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Rebuilding March 809 pumps...Already? Yes, already...

 
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rosenjm




Joined: 21 Dec 2010
Posts: 249
Location: Ballston Spa, NY


PostLink    Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:38 pm    Post subject: Rebuilding March 809 pumps...Already? Yes, already... Reply with quote


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So I was brewing again today, a porter. Everything was going dandy, transferred my strike water to the MLT, mixed in my grain. Nothing crazy, 13.8#. Opened up the MLT drain, opened the wort discharge valve, HERMS inlet and outlet and MLT inlet, turned on the wort pump and promptly pulled a fist sized ball of grain (presumably) through/around/in between the Blichmann false bottom and right into the pump. Here is what happened next...

1. A whole lot of swearing. I'm a sailor, so I'm real good at it.
2. Realization that swearing isn't going to fix the problem...but I felt better.
3. I got a bucket of clean water and was able to, with the help of a shop vac, back flush the pump and got-r going. Or so I thought.

Wort pump continued to work fine through the mash. Lined up for the sparge, flipped on the switch and....you guessed it...nothing. More swearing, and was finally able to get the pump spinning by sticking a screwdriver into the vents and pushing her over. Switched over and used the water pump to pump the BK through the CFC and into the chiller.

When I finished up, I pulled the false bottom up and there was quite a bit if grain on the wrong side of it. I cleaned everything and ran A LOT of fresh water through the wort pump in both directions, but I'm afraid I might have done some permanent damage. The flow rate through the wort pump is much lower as compared to the water pump.

So...has anyone torn apart the pump head on a March 809? I'm using the polysoforiasdssss....plastic head, no the stainless one.

On a positive note, the porter came out great! Hit OG on the head. Still getting used to the boil off rate and the system losses, but got 5.5 gal in the fermenter at 1.053, nice color....can't wait.
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crush




Joined: 28 Dec 2010
Posts: 706
Location: Telemark, Norway


PostLink    Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I find swearing in a scottish accent really hits the spot! Very Happy

I have no advice about the 809 pumps. I've used one other impeller pump before and it's taken quite a bit of abuse. I've been using an old MMP-1 march pump for recirculating the mash. I dismatle that pump regularly, and it's fairly straightforward. If there is grain in the pump head, that may well affect your flow rate.

I'm still puzzeld at how a fist size wad of grain got through the false bottom!

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milldoggy




Joined: 23 Dec 2010
Posts: 569
Location: Pottstown, PA


PostLink    Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe the grain crushed to fine
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rosenjm




Joined: 21 Dec 2010
Posts: 249
Location: Ballston Spa, NY


PostLink    Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

milldoggy wrote:
Maybe the grain crushed to fine


I crushed it at my LHB shop. I hope they didn't adjust the mill. It didn't seem any different that any other crush. I dunno...
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Castermmt




Joined: 03 Jan 2011
Posts: 863
Location: Lowell, In

Drinking: Steelhead Porter, Alt-Toids, Hefty-Weizen, Terry's Kolsch, African Amber, Pumpkin Ale, Double Dog Ale

Working on: Janet's Brown Ale, Terry's Kolsch, Pilsner


PostLink    Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very simple to open it up and see if it has any grain in it. Its pretty hard to damage a pump of this design. It has no impeller shaft connected to the pump motor because it uses a magnet to spin the impeller and not a shaft its pretty hard to damage the pump. Here's a good link that explains the procedure.

http://hbd.org/discus/messages/15516/17915.html?1063561645

Hope this helps, castermmt

PS. replacement impeller only cost $20.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/replacement-impeller-for-march-seal-less-pump.html


Mug
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rosenjm




Joined: 21 Dec 2010
Posts: 249
Location: Ballston Spa, NY


PostLink    Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Castermmt wrote:
Very simple to open it up and see if it has any grain in it. Its pretty hard to damage a pump of this design. It has no impeller shaft connected to the pump motor because it uses a magnet to spin the impeller and not a shaft its pretty hard to damage the pump. Here's a good link that explains the procedure.

http://hbd.org/discus/messages/15516/17915.html?1063561645

Hope this helps, castermmt

PS. replacement impeller only cost $20.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/replacement-impeller-for-march-seal-less-pump.html


Mug


That is exactly what I needed! Thanks...Off to go clean it out.
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rmessick




Joined: 20 Feb 2011
Posts: 123
Location: Turners Falls, MA


PostLink    Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The impellers in my March 809 pumps (plastic pump head) occasionally get frozen - always at the worst possible moments, too! When that happens I dissemble them (as seen in the link Castermmt provided) and carefully remove the impeller from the shaft and clean the assembly. I also hit the shaft with a bit of food grade silicone spray for some lubrication. I have read speculation in some forums that the cause of the frozen impeller is crystallized/collected sugars that eventually gum up the works. That is the only time I disassemble the pump heads - I usually soak them in PBW (the pump heads only) for about 45 min. after each brew session, but they still occasionally freeze up like that - maybe once or twice a year.

-Dick
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