Beer Engine leak

[raymurph]

Hello All,

My beloved beer engine needs a repair. It is functioning perfectly from a mechanical viewpoint. However it has developed a fault where there is an off taste from any beer or water pumped through it. I'm pretty sure the cause is a very slow leak from around the rod that moves the diaphragm through the chamber, on the first photo you can see how this leak has caused rust to form.

Can anyone identify the brand of this engine so I can go buy a replacement seal or other part. The only writing I can see on it is the word 'courage' at the base of the chrome handle, second photo.

 

[DuncB]

It looks like a through bar beerengine rather than a clamp on.
Also it's got a transverse or horizontal cylinder. I've got a transverse cylinder engine at home that's a clamp on but I'm teaching in Auckland the next few days so can't check.
I pull through a few litres of warm water then warm PBW and then starsan to keep my beer engine clean.
What regime are you using?

 

[raymurph]

Thanks DuncB. I use PBW and starsan too. I've dismantled the engine and it is spotless inside. But once I reassemble it and just pull water through it you can taste the rust, faintly. Do you know the brand ? Or where I could get soaresto repair the leak?

 

[DuncB]

Not home yet, cleaning regime is fine I'd say.
Looking at the pictures where is the spout?

 

[rmr9]

Thanks DuncB. I use PBW and starsan too. I've dismantled the engine and it is spotless inside. But once I reassemble it and just pull water through it you can taste the rust, faintly. Do you know the brand ? Or where I could get soaresto repair the leak?

I’m surprised that if it’s spotless inside that you would be tasting the rust. If you’re looking for spare parts I would say contact RLBS in the UK with pictures of your beer engine and maybe even describe what issue you have. They were able to identify my discontinued beer engine and set me up with the parts I needed. Very responsive and helpful give them a try!

 

[raymurph]

I've detached the spout, it screws I to a wooden facia designed for the tap.

Thanks rmr9, I'll contact RLBS, hopefully they can identify it for me.
It is weird that the rust flavour gets into the beer in the chamber so quickly but I suppose because of the leak the rust has a uninterrupted liqquid passage back into the chamber?

 

[rmr9]

I've detached the spout, it screws I to a wooden facia designed for the tap.

Thanks rmr9, I'll contact RLBS, hopefully they can identify it for me.
It is weird that the rust flavour gets into the beer in the chamber so quickly but I suppose because of the leak the rust has an uninterrupted liqquid passage back into the chamber?

The liquid shouldn’t pass back to the chamber, most beer engines have a check valve built into the out spout on the cylinder. Maybe yours is faulty? You could look into a check valve to pop onto your out line and see if that helps resolve things as well.

 

[DuncB]

Does the beer taste rusty if you bypass the spout?

Try pouring some water via a funnel through the spout only into a glass.

Did you take pictures of the engine/ cylinder when you took it apart?
Can we see them?

 

[raymurph]

Good point Dunc, maybe the inside of the spout is rusty, I'll check .

rmr9 The leak is not near the out spout. It is around a metal shaft that runs through the cylinder and is near the in beer line. See photo below.

I'll dismantle it again tonight and post photos of the interior tonight.

 

[raymurph]

Ok I've dismantled the pump. Squeaky clean inside the chamber as usual

 

[raymurph]

However I think the rust build up is clear in the outside base of the chamber. Liquid must be escaping along the central metal rod

So I presume I need replacements for these cylindrical thingies, as they are not sealing along the moving rod sufficiently:

 

[raymurph]

.

 

[raymurph]

Btw here is the engine installed in my bar. A very talented friend did the wood working for me.

 

[DuncB]

Love that detail on the bar.

Looking at the disassembled pictures of the engine definitely more cleaning.
Agreed probably leaking up the shaft.


Might also be able to add an O ring or two onto the shaft that is leaking also a good clean and some silicone oil.

Obviously clean up the metal plate that is rusted and treat it with something ? Hammerite.
I'm home tomorrow so can get the similar engine out of the cupboard at home.

Doesn't now look like it's the spout causing the trouble.

 

[raymurph]

Well I finally got the pump fixed!

The first thing I did was to remove the rust and repaint the metal.

Then I tried rearranging the 2 cycindrical 'washers' in the correct order, facing the correct way but still it leaked. I reckon the thinner cylindrical 'washer' is too loose around the rod and allows liquid to escape the chamber.


I emailed RLBS all the details and photos and they kindly identified the engine as a roughly 30 year old Higene (aka Drinks Dispense Group) manufactured model HD (Horizontal Deluxe) Clamp-on. They recommended a replacement washer and seal pack for £40. Before I ordered this pack (which would cost a good deal more to post from Brexit Britain to the European Republic of Ireland) I tried DuncB's idea of adding a silicone O ring onto the rod squashed between the 2 cylindrical bobbins. Strictly speaking there is no room for it but it has stopped all leaks. It might not last forever but hopefully will for a while.

Hope this thread is of benefit to someone else. Thanks for the help.

 

[rmr9]

Glad you have it sorted for the time being. Congratulations on being a fellow owner of an old Higene beer engine!