Thread: Restoring a Weir boiler feed pump

Thanks A Duke,
I have nearly stopped crying.

Originally Posted by neksmerj

Phil,

You were warned about taking nude pictures of your missus.........

Seriously, how did the camera get busted?

Ken

Hi ken,
This is what happens when you don't zip the camera bag up properly just before you get out of the car.

Phil

Hi Phill,

Just found this thread after finding the metal working section....

doing some good work there. Haven't been through every page in detail but had not seen if you have posted about and background about it or how old this pump is - is it around 30s? can't say I have worked on any like it, but have work on a few Worthington boiler feed pumps while working on some large power generation equipment a few years ago.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Zsteve

Hi Phill,

Just found this thread after finding the metal working section....

doing some good work there. Haven't been through every page in detail but had not seen if you have posted about and background about it or how old this pump is - is it around 30s? can't say I have worked on any like it, but have work on a few Worthington boiler feed pumps while working on some large power generation equipment a few years ago.

Cheers

Hi Zsteve,
Welcome to the dark side
As it happens I am also rebuilding a duplex double acting Worthington at work. For some reason it seems way more fun at home
Don't be a stranger

Phil

Phil. Do yourself a favour and get a UV filter for the new lens. Just leave it on permanently. If it gets scratched or broken, it is cheap to replace. Much cheaper than a complete new lens kit.


Regards,

John.

Well today I finally got the other plug unscrewed from the base of the pump. I was going to say that patience is the biggest tool in the shed but I think we all know that 'might' be me .
I did have to resort to a bit of heat....again but once again, not enough heat to do damage. I have a little Sievert LPG bottle that I use and only played the heat on it for about 4 or 5 minutes. I then stood the pump upright and flooded the little cavity that has been made from possibly, some cavitation, perhaps erosion, with some Rost Off. I then headed off for a cup of coffee to let it cool down and suck some of the 'elixir of release' into it. Upon my return, I picked up the little club hammer and my by now, well beaten 3/4" drive breaker bar with the appropriate size socket on it and gave it another 'love tap' .
My goodness, I could've sworn that moved. It was at this point the little lady came out to check on the progress and grabbed the other end of the pump to steady it while I hit the breaker bar. It moved some more.
I rocked the plug back and forward and sprayed some more Rost Off in the direction of the thread area and kept working and spraying.
Suffice it to say, "it is off".
Just ignore SWMBO, she kept getting into the shot and this is the only one that isn't completely blurry, Damn camera/phone
IMG_3464.jpg IMG_3474.jpg

Phil

Now that the plug is out, I got the chance to inspect the lower end of the liner. I would like to remove the liner but it seems some abuse may have taken place. I would guess the discharge valve may have inadvertently been left shut upon starting the pump. Weir pumps should be shutdown on the upstroke for reasons that would just get...well...boring. Consequently, on startup there was nowhere for the pressure to go so the liner has expanded itself into it's housing but predominately in the upper half. When I say 'expanded' I mean the middle section has ballooned out but moreso at the top end. A rough measurement was made and at it's worst it is approx .200" on diameter larger than it should be. In other words the gap under the ruler closer to the camera is approx. .100" (about 2.5mm)
To remove the liner I would have to destroy it. Making a new one is not a problem but buying the material is .
IMG_3481.jpg IMG_3483.jpg IMG_3491.jpg IMG_3500.jpg

Phil

Originally Posted by Wimmera Jack

Phil. Do yourself a favour and get a UV filter for the new lens. Just leave it on permanently. If it gets scratched or broken, it is cheap to replace. Much cheaper than a complete new lens kit.


Regards,

John.

Good news John, it is the UV filter Problem is the threaded part has been severely dented (on the filter) and is being a bugger to unscrew. Might have to get the tools out for that one.
Your advice is very sound. I doubt I would even use a camera without a UV lens, more so now.

Phil

Hi Phil,
Bad news on both the camera and the sleeve.
Good to see that drain plug out though. I prefer the use of a hot air gun for gentle warming, its harder to overheat a spot than with a flame, and i'll be stuffed if i'm using the oxy for something like that......

What are the sleeves made from?

Cheers
Ew

Originally Posted by Ueee

Hi Phil,
Bad news on both the camera and the sleeve.
Good to see that drain plug out though. I prefer the use of a hot air gun for gentle warming, its harder to overheat a spot than with a flame, and i'll be stuffed if i'm using the oxy for something like that......

What are the sleeves made from?

Cheers
Ew

Hi Ewan,
I'm hearin' ya on the heat thing. I break out in a sweat everytime I use heat on old gear (maybe it's the heat that does that). When I heated the plug, the surrounding cast iron was still cool to the touch.
The pump liner is made of a type of Brass. It is an alloy of Copper Tin and Zinc. If you listen to the immortal words of G & J Weir it is a 'special gunmetal' I have no idea what percentage the composition is though.

Phil

LG2 is 85% Copper and 5% each of Zinc Tin and Lead......
What size is it?

Originally Posted by Ueee

LG2 is 85% Copper and 5% each of Zinc Tin and Lead......
What size is it?

Hi Ewan,
It has a 4" bore and about 5/16" wall thickness. And is about 8" long. That's about 100 mm and about 8 mm wall and about 200 long.

Phil

Good news about the plug Phil, but is this such a good idea?

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

When I heated the plug, the surrounding cast iron was still cool to the touch.

I would have thought either heating everything or heating just the cast iron keeping the plug as cool would be the way to go? You dont want the plug to be bigger than the hole!
Still seems to have worked

Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Good news about the plug Phil, but is this such a good idea?

I would have thought either heating everything or heating just the cast iron keeping the plug as cool would be the way to go? You dont want the plug to be bigger than the hole!
Still seems to have worked

Stuart

Hi Stuart,
This is where it gets tricky. As you can see on the plug, there is a bit of wastage which means that there could also be some wastage in the base of the pump plus there are some thin sections attached to thick sections of the cast pump housing. I couldn't afford to put too much heat into that area. What I tried to achieve is to make a micro dimension change to the plug size to break the bond between the plug thread and the housing thread and not majorly change the size of the plug. I was lucky in this situation in that I could pour some of the 'elixir of release' down into the pump chamber and flood the other end of the plug. As the plug cooled, well, went from warm to room temperature, it would draw in the liquid and lubricate the threaded area and theoretically the plug would undo.
Well bugga me, it worked...this time .
I see what you are saying by heating the cast iron around the plug which makes the hole bigger and that works %99.99 of the time but I didn't have that luxury here. I only get one shot at this.

Phil

[QUOTE=Steamwhisperer;1650193]Hi Ewan,
It has a 4" bore and about 5/16" wall thickness. And is about 8" long. That's about 100 mm and about 8 mm wall and about 200 long.
Hi Phil what a bout a light skim to true up bore and make an o/s piston to suit got a portable boring bar here to use if you want and a hone to take it out to running fit.Is it just a straight sleeve? and is it pressed in with a collar or is it just a parallel liner.Other way would be to get ci sleeve and use that,you are using a lubricator so ci to ci would be ok.About time we caught up and had that coffee am a stones throw away from dig 100metres diag opposite.Cheers John.ps got some old diesel liners here about that size.Just thinking that the liner has hour glassed so liner would have no back support along the bore length?? may be a mod needed doing now to avoid same in future also thinking thinner sleeve only exacerbate a future hour glass episode.

[QUOTE=j.ashburn;1651457]

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

Hi Ewan,
It has a 4" bore and about 5/16" wall thickness. And is about 8" long. That's about 100 mm and about 8 mm wall and about 200 long.
Hi Phil what a bout a light skim to true up bore and make an o/s piston to suit got a portable boring bar here to use if you want and a hone to take it out to running fit.Is it just a straight sleeve? and is it pressed in with a collar or is it just a parallel liner.Other way would be to get ci sleeve and use that,you are using a lubricator so ci to ci would be ok.About time we caught up and had that coffee am a stones throw away from dig 100metres diag opposite.Cheers John.ps got some old diesel liners here about that size.Just thinking that the liner has hour glassed so liner would have no back support along the bore length?? may be a mod needed doing now to avoid same in future also thinking thinner sleeve only exacerbate a future hour glass episode.

Hi John,
Having never taken one of these out before I am only imagining that it is a parallel liner that has been machined to a tolerance at either end and a slight undercut in the middle section. I would also imagine that the bottom end is a smaller OD than the top end otherwise the forces required to press a cylinder in over that length would be too great. It also might be a transition fit and is now held tightly by rusting from the housing.
Whichever way I go I think because of the 'hourglassing' (I like that term) , I am going to have to destroy it to get it out.
Not sure on using cast Iron as a replacement liner due to the intermittent use it is likely to get. Lubrication is only available on the steam end and using soluble oil injected into the water makes boilers have a 'hissy fit'.
I hate to say it but I am going to have to bite the bullet and save up for a bit of brass and machine a new one as there is just a bit too much 'hourglassing' (still love it) going on there.
100 metres from the 'Dig' is walking distance John, how handy is that! I will see if I can get a 'leave pass' this weekend and pop over. I'll call you if I manage to jag one.

Phil