it just falls back down into the base.

[markcasper]

ok you guys, now i am scared. I got one of my sp-11 surges fired right now. I started out at 3.5 #'s and 6 hours later I was running 18.5 #'s after fixing leaks. It was on at 10 this morning, shut it off at 4 to drain the oil, filled her up and will be running all night, tomorrow and maybe even all night tomorrow night and the next day before the cool down arrives. I don't have a regulator on this pump, the pump head was hot to the touch, but not "smokin". Think the petcock should be opened a tad?

[Pete33Vt]

I got my pump up and running yesterday. It was filled with kerosene, and I drained it and filled with new oil. Cost of the oil was 58.00 for five gallons. My uncle and I spilt the cost cause he needed some to. With only 240 taps on it so far it did great, pulled it in like a demon. Gonna fire it up as soon as I can today. There is no regulator on it, I just crack open one of the valves so the pumps not working to hard and it seems to do ok. It a Surge Alamo pump, not sure on size or numbers. Goanna take out one of the windows in the vaccum shed just to give it more fresh air to breath. Like I said so far so good. Another uncle of mine had his all rebuilt and plumb back up. That pump burnt up on Sat. Cost him 4200.00 for a new pump. This is the same uncle that had to buy a new set of pans last year, cuase of frezee up. I hope my seasons better than his, as far as luck goes.

[Russell Lampron]

I run my Delaval 73 at 18". This past weekend I ran it from 11:00 Saturday morning until 8:300 Sunday night only shutting it off once Saturday night to top up the oil for the overnighter. The electric motor that has a built in cooling fan was hotter than the pump. I use Dexron automatic transmission oil in it.

Danno if you haven't yet you want to clean the mung out of the oil reservoir on your pump. You'll be surprised at how much crap is in there. My exhaust pipe is about 6' tall and I usually have a mist more like steam coming out of it. It is directed away from my holding tanks.

Russ

[Hal]

[QUOTE=danno;27252]Anybody running long exhaust pipes? My pump is about 5' from my holding tank and I don't like all that oil vapor that close to my sap.

I am running a De Laval 75 with a 2 horse electric motor also. The pump is right next to the sap tank, so I hooked up a hundred feet of four inch unperforated "elephant gut" corrugated plastic drain pipe to the exhaust. It has worked well except for condensing moisture in the low part of the pipe. When this happens I have to raise the pipe from one end to the other and let it drain. The long exhaust does seem to raise the pressure in the oil reservoir. After it blew the fill plug out and sprayed me with hot oil one night when I re-started it after checking the oil, I made a strap to hold the plug down.

I ran the pump at 18" last year, sometimes 40 hours at a time, shutting down twice a day to check the oil. It stayed reasonably cool the whole time. This was the second year I had used it. The first year, I had to replace the bearings half way through the season. This was not surprising, as the pump was one of a pair I bought at an auction for $15. Before that I had a Surge Alamo, and it gave me nothing but trouble. I got so I could completely disassemble it in about two minutes. It was a loaner from my neighbor, and I was glad when he wanted it back.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[danno]

Hi Russ -

Yes, I went completly through the pump before I began running it. Worst areas were the oil reservior and input pipe, both were a mess, now sparkling clean. How often to folks empty and clean the reservoir - once a season?, more often?

Good to hear everybodies good experiences with the Deleval. She's banging away right now.

I'm using Tractor Supply Vacuum oil designed for Dairy pumps at $6/gallon.

I'd love to put a 20' long exhaust pipe on, but I'd be afraid of overheating the pump.