trash pump questions

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,225
Sailor Flat, Ca.
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SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
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Bonaro

Hero Member
Aug 9, 2004
977
2,213
Olympia WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Xterra 70, Minelab SD 2200d, 2.5", 3", 4"and several Keene 5" production dredges, Knelson Centrifuge, Gold screw automatic panner
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Goldwasher

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,225
Sailor Flat, Ca.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yeah, so you already know there is a defect when you spotted the jet of water blowing past the pump seal. Fix what you know is broke and replace this seal. I will bet your problem goes away after this.


That's the plan..

If I can get the damned impeller off.

I have to open the case clean it out and rebuild too.

Regardless I will start next season with a brand new pump. this one has paid for itself easily. I'll get it running use it as a rental/back up.

use the new one on the claim.
 

Asmbandits

Bronze Member
Mar 4, 2014
1,039
2,290
NorCal
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1525660430899.jpeg this is it, it's a spare and not needed at the moment. If you need it pm me
 

Tony_agr

Jr. Member
Jun 1, 2014
83
55
Placerville
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Fisher Gold Bug
Falcon MD20
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My thoughts exactly, Bad seal, bearing on impeller shaft or cracked block, or the oil filler cap is not sealed allowing condensation into oil sump
is the motor running hotter than normal? strange smells? any indication of engine starting to seize? if no to all of those,I'd start with the oil filler plug first
 

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Goldwasher

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,225
Sailor Flat, Ca.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My thoughts exactly, Bad seal, bearing on impeller shaft or cracked block, or the oil filler cap is not sealed allowing condensation into oil sump
is the motor running hotter than normal? strange smells? any indication of engine starting to seize? if no to all of those,I'd start with the oil filler plug first

It has two filler plugs. It wasn't that.

It's a stream of water leaking from the pump housing jetting right against the main seal.

Leak started, I noticed water didn't know it was a new leak.. minutes later engine shut down.

next day full flush new oil five minutes running creamed oil again.

Still don't know how to get the impeller off.

Probably just gonna get a new pump.
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
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Still don't know how to get the impeller off.

Probably just gonna get a new pump.


I don't know exactly how your pump is designed, or if youve ever taken apart a pump before. Typically, you will remove the front half of the pump housing which then leaves the impeller exposed on the its shaft, in front of the rear housing. Impellar are typically reverse threaded so that the when the shaft turns, they don't try to unscrew themselves. Take the cover off the pull-starter on the other side of the engine and either use something to block the starter in place, or use heavy gauge wire to tie off the starter to the the frame, or housing or something else that cant move. Then use a strap wrench to un-screw the impeller. If you are in a IDGAF mood, put a big ol' screw driver or steel bar into an impeller vane hole and unscrew it that way (note: this has a 90% chance of bending a vane and a 60% chance of ruining the impeller). Once the impeller is off, you'll have access to the rear housing bolts.

Thats how MOST pumps come apart, but again I'm not certain if yours will be the same.
 

akflyer

Full Member
Jun 29, 2017
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easiest way is to pull the plug and shove a bunch of rope down the plug hole to lock the engine up. You can get a piston locking tool cheep too that just threads into the plug hole and the piston hits on the end of the tools shaft.
 

The1rod

Full Member
Jan 18, 2018
116
363
Hudson co
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If you have room between the pump and the motor, you might want to look into a slinger to put on the shaft to help keep water out of the motor if the seal starts leaking again.
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
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easiest way is to pull the plug and shove a bunch of rope down the plug hole to lock the engine up. You can get a piston locking tool cheep too that just threads into the plug hole and the piston hits on the end of the tools shaft.

what?! Dang it, I've been doing it the hard way all this time! where were you with this vital info 8 years ago.... :laughing7: would have saved me a lot of frustration.
 

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Goldwasher

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,225
Sailor Flat, Ca.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I Know "how" to get the impeller off

That's not the issue. It is on there tight. Hard to get purchase on the impeller.

Also it is large In diameter. bigger than my strap wrench. The way the back of the pump housing is made is making it hard to get any thing around it.

I can rebuild anything I can get apart been doing it for years. Just happen to have a pump that doesn't want to come apart.
 

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Assembler

Silver Member
May 10, 2017
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Use heat from a torch to expand the metal impeller bind or seal on the shaft. Then remove.
 

arizau

Bronze Member
May 2, 2014
2,485
3,871
AZ
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I Know "how" to get the impeller off

That's not the issue. It is on there tight. Hard to get purchase on the impeller.

Also it is large In diameter. bigger than my strap wrench. The way the back of the pump housing is made is making it hard to get any thing around it.

I can rebuild anything I can get apart been doing it for years. Just happen to have a pump that doesn't want to come apart.

I'm far from being a mechanic but it occurs to me that maybe you can drill, tap and insert, in a triangle pattern,* "longish" bolts into the impeller that you can get a purchase on(?).

Good luck.

*Triangle so strap has full and even contact all the way around without precise measuring.
 

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N-Lionberger

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Dec 1, 2013
1,367
1,962
Arcata, California
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Those pesky impellers! I have had much trouble with them my best luck involved the rope trick and some spray on stuff that is supposed to freeze the heck out of a bolt to loosen it only I heated the sucker up with a plumbing torch and shocked it with the spray.
 

winners58

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Apr 4, 2013
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I use a chain wrench I got at the discount tool store, then put it on my 1/2" breaker bar
looks like this.
71u8QmDzdUL._SL1500_.jpg
 

Bonaro

Hero Member
Aug 9, 2004
977
2,213
Olympia WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Xterra 70, Minelab SD 2200d, 2.5", 3", 4"and several Keene 5" production dredges, Knelson Centrifuge, Gold screw automatic panner
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Try blocking the impeller from turning with a wedge or visegrips...whatever...then put your strap wrench on the flywheel
 

Assembler

Silver Member
May 10, 2017
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Try blocking the impeller from turning with a wedge or visegrips...whatever...then put your strap wrench on the flywheel
There is a problem with blocking the impeller as to not distort it that will cause a imbalance or other damage. The result will be the impeller will not rotate / run true (off balance) and pump water like it should.
 

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Bonaro

Hero Member
Aug 9, 2004
977
2,213
Olympia WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Xterra 70, Minelab SD 2200d, 2.5", 3", 4"and several Keene 5" production dredges, Knelson Centrifuge, Gold screw automatic panner
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
There is a problem with blocking the impeller as to not distort it that will cause a imbalance or other damage. The result will be the impeller will not rotate / run true (off balance) and pump water like it should.

So fricken what?
if the seal is dead you have to fix it ...and if destroying the impeller is the only way to get at the seal...then stop screwing the pooch and take the God damn thing apart any way you can and fix whatever breaks!
Then replace what is broken and get on with your life and go mining. I dont know what kind of pump this is but it sounds like a Pacer. In the event you actually manage to kill the impeller, it's a $25 part. How much time are you willing to waste to save $25?
 

Assembler

Silver Member
May 10, 2017
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So fricken what?
if the seal is dead you have to fix it ...and if destroying the impeller is the only way to get at the seal...then stop screwing the pooch and take the God damn thing apart any way you can and fix whatever breaks!
Then replace what is broken and get on with your life and go mining. I dont know what kind of pump this is but it sounds like a Pacer. In the event you actually manage to kill the impeller, it's a $25 part. How much time are you willing to waste to save $25?
Great point if the impeller is only around $25.00 and can be easily replaced. Then what ever it takes to remove the impeller is good. If the impeller is hard to replace then taking a extra step or two should be looked at if not much extra time is spent. The use of heat by the way is cheap and fast and if done right will not damage the impeller.

Just pointing out that the impeller can be damaged that is all. The same is true when replacing the seals as well.
The seals should be easy to get and not cost very much. Don't waste much time and cost on the seals and the impeller as one can buy a new pump setup. Just some things to look at.
 

Bonaro

Hero Member
Aug 9, 2004
977
2,213
Olympia WA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Xterra 70, Minelab SD 2200d, 2.5", 3", 4"and several Keene 5" production dredges, Knelson Centrifuge, Gold screw automatic panner
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Great point if the impeller is only around $25.00 and can be easily replaced. Then what ever it takes to remove the impeller is good. If the impeller is hard to replace then taking a extra step or two should be looked at if not much extra time is spent. The use of heat by the way is cheap and fast and if done right will not damage the impeller.

Just pointing out that the impeller can be damaged that is all. The same is true when replacing the seals as well.
The seals should be easy to get and not cost very much. Don't waste much time and cost on the seals and the impeller as one can buy a new pump setup. Just some things to look at.

He said it was Briggs motor. The only kind of pump on a Briggs is a Pacer. All pacer pumps have plastic impellers and housings. If you get out your torch you will be replacing most or all of the pump
 

Assembler

Silver Member
May 10, 2017
3,109
1,187
Detector(s) used
Whites, Fisher, Garrett, and Falcon.
Primary Interest:
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He said it was Briggs motor. The only kind of pump on a Briggs is a Pacer. All pacer pumps have plastic impellers and housings. If you get out your torch you will be replacing most or all of the pump
There are Briggs engine trash pumps that have aluminum impeller.
If the impeller is plastic then buy a new one but first try a hot air torch with little to loose if the impeller is damaged.
 

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