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ID my vacuum pump

wptski on Wed June 12, 2013 1:53 PM User is offline

I believe I purchased this vacuum pump in the eighties sometime from JC Witney along with two books. It's marked as 2A, .65CFM and quite to other pumps I've seen in YouTube videos. It pulls down to 28/29HG on my gauges. There is a address in NY on the pump for service dept. The same address with the name of Draf Tool Co. on one of the books. The address is something else now but the URL draftool.com is now Draf Industries, Inc. in CA. They now sell service equipment for military vehicles like the Stryker. I've yet to locate my instructions for it. I also have a 2gal container of what's marked as vacuum pump oil, no label, unless it fell off. I drain the oil which was light in color but this stuff is darker and might be a bit thicker. The unit is marked with instructions on how to drain/refill the 10oz of oil that it holds. Maybe there aren't any instructions??

Anyone ever see one or remember one like this?


iceman2555 on Wed June 12, 2013 6:09 PM User is offlineView users profile

Still have one of these in the shop somewhere. Mine was made by Delco and was red in color. They did work well back in the day, but the newer units are much better. Suggest to discard the lubricant if it is dark or discolored. This stuff is cheap and there is no need to risk a failure due to possible lubricant problems.
This type pump was also utilized in some of the first generation recovery machines. The EVERCO unit used a pump similar to this.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

wptski on Wed June 12, 2013 8:16 PM User is offline

Well, I'm sure the newer units are better but since this is the first time I've used it since the eighties and worked good back then, it should again. If everything goes well, I may be done using it for a long time again. I sure won't be here in another thirty years!

94RX-7 on Sat June 15, 2013 9:47 AM User is offline

When I was a kid my next door neighbor would scrounge compressors out of refrigerators, do a bit of soldering, add a fitting, and use them as vacuum pumps until they invariably burned up. Yours looks a lot like one of those refrigerator compressors.

wptski on Sat June 15, 2013 10:10 AM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: 94RX-7
When I was a kid my next door neighbor would scrounge compressors out of refrigerators, do a bit of soldering, add a fitting, and use them as vacuum pumps until they invariably burned up. Yours looks a lot like one of those refrigerator compressors.
Yeah, it does but it was purchased from J.C. Witney and the Iceman has one that looks that also.

iceman2555 on Sat June 15, 2013 10:54 PM User is offlineView users profile

Went by the whse today to check on a part for a friend and decided a search for the old 'pump' was in order. Located not one but two of the old units buried below some older compressor (should have sold them long time ago), took one down, changed the lubricant, operated the pump for a bit, drained and refilled once more, hook to a manifold set/vacuum container and 'lo and behold' the darn thing still worked. Not much use for it now...not with the R/R machines...but just wanted to see if it would still perform.
Heck, maybe a bit of labor to clean it up...and offer it to the Smithsonian or ebay. Maybe along with some of the old stock of compressors.

-------------------------
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

wptski on Sat June 15, 2013 11:15 PM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: iceman2555
Went by the whse today to check on a part for a friend and decided a search for the old 'pump' was in order. Located not one but two of the old units buried below some older compressor (should have sold them long time ago), took one down, changed the lubricant, operated the pump for a bit, drained and refilled once more, hook to a manifold set/vacuum container and 'lo and behold' the darn thing still worked. Not much use for it now...not with the R/R machines...but just wanted to see if it would still perform.

Heck, maybe a bit of labor to clean it up...and offer it to the Smithsonian or ebay. Maybe along with some of the old stock of compressors.
They are a PITA to change oil, well actually replacing the oil that is. I used the drain hole but next time I plan on using the inlet fitting, might be easier.

wptski on Sat June 22, 2013 5:27 PM User is offline

I've used this vacuum pump for thirty minutes max at a time but I was going to let it run for one hour. I checked on it at 55 minutes and the thing was real hot so I shut it off! Looks like it not made for long running times.

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