surge alamo

[n8hutch]

Is it out of the question to run the electric motor and use a generator? I'm not sure what kind of amps that 4.5 hp electric motor runs at but it might be worth a try. I personally think that a 9hp would be a stretch, I think 11hp would be ideal.

[KReinisch]

I thought about the generator but that would be a pretty big generator to run that 4.5 hp motor. I think I am just going to go with the 13hp predator at harbor freight.

[S.S.S]

Get a 3hp 3phase motor and use vfd with generator. I tried a engine with our surge Alamo 100 and it didn't work worth a darn.

[maple flats]

I'll be able to let you know in 2-3 weeks if a 9 will do it. That is what I have that is going on the same pump you have. I will see what vacuum I can get with that. When I had a 6.5 on it, I could only get 17". I will be trying a 3" and a 3.5" double pulley to test it. I'm hoping for 23-24" with that. I plan to get a "real Maple pump" for next year. When the 6.5 got 17" it only had a 2.75" double. I tried a 3 but it lugged the engine, the 2.75" did not, but 17" was max because the double belts started to slip when I went higher.

[Ontario Ian]

I had gas engines, got away from them because of the problems. I run generators now with electric motors, 10 000 watt is lots for a 5hp motor. gas motor has a lot of vibration, you will have to beef up reclaimer so it doesnt crack

[maple flats]

I had gas engines, got away from them because of the problems. I run generators now with electric motors, 10 000 watt is lots for a 5hp motor. gas motor has a lot of vibration, you will have to beef up reclaimer so it doesnt crack

Besides needing to refuel 2x a day, what other issues did you have. I ran this pump on a 6.5 Honda for 4 seasons with no issues and the Alamo 30 I'm replacing has run 9 seasons on a 6.5 Honda too. At those 2 locations I only had 1 issue. The reclaimer on the bigger one, rather than just having a flapper on it, it came with a 1.5" nipple, then an elbow then a 12" nipple, all in galvanized. That was too much weight and in a third season the weight of all that finally broke the welds, I had to repair it and I then changed it to the proper flapper exhaust. I had no other issues. What were your issues?
If it makes a difference, on both units I made a pivot mount for the gas engines, the weight of the engine held the belt tight. In each case the engine has held about 1" off the platform with the belts in place on the side away from the pump. The 30 had one belt and the 75-100 has 2. That may have reduced vibration to the reclaimer.

[Ontario Ian]

I had engines bolted directly to frame, your set up maybe better for that. even with braces on mine they would still crack now and then. and they seemed to eat belts. They would stall now and then on a long run (overnight) When I got my RO I got a bigger diesel generator to run the shack, so having power on hand, I tried an electric motor and it worked very well.
so I changed 2nd bush for an electric motor also, run is with diesel welder (has 10000 watt generator). works well for me.

[maple flats]

On my Alamo 30 I used the same belt for 7 years before it needed replacing. On the Alamo 75-100 I changed to 2 new belts every second year. I only had one time when I had belt failure. That was when it got cold enough that some slush formed in the releaser. That held the dump flapper open a little and everything then froze. I then filled my moisture trap, which also froze and it pulled sap into the pump which then quit turning. The belts burned thru then. That was a mess which took about 6 hrs to fix . Took the releaser covers off and cleaned them out, removed the pump and took it home to thaw by the woodstove and took the moisture trap home and put it in the bathtub with hot water in it. I then drained the tub and refilled with hot water I think 3 more times before all of the ice cam out of my 4" PVC homemade moisture trap. That was the only time I burned the belts on the bigger pump after deciding it had to run at only 17". I burned a set or 2 before that trying 18 and at first 20" with just the 6.5 HP Honda and a 2.75" double drive pulley. At 3" drive pulleys the engine lugged and did not have enough power.

[KReinisch]

Besides needing to refuel 2x a day, what other issues did you have. I ran this pump on a 6.5 Honda for 4 seasons with no issues and the Alamo 30 I'm replacing has run 9 seasons on a 6.5 Honda too. At those 2 locations I only had 1 issue. The reclaimer on the bigger one, rather than just having a flapper on it, it came with a 1.5" nipple, then an elbow then a 12" nipple, all in galvanized. That was too much weight and in a third season the weight of all that finally broke the welds, I had to repair it and I then changed it to the proper flapper exhaust. I had no other issues. What were your issues?
If it makes a difference, on both units I made a pivot mount for the gas engines, the weight of the engine held the belt tight. In each case the engine has held about 1" off the platform with the belts in place on the side away from the pump. The 30 had one belt and the 75-100 has 2. That may have reduced vibration to the reclaimer.

So you ran the bigger alamo on a 6.5 hp? What did you do for the mount again?

[maple flats]

On the one for the 30, I used an old hinge I found, it is badly warn now. On the one for the 75-100 I welded 3 black nipples 1/2" x 2 each, spaced about 2 1/16 apart to the base and welded 2 of the same to fit in those spaces to the bottom of a 12 x 12 x 1/4 steel plate . I then ran a 7/16 x 12 bolt thru the arrangement with a hole drilled near the end for a hair pin cotter. The ones welded to the base were on a shim bolted in place to give enough height for the bolt to clear the round side pipes on the frame. My brother then milled some mounting slots and made a threaded adjuster for tension. On both the belts were supporting the engine from touching the back of the plate to the base plate under it (in other words the belt or belts held the weight up)
You need to understand, the 6.5 was not powerfull enough. I had to use a double 2.75" drive pulley on the engine with a 10" driven on the pump. With that and a spray of belt dressing every day it could only hold 17" vacuum, Everything I did to even get 18" failed, but I did not try a triple pulley, that may have attained the friction needed but then the engine did not have enough power. I tried just putting some extra weight on with a 3" but it then lugged the engine.