grimm float box fitting

[ryan marquette]

My grimm cold sap float box has a brass bushing on it to connect the line from the feed tank. It looks like it is tapered & approx 1.187" diameter. Does anyone else have this setup ? If so what do you use to connect to the bushing?
thanks ryan

[802maple]

All of the old grimm pans had this setup. There should be a ear that is on both the float box and the flue pan. Just push the float box over the flue bushing and turn until it is locked on. Some had straps or springs to hold it on also. Just keep pressure on it while turning and you shouldn't have a problem. Sometimes I would wrap the bushing with teflon tape.

[Haynes Forest Products]

What you have is the female side and you need the male fitting. They are held together by the taper . Big drill presses use a taper type fitting to hold the drill bits in place. Brass on brass if clean will hold leak free. As 802M said a slight twist as you push together and its good.

[Amber Gold]

Do you use a 1" copper pipe to fit into the bushing?

[Haynes Forest Products]

No its not tapperd. if you try it it will work lose at the worst time. Did you try the manuf. The problem is over working the rest of the unit trying to get something to stick. As a last resort you could get it tapped out to a pipe thread and then use teflon tape so it doesnt get to tight. This is a little harder to do but it works slick get a good all brass union they have round collers on them and you could solder it in the taper fitting you have. Use the threaded side on the valve. Just make sure that there isnt any solderd parts on the valve.

[802maple]

I misread your post I thought you were talking about attaching the box to the pan, there was a tappered elbow that fit there. If you have time most likely if you call Leader they will have it on stock and they will ship it to you.

[ryan marquette]

Thanks guys, I'll check with some dealers. I just thought maybe I could find some sort of normal fitting. So much for that.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Ryan: did you just use the word "normal" besides NASA i dont think anything we do or use is normal. I would go with 802Maples fix

[ryan marquette]

Well, the dealer I tried said the manuf. discontinued the part I need. I suppose I will try the union trick.

[zippy1wood]

Hi everyone new to this site been tapping for 3 yrs 50 buckets doing tubing this year maybe 100 taps additional Have a question on use of steel pans not stainless any bad points before I pick it up? its a 2x4 with cross flow divider
getting cheap looks factory heavy duty but I dont want to use if it will give a bad flavor or problem Thanks all ,learned alot from all

[maple flats]

ryan marquette, you will find that many dealers say an item is discontinued because it is no longer listed in the catalog and they don't want to be bothered. I suggest you call Leader directly (google leader evaporator and you can get the phone number off their site). Leader likely still has these in stock (Leader bought out Grimm). You say normal, seems everything maple is unique and rarely available from regular plumbing sources. This is why most parts are soooo expensive!!!

[maple flats]

If all other attempts fail, take the end you have to mate to and go to a machinist, they can easily make a brass adapter to go from the taper to a copper sweat fitting.
Dave

[802maple]

As mentioned above call Leader at 802 868 5444. They will be able to help you I am sure.

[ryan marquette]

I talked to Bruce @ Leader & he said they looked everywhere for one & can't find anymore. Infact they made a pan that needed the same fitting for Bascom & Leader got the fitting from Bascom. I called Bascom Bruce & they don't have anymore of them.

[Haynes Forest Products]

How thick is the brass fitting that you have. Is it thick enough to tap NPT and go with a screw in fitting.

[802maple]

Well you tried and now it is time to get creative along the lines of what Haynes is thinking.

[Amber Gold]

I'm having the same problem. The evaporator I have didn't come with the adapter for the float box. I'm having some repair work done to my distribution box and thermometer ports put on my syrup pan by a guy in NH that solders stainless. I'm also going to have him solder a union onto the brass bushing on the float box.

I also called Bascom's this morning and they don't have anything and can't get anything. I told him my idea of soldering on a union and thought it was a good idea.

[ryan marquette]

I solved the float problem. I tapped the fitting with a 1" npt. Now I can thread in whatever I want. Now gotta get back to my many other projects, finish building arch, cobble my old flat pan to the flue pan, get rig set in building, set up feed tank, and many others. It isn't going to be pretty(no more time & of course money), but I might just boil on my new rig yet.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Good glad it worked Brass is fun to tap things come out nice.Use teflon tape and hand tighten. I use Clear hose from my preheater and stick a pointed thermometer thru the hose to moniter the temp and you can watch the bubbles like a flow rate guage.

[danno]

Ryan - sounds like you are all set now, but what allot of us are doing, including myself, is bringing our feed line to the float box connection and joining them together with some heavy hose and clamping both ends.

Haynes - what happens when you pull your thermometer out of that hose?

[Haynes Forest Products]

I dont pull out