hey just wondering what guys have done for pumping gear oil into machines i know their is those hand pumps that go right on top of the bucket but just was curious if anyone has made anything different?
Next step up is a air pump. Lots of brands out there.
ya looking for something portable to go into a shop truck
For gear lube you're gonna want something with some strength. A diaphram pump won't get it in temps below 60 or so. Graco fireball seams to be the industry standard. Very pricey, very efficient
For non-commercial and portable I use a 2 gallon pump sprayer for gear lube. It needs to be warm
One guy at a previous shop took a small gear pump and welded a socket to the input shaft so he could drive it with a drill. Built a metal frame to hold it. Worked like a hot damn. I have a pilot pump kicking around I'm going to do that with one day.
I took a 20 pound propane cylinder, Welded a 1.5" close nipple on the shoulder, and stuck a piece of 1/2" pipe long enough to reach the bottom, with the end cut on a slant, through another hole in the shoulder. I attached a hose to the 1/2" pipe, and screwed a regulator set at 20 pounds where the valve was. I just plug a filtered air line into the regulator and control it with a valve on the end of the discharge hose. It holds 7 gallons, which is good because it doesn't have to be totally empty to be refilled.
I've seen it done with a fuel pump from a 6-71 Detroit.
Would be surprised at length of life for the DD fuel pump, pretty tight tolerances for pumping cold goo. I use a cheap iron case 12v pump from Northern Tool, seems to work just fine no matter cold, thick or thin. Have a second I use to drive ethanol/water ballast in my farm tires.
Google Filter Pumper,These are a neat little pump that fits in the spout on 5 gallon buckets and they work well. Been using them for years. Bob
I went to HF and bought a 20# siphon feed sand blaster pot (the one that looks like a small propane tank, but with a bung on top). When I got it out of the box, I simply ran a hose off the bottom with a ball valve on the end and plumbed an air fitting to the top. Dump gear oil in it (hot, cold, doesn't matter), feed some regulated air to it and simply open the ball valve and out comes oil with no pumping. Works great!
We use a similar setup (purpose made from Alemite) for 50wt oil. Has a meter on the dispenser hose for billing out how much we used
I thought about doing that before I built mine, only difference is mine is easy to throw in the truck when it's full, and only cost an hour and a few pipe fittings! I am thinking about getting one of those, or building another out of an old 20 gallon compressor tank on wheels to keep in the shop.
Used to have similar made from a LP tank we welded a barrel bung in, finally rusted out. Used old truck air tanks for pressure pre-lube bottles on engine overhauls, usually until they would no longer hold air!!
At a distributor of mine I saw their oil change trailer. 3 250 gallon propane tanks plus a big compressor. 1 for each type of motor oil they use and 1 for vacuum all plumbed to the compressor. Suck it out into the vacuum tank, then pressure up whichever pressure tank and push it back in. Never seen it used but it looks pretty slick. For real big engines I'm sure, or else going to change a lot of oil in one day.
How much air pressure is used to pressurize the tanks? Can't imagine one would need more than 30 psi or so.
I don't know any of the details but I agree not much pressure should be required. Definitely needs dispenser filters because propane tanks are always full of little slag balls, maybe a wash with water before putting it into service. Also I just got thinking it might be nice to have a metal wand to vacuum one of the product tanks full out of a 55 gallon drum. Lots of options here.
We generally used less than 15# air to prelube, enough to get bearings flooded any cam bushings well lubed just before first start. Fully cleaned a LP tank should be able to manage 15-45# with little issue. Use the OE threaded connection ports and even better as to survivability. Head end usually is heavier where the valve thread goes as is heated and rolled in forcing metal into a smaller space, can drill and tap for a NPT either connect a hose or a QD fitting and then connect to a regulated air supply.