March pump issues- help appreciated!

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Yooper

Yooper

Ale's What Cures You!
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My March 809 got clogged with grain/flour and died on me.

I took it apart, and with the head off, the motor works fine. When the head is put back on, it dies.

So, that means something with the impeller I assume. I took it apart again, and there is no debris, and the impeller turns freely. It's clean as a whistle in the places I can see.

Is there a diagram somewhere so I can see if something is missing/broken? Or find out why this seems to be happening?

All advice is welcome and appreciated!
 
809 pump diagram

Here is an exploded view of the the 809 series pumps. Have you taken the impeller out?

Some of the pumps do not have the thrust washer in them and over time do seize up. That happened in my case after 3 years of use. I replaced the impeller with the 815 series. It came in a "kit" with a thurst washer and a new O ring.

I bought it from Tesco Pumps 815 Impeller kit

The larger impeller was a big improvement in my system.

Good luck!
 
Wayne1 said:
809 pump diagram

Here is an exploded view of the the 809 series pumps. Have you taken the impeller out?

Some of the pumps do not have the thrust washer in them and over time do seize up. That happened in my case after 3 years of use. I replaced the impeller with the 815 series. It came in a "kit" with a thurst washer and a new O ring.

I bought it from Tesco Pumps 815 Impeller kit

The larger impeller was a big improvement in my system.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

I get a "page not found" error on the first link.

I took the impeller out, and looked at it. It looks fine.
 
I would think it's the thrust washer as well. The impeller gets sucked towards the front inlet and without a washer will bind up a bit. Do you have a thrust washer installed?
 
google search found this if it helps. I also read some where you can run a drill but through the impeller to clean it out if sugar buildup dried on it but dont know what size bit you would need to use.
 
If you have the pump apart then check for the thrust washer...should be on the shaft between the impeller and the front housing....the older versions are black so it may be hard to see against the back housing...the newer ones are white. Its a teflon washer and can wear out over time depending on how they are used. If its missing and your in a bind and need something same day then look for something that has a 1/4" hole to fit over the shaft...and its 13/32" O.D. and its 1/32" thick

And as for drilling the impeller...only do that if you are having issues with the pump de-coupling when the temps start climbing past 180* or if you accidently ran the pump dry or have a big buildup of crud inside the impeller......the drill bit size is 17/64" (next size up from 1/4") and just pass it right through the center of the impeller.

If you still have trouble with the pump then just shoot it back to us here and we can go though it and see what the issue is...we dont charge for evaluations so all you would spend is for the trip over to us..
 
WalterAtMarchPump said:
If you have the pump apart then check for the thrust washer...should be on the shaft between the impeller and the front housing....the older versions are black so it may be hard to see against the back housing...the newer ones are white. Its a teflon washer and can wear out over time depending on how they are used. If its missing and your in a bind and need something same day then look for something that has a 1/4" hole to fit over the shaft...and its 13/32" O.D. and its 1/32" thick

And as for drilling the impeller...only do that if you are having issues with the pump de-coupling when the temps start climbing past 180* or if you accidently ran the pump dry or have a big buildup of crud inside the impeller......the drill bit size is 17/64" (next size up from 1/4") and just pass it right through the center of the impeller.

If you still have trouble with the pump then just shoot it back to us here and we can go though it and see what the issue is...we dont charge for evaluations so all you would spend is for the trip over to us..
Click to expand...

Thanks Walter (and everybody!). I have it apart, and I don't see the thrust washer on the shaft. Dumb question, but where did it go? The only thing I can think of is I clogged it up with grain on my last brewday and took the head off to clear it out. Maybe it fell out/off?
 
Oh, for Pete's sake! The washer is $1, but shipping ranges from $5 (Tesco)-6.10 (Midwest)! Really? A .45 cent stamp won't cover it?!?

Crazy, crazy, crazy.

Sorry to rant, but that irritated the heck out of me!
 
Yooper said:
Dumb question, but where did it go? The only thing I can think of is I clogged it up with grain on my last brewday and took the head off to clear it out. Maybe it fell out/off?
Click to expand...

Depending on how the pump is used and how muh restriction it see's on the inlet side, the impeller can wear out the washer over time...remember its thin and teflon is a soft material... we have been playing around with some new materials that resist wearing VERY well and may see the production floor soon ;)
 
Yoop: have you been oiling your pump?! if not do so, mine does so much better after a good oiling. two spots on opposite sides of the motor housing take 3 in 1 oil or another universal oil and that might solve the problem.
 
runningweird said:
Yoop: have you been oiling your pump?! if not do so, mine does so much better after a good oiling. two spots on opposite sides of the motor housing take 3 in 1 oil or another universal oil and that might solve the problem.
Click to expand...

Yes, and the motor runs like a dream! (I took the head off, and then ran it). It runs smoothly and quietly. I put the head back on, put water in the MLT (so I wouldn't run it when dry) and either nothing (most of the time) or a gawd-awful noise.
 
Yooper said:
or a gawd-awful noise.
Click to expand...

Hmmm....only times i see "awful" noises coming out of the pumps is when the pump head is completely dry...or the motor was tweaked from being dropped or somthing fell on it and hit it hard.....the motors sometimes run ok with no head on it but put a little resistance against it and it makes a nasty growling noise.....try this (assuming the thrust washer is not the issue as we think it is)
Fill up you pot with water and prime the system up....now before you turn on the pump close off the discharge of the pump and then turn it on....should run and be quiet....now when you open the valve slowly it will start to pump liquid....and most times if the thrust washer is the issue you wont be able to get the valve all the way open before it causes problems....but if its still making noise there may be other issues at hand...
 
WalterAtMarchPump said:
Hmmm....only times i see "awful" noises coming out of the pumps is when the pump head is completely dry...or the motor was tweaked from being dropped or somthing fell on it and hit it hard.....the motors sometimes run ok with no head on it but put a little resistance against it and it makes a nasty growling noise.....try this (assuming the thrust washer is not the issue as we think it is)
Fill up you pot with water and prime the system up....now before you turn on the pump close off the discharge of the pump and then turn it on....should run and be quiet....now when you open the valve slowly it will start to pump liquid....and most times if the thrust washer is the issue you wont be able to get the valve all the way open before it causes problems....but if its still making noise there may be other issues at hand...
Click to expand...

Well, I fixed it and as suspected, the thrust washer was missing. So I replaced it, and tried it again.

When the pump head is not on the pump, the motor runs great. I replaced the washer, put the head back on, filled the MLT with water, primed it, and turned it on. It worked, but made a terrible noise. Not grinding, and not growling exactly but not normal. I flipped it off, and then turned it on again. Nothing! So I flipped it back off.

Thanks for all your help! I'll be finding a box and shipping it back for evaluation as I'm over my head here.
 
Try calling them and asking if they will put the washer in a standard letter envelope and mail it to you. I have had great luck arranging alternative shipping in the past.
 
Yooper said:
Well, I fixed it and as suspected, the thrust washer was missing. So I replaced it, and tried it again.

When the pump head is not on the pump, the motor runs great. I replaced the washer, put the head back on, filled the MLT with water, primed it, and turned it on. It worked, but made a terrible noise. Not grinding, and not growling exactly but not normal. I flipped it off, and then turned it on again. Nothing! So I flipped it back off.

Thanks for all your help! I'll be finding a box and shipping it back for evaluation as I'm over my head here.
Click to expand...

While it may feel good, I don't think putting up your middle finger at it will help...

Sorry for your woes.
 
jpc said:
While it may feel good, I don't think putting up your middle finger at it will help...

Sorry for your woes.
Click to expand...

Haha- well, I didn't think about giving it the bird. But I should have!

I took it off the stand, and took off my ballvalve, and will be sending it in to be looked at/repaired. Hopefully it's minor!
 
Don't worry yooper, it's probably just a slight mis alignment or something. If you are sending it in maybe you can have the larger impeller installed when it's being repaired.
 
Yooper said:
Thanks for all your help! I'll be finding a box and shipping it back for evaluation as I'm over my head here.
Click to expand...
Ship it back to us attn: Service and Repair and just include a note in there for Wayne to see that you talked to me about it so he can come and show me the pump when it arrives. :)
 

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