Delaval sterling 20

[jasonl6]

I was out cruising a back road last week on my way to pick up some saw blades from reshapening and happened upon an old barn. The place is a camp and i have never seen anyone there but that day there was. So i stoped to see if they had any old pumps. The guy said he didn't know and didn't have time to look then but would call me back. Two days later i was over that way again and saw a different man there. So i asked him, he too didn't know but said i could look. So i did look and found an old pump in the corner. He said to stop back on next week and ask his dad about it.

Fast forward to today... I stoped this morning and spoke to the man. He said i could have the pump for some syrup (good trade). Two quarts later and 20 mins and i am at home cleaning this old pump up. The tag says it's a Delaval sterling 20. The line comming into the pump had a (bucket) type thing hanging before the pump. The lines then go into the pump and out to the old tank. The "bucket" lid also says delaval and 1921 so she's an old girl.

Without pics can anyone tell me anything about it? I can get some pics and post them later tonight if it would be helpful. Can this be used for sap vac or it a strick dairy pump?

I did do a search or two and came up with nothing on this old timmer.

thanks
Jason

[Haynes Forest Products]

Does the old bucket look like a moisture trap? Does it have a seal and wire spring like handle that holds the bucket up to a cast iron top? As far as the pump being for cows just spray some white spots on the trees so they think their Cows;) If it will create vacuum and you have the system then I would say your in the game. Now get it working as good as it can get:)

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I think the "bucket" is a moisture trap to prevent any moisture or milk from a kicled over machine from getting into the pump. Is it a piston style pump?

[jasonl6]

thanks guys for the info. This is my first vacuum pump so i really don't know allot about it. The more i cleaned it the more i learned. She pulls vacuum though buy hand. Here are some pics maybe you can glen some info. The "bucket" is deff a moisture trap. Not sure if i need to continue to use this or not? There is also a little glass soda looking bottle under a metal protective cover. This looks like a place to add oil is that correct?

Here are some pics after cleanup (the man that gave this too me said he bought the "farm" 35 years ago and no farming had been done for years before that.

[farmall h]

jasonl6, yes that is a moisture trap/vacuum storage tank. In the old days one would release the spring and dump out the milk (as Thompson's Tree Farms stated). Most common on these older pumps. I have an old VP4 Anderson Milkeroo, circa: 1955 that has the same size moisture trap/vac storage tank. Mine does not have the wire hold down. The top lip has a rubber gasket and the tank is held up by hand until vacuum takes hold. When the pump is shut off the tank drops to the pump frame..1/2" drop. Then you empty out what ever entered the line. Should be good for a couple hundred taps.

[jasonl6]

Should be good for a couple hundred taps.

SAWEET, thats exactly what i'm looking for for this first trial run. Anyone know where i can get a gauge so i can tell how much vac i am pulling once i have this set up?

thanks
Jason

[farmall h]

SAWEET, thats exactly what i'm looking for for this first trial run. Anyone know where i can get a gauge so i can tell how much vac i am pulling once i have this set up?

thanks
Jason

Jason, just go to your local hardware store or autoparts store and get a vacuum gauge that reads up to 30 Hg. The old timers never used vac gauges back then cause they were only milking one possibly two cows with a pump this size. Max vacuum for milking a cow is 14-18. More than likely you can get some sch.40 BI fittings and plumb the gauge in. It may be a good idea to remove the old piping and install new so as to prevent leakage...unless it is so rusted that you don't want to damage the castings. Try it the way it is first...

[Haynes Forest Products]

If your not in a hurry call 1-800-488-3407 Surplus center they will send a cataloge and they have the Glycerin filled guages that will last alot longer $12.00. They have solenoids all sorts of cool stuff. I have the same pump and oil bottle and cover. dont break the bottle its hard to find. Its a vane pump and has alot of intricate castings and air pasages its a very confusing pump.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I concur on changing the piping. If there are flakes of loose rust on the inside of the intake pipe, they may suck into the pump and score the sides or damage the vanes.

[jasonl6]

the pipes are in great condition (though there is some gunk inside). Everything comes appart easily. I'll replum it anyways because i need to plum in my releaser. I drianed the oil out and it's nasty. Anyone ever tried to run a transmission fluid in these for a few mins to clean them up? Tranny fluids have detergents in them. We use to use this trick to clean high milage motors right before oil changes. Also is Stright SAE 30 good for this motor considering the cold it may be working in?

Jason

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Our milk pump maintainance guy used to run a few table spoon full of diesel through the pump to help clean the gunk out of the vanes. He would just pour it slowly into the intake port of the pump as it ran and it would blow right out the exhaust. This was done with normal oil in the pump and that oil would be changed after the diesel treatment.

[Haynes Forest Products]

The type of gunk build up in this type of pump can get thick and nasty BUT it does come off with hot soapy water. Its not like cleaning an old engine. I would power wash the outside and run real hot soapy water thru the pump and then flood with diesel. As far as oil I would run the thicker pump oils because of the oiling system on the pump.

[Russell Lampron]

I used to run Dexron ATF all of the time in the Delaval 73 that I used to have. That is what I am using in my SP 22 now.

[jasonl6]

Had a little time today so i made a stand for my vacuum pump and releaser. Had some 6/4 (1 1/2") Ash laying around that happened to be 10" wide. I made the stand so it can straddle my 275gal holding tank.

I picked up the releaser at an auction for $120 (more than i wanted to pay but it had cap of 2" in and 1" out. I bought two 1 1/2" check valves from Home Depot this weekend along w/ some other fittings. In total i have $180 total into the entire setup (including the pump) as seen in these pics. I have a vac gauge ordered and need to plum this into the line someplace (thinking i will just drill and tap the 1" line going to the releaser).

Do i need this big of a catch can? Not that i can reduce the size anyway but just wondered.:lol:

thanks
Jason

----> my son in the pics helped allot on this project. Part of the reason i love sappin (family) :D

[KenWP]

Be the first time in that pumps life it ever had a realeaser on it. I have used that pump also and all it sucked was air to run the milking machine. The milk went straight to a tank hanging under the cow so the moisture trap was to collect what ever moisture was in the lines between milkings. I am glad I only have to milk a couple cows a day that way anymore.

[farmall h]

Jasonl6, your set up looks great. The only place I can see that you can put a vacuum gauge would be right at the exit of the moisture tank. Maybe a BI Tee reduced to 1/4" to accept a gauge. I have a different brand of pump but it is set up identical with the moisture tank. You should keep the tank 'cause it acts as vacuum canister for storage. It is very rare that any moisture will collect in the tank unless you have too much vacuum to the Bender releaser and sometimes it won't release the sap and may suck some up the vac line. If that does happen you may have to install extra weight on the rod...we can trouble shoot that here on the trader if that happens. Have you run it with water yet? Oh, and for exhaust just run 1" black pvc pipe out through a hole in the wall. You should also get one of the jar/mufflers to quiet it down and to reclaim any oil that may blow out the exhaust. Looks good...lets see it in action!:)

[jasonl6]

Gonna seal everything up tomorrow morning and give it a test run with water. I am concerned though about the suction. Before i put everything on (the moisture trap and releaser) when i put my hand over the intake pipe it was hard to remove it (felt like allot of vac). Now though it feels very minimal when i put it over the intake of the releaser.

I'm going to use vasoline on the seal of the releaser and calk the top of the moisture tank (it has an rubber plug on the bottom that sucks up with vac and releases when the vac is off) so i should never have to open it up again.

All i have is a dig camera with video so i might be able to capture some and post it.

Thanks for the help and support. Looking forward to 11' already

Jason

[lpakiz]

One place vacuum might be escaping is out the "dump" check valve on the bottom. Put a hand over that while the pump is running and make sure it is holding...

[Haynes Forest Products]

Becarful about using Vaseline on Gaskets. Some rubber turns to mush if you use the wrong oil product.

[jasonl6]

here is the video guys and gals. Thanks again for the help. I let it cycle for over 1/2 an hour with no problems.

Should have my vac gauge this week then i can plum that in and see what it's pulling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9u1jTJr2fU

let me know it anything looks out of the ordinary.

jason

[Dennis H.]

Nice little setup. Great find for 200.

[ennismaple]

Great work. Definitely a nice setup for your first time on vacuum. How many taps will you have on this?

[farmall h]

Hey hey...your up and running! Of course..when the sap is running it won't be a constant flow but it will fill up and do the job. Nice!:)

[jasonl6]

Great work. Definitely a nice setup for your first time on vacuum. How many taps will you have on this?

Thanks! I think the section of woods will have around 200 taps. It's fairly flat so thats why i wanted the vac. Probably look for another vac to do my hill. That has potentional for over 800. I'll get a few hundred on gravity this year and the small section i spoke about on vac. Should be a huge step up form the 150 bucks i had this year :-)

jason