March Pump Leaking

[Rundownhouse]

My March pump is leaking. The leak is coming from between the two halves of the plastic head. I tried taking it apart and checking the little gasket, but the leak persisted. I tried taking it apart and hitting the gasket with keg lube, but no luck. The screws are tightened more or less all the way, so I backed off on them thinking maybe I'd overtightened. No luck.

Any ideas on what else to try? It seems pretty simple, there being so few parts, but obviously the answer is eluding me. If I have to buy a new head, do you think I can just buy the head, or do I have to get the whole "wet end assembly?"

 

[BrewChron]

DAP household silicone adhesive/sealant is what you'll want. Since it's silicone it's high-temp, and it's a non-toxic adhesive. But still try to minimize contact with the beer.

 

[Rundownhouse]

Thanks. I'll try that around the outside of the head and see what happens, hopefully this Thursday or Friday.

 

[samc]

I'd call March and ask them if they can send you a new gasket. If it is still under warranty they should be able to fix it for you.

 

[Catt22]

DAP household silicone adhesive/sealant is what you'll want. Since it's silicone it's high-temp, and it's a non-toxic adhesive. But still try to minimize contact with the beer.

Using a sealant as you suggest would be an absolute last resort and even then I would not do it that way unless it was some kind of an emergency. What he wants is a new gasket. The current gasket is likely deformed for some reason. Perhaps it was not properly installed and got pinched or otherwise damaged. When buying a new gasket, I would buy several. They can't be very expensive and it might be a good idea to have some spares on hand in case it happens again somewhere down the road. Hopefully, the head was not damaged and the fix only requires replacing the gasket. You should not need to tighten the screws excessively. That's seldom a good idea with most stuff.

 

[Rundownhouse]

Definitely not under warranty.

Using a sealant as you suggest would be an absolute last resort and even then I would not do it that way unless it was some kind of an emergency. What he wants is a new gasket.

Why would that be a last resort? I haven't used that stuff but it seems like it would be simple enough - using a razor blade and mineral spirits - to break the bond made by the sealant so I could open it back up and replace the gasket if sealant doesn't work.

My model is an MDXT-3. According to this pdf link, a new gasket is item #10, part #0135-0039-1000.

 

[Catt22]

Definitely not under warranty.


Why would that be a last resort? I haven't used that stuff but it seems like it would be simple enough - using a razor blade and mineral spirits - to break the bond made by the sealant so I could open it back up and replace the gasket if sealant doesn't work.

My model is an MDXT-3. According to this pdf link, a new gasket is item #10, part #0135-0039-1000.

Mostly because it would be so easy and inexpensive to do it the right way and it may be more difficult to break the seal than you realize. Mineral spirits won't dissolve the silicone sealant. I would hesitate to use any solvent on the pump head that would dissolve the silicone. The sealant would probably work, but it's just not the way I would fix it.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

If you use the silicone, make sure it's the "Aquarium" type, which is food grade.

I use it on my heatsticks and weldless fittings.

Hasn't killed me yet.

:rockin:

 

[Rundownhouse]

DAP sealant didn't work, still had a small leak. Time to order a gasket and see if that helps.