Surge vacuum pump with no vacuum

[Pete Lindsay]

Hi:

I bought what I believe is an old Surge Alamo 30 Vacuum pump last summer, and recently I got at it and put a vacuum gauge on it. This is an old pump that has sat at least 10 years since it milked it's last goat. I have done everything that I can think of to get it to register some vacuum on the gauge, but to no avail. It is sitting with the pump full of diesel fuel to try to free up the parts right now.

Can anyone tell me how to get this thing registering vacuum?????

Thanks:

[lmathews]

pull off the end of the pump opposite the pulley and you should see the 4 fins remove them,wash them,oil them,reinstall use rtv blue and put end back on and that should fix it.also the fins can be flipped if there looks to be any chips or wear marks hope this helps.

[Pete Lindsay]

What is rtv blue? is it a gasket material??

[caseyssugarshack93]

does it have a air tank on the side? if SO look on the bottom of that and see if the rubber flapper is still there, If its not thats why Ur not reading vacuum

[red maples]

What is rtv blue? is it a gasket material??

yeah silicone gasket seal. actaully it comes in lots of colors

[caseyssugarshack93]

i used high temp rtv and it was orange but i have black too... as redmaples said lots of colors

[maplemat1]

try when you have the side plate off to sand or buff the grooves out this is where i had problems the grooves where full of carbon like burnt stuff

[KenWP]

Carbon like burnt stuff is the fins getting hot and burning off and plugging up the system.
I take it the fins are stuck in the grooves. Maybe the fuel oil will loosen them up enough for them to actually work.

[mountainvan]

I have 4 alamos and none have any gasket material. Taking them apart is easy, along with putting them back together. I would say the vanes are stuck also.

[caseyssugarshack93]

never thought of that, now it sounds like that may be the problem unles u have a big leak somehwere,

[davey]

I would avoid the gasket material. These units are designed to work without them and creating a gap between the rotor and end cap will reduce the amount of vacuum you can create as this little bit of space lets air leak past the rotor and vanes. On the other hand, if there are pits or gouges, a little bit there would probably help.

[Haynes Forest Products]

When you go to trying to pull the side covers DONT start hammering a screwdriver between the side plate and pump barrel. Take the bolts that hold the plate on and insert into the empty threaded holes in the plate and slowly pull/push the plate off.

[Pete Lindsay]

The grooves were really built up and not letting the vanes slide up and down. I'm pulling 10 inches. Should I add or remove weights to get that to 20 inches???:
By the way, It didn't have a gasket on it, so I didn't put any on it when I put it back together.

[Pete Lindsay]

Now that I have vacuum, how do I increase it on a Surge Alamo 30????

Thanks: Pete

[mountainvan]

you increase the vacuum with a vacuum regulator. The less air going into the pump the higher the vacuum. Make sure you have oil going to the pump while running it. A well oiled pump pulls more vacuum.

[Pete Lindsay]

This pump has a set of weights on it in an oil filled cup, and a oil reservoir to keep it lubed.

If I add more weights will it increase the vacuum???
How does this vacuum regulator work??
Thanks:

[mountainvan]

I don't think weights will help get more vacuum. It's the vanes inside the pump that create the vacuum. not sure why it has weights, none of mine do, but I have oil reclaimers on mine. a vacuum regulator goes between the pump and the sap releaser. when sap flows the tree gives off co2 as well as sap, that's why vacuum pumps work. when the sap stops no co2, no air, the pump gets too hot and may burn up. the regulator has a spring that keeps it closed when the saps flowing, but opens under vacuum so the pump does not burn up. you do need a regulator to run vacuum safely. my advice is to find someone close to you with vacuum and go visit them. that's how I learned and how other guys have learned from me. hope this helps.
http://partsdeptonline.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=117&cart_id=4283438.26213&exact_match=on. here's a vacuum regulator/ relief valve that I use.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Lets slow down and make sure that we are talking about the same things. Pete said there are weights in the oil cup. I have a Vacuum regulator that has a weight in it and you regulate the amout of air into the system by the weights. Plus depending how he oils the pump you dont always need a regulator...

[Pete Lindsay]

Is it possible that this oil filled cup with weights in it is a vacuum regulator? If it wasn't regulated in some way, there is no way it would only produce 10 inches of vacuum. It would be producing 30 inches and blow itself up.

It's strange that your pumps don't have this mounted on them.

[farmall h]

Pete, I believe the weights in the oiler jar are to control the vacuum at a specified level. Most small dairy farms have the vacuum pump set between 12-15 so as not to put so much squeeze on the cow's teats which in turn cause an infection called mastitus. But that's another forum all together. Our surge vacuum pump had the weighted oiler (1970's).

PETE, try doing a search on google for surge alamo 30 operating manual....maybe find an explanation for the weights.

[mountainvan]

never heard of that setup. good luck with the pump.