replacing cup leather in well pump

[megotatractor]

HOW? I have an OLD Myers pump jack with frost proof set - meaning the motor and gear box are mounted at floor level and the actual pump is 4 feet below in the pit. I want to replace the leathers myself; the parts cost $3 but it costs $100 to get someone out to install them. Anyone know the procedure? there's two bolts apparently holding on a tube assembly on the top of the pump, if I remove those and disconnect the push rod then I have no idea what's in there, I would expect the plunger is in the top of the well right below this cap? and is there a danger that the plunger could drop down the well if I f** up?? Help help.

 

[Egon]

If your pump is of the kind I remember you may have to pull it to work on it.

This is the kind I'm thinking of.
Windmill cylinders and hand pump cylinders for pumping water without electric power.

 

[texasjohn]

I think you are describing a pump jack that has been placed over a well which has a sucker rod..several sections... and moves up and down to bring water to the surface.

I've pulled the sucker rods on wells that still had the metal structure over them... you pull the rod up and typically have to unscrew several sections until you get to the working parts at the end. The actual pump sits in the water and that's where the leathers are, at the very bottom of the well.

Yes, you MUST be careful to not drop the whole thing down... if you do, it's a delightful fishing expidition.. expensive in time and money.

Assuming a tower over the well, you rig a rope pulley and pull the whole thing up. I had specially made wrenches which would fit on the sucker rod metal fittings and function both as a wrench and device preventing the sucker rod from dropping back into the well. Unscrew sections as necessary utill you get to the bottom section where they actual pump device is. At this point, everything is out of the hole.

Sucker rods are typically made either of wood or fiberglass and 20 feet long. You have to consider the total weight of the entire rod... obviously heavier when you start and gets lighter after you remove some sections.

Shallow wells of maybe three sections you can pull manually ,,, but stuff is slick and you have to be very careful to attach stuff so it will not slip from your grip.

It's been a long time. I did it by myself when in high school in 1960. The end of the pump where the leathers are must have been rather easy to figure out because I recall thinking that I it was easier than I had anticipated. My well was 320 feet.

Reading your post... since it would be only $100 for someone to come out and do it.... your well must be very shallow and easy to get to. If you are at all mechanically capable, I would not be afraid to do it myself. Best idea would be to bribe a buddy to come give a hand....

I googled for the topic and suggest you look at these sites.. they may also be helpful.

Water Well Helpline

Lifewater Drilling & Well Construction Manual: Table of Contents

Cylinder cup leathers for use in piston type well cylinders for pumping water. has all sorts of leathers
DEAN BENNETT SUPPLY at 800-621-4291 is your water well pump and windmill supply store. he has parts for all windmills

Good luck!

 

[megotatractor]

http://www.oldiron-nut.com/myers/page43.jpg
If this link works the figure on the left is what I see in my pit with the mechanical pump jack and motor mounted to the top above the pit. And actually the well guy charged me $190 6 months ago and now she's leaking again and he recommends a new well cause he cant get parts, saying the "packer tube" is badly scored. I googled all day Saturday and never found out WHERE in the well the plunger is located. was hoping it was just beneath the floor....

 

[texasjohn]

Fig 2367 appears to be explicit to me and the explination says that the working parts are 4 feet down.. below the frost line. All the leathers are in the round cylinder, apparently 4 feet down... the round cylinder is what he's calling the packing tube. If you really want to try it, you might get some hones and try to smooth the inside of the tube down and put in new leathers... if it is smooth, the leathers should wear well.. at least a year... although these items ARE expendable in these types of wells. Plunger is the rod that connects to the pump jack and moves up and down. It'll be right there when you start disconnecting stuff.

Looks to me like you have a rather shallow well... water is likely within 20 feet of ground level. Thus, you could get rid of this outdated equipment and replace it with a shallow well pump... pump is electrically powered and pushes water into a pressure tank. I'd think that you could use something like this:

Pedrollo Shallow Well Jet Pump

or this

http://www.femyers.com/pdf/MY376(3-18-05).pdf

I know nothing of these brands...am just indicating what I am talking about.

I agree...it is time for you to get another PUMP... the well (hole in the ground) you now have should be just fine.

 

[CATMAN]

One of my Dad's well pumps uses leathers and it is 180 feet deep. The pump jack(inside an insulated shack) is at surface level with the leathers. We would shutoff electricity, rotate pump/sucker rod to the top of its stroke, unbolt and lift outer cover/sleeve, THEN we would clamp two or three vise-grips as tight as we possible could onto the rod (right above the well casing), this held everything up, then he disassembled the area where the leathers at and replaced them. It was critical that nobody ever bumped those vise-grips when replacing those leathers. It has been over thirty years since I have seen him do this procedure. I know his pump isn't exactly the same as yours, but on his pump you don't want to let that rod FALL into the well. I can't remember his brand, but the color was red.

 

[tommu56]

megotatractor
The packing tube is the part were the
rod keeps coming up to the handle or driver and water would flow out at 90 degrees.it should have a number of layerd leather washers to seal the rod.

you might be able to get rod rebuilt or make a new one it should be smothe no pits or ridges to cut the leather

the vlave leathers are on the cylinder

these guys might have parts Lehman's - Products for Simple, Self-sufficient Living

tom

 

[zzvyb6]

Its easy to do "IF" the iron sucker rod isn't all corroded to the brass valve body. Pull the casing which will bring up the cylinder, unscrew the casing from the cylinder and pull out the valve. A bolt holds the valve body together. If not corroded, then take apart the valve and you will have the old leathers in your hand, either 1, 2 or 3 leathers are used. Soak them first in water so they don't get 'hurt' when reinstalling. Replace steel bolts with stainless for best future service. I have some spare parts at home to show you what it looks like if you need further convincing....

 

[megotatractor]

so... sounds like the leathers and piston are right there beneath that cap then? If I had something to polish the inside of that packer tube I would. I bought this place 4 years ago and there's no records on wells this old so I have no idea how deep the well is. If I could prove it was only 20' to the water then I would LOVE to pop in a shallow well pump. And if the well turns out to be deep then there is ssuch a thing as a deep well jet pump that could be used with my 2" well casing assuming the casing is still in good shape. Plus I could get the pump and components wholesale as I work for a plumbing wholesale co. The trick is to determine the depth of the well and condition of the casing without paying too much, well guys get good money around here. ...

 

[megotatractor]

Okay, I'm preparing myself to jump down into the pit and sit in 6 inches of ice cold water and change those leathers. From what I read here and from what well guys have told me then all I have to do is take out the two bolts and slide the tube/cap up the rod and I will see the plunger with the leathers on it. What I don't know just yet is how to disconnect the rod (AFTER securely clamping every vise grips I own onto the rod to keep if from falling down the well) Now as I understand this thing there must be another plunger down there deep somewhere that actually lifts the water up and this top plunger must then "pack" the water on into the pressure tank? Anyway I see a rod coupler near the top about a foot down from the jack, to unscrew that do I need to unclamp the top of the rod from the jack arm? or is there a connection also at the plunger where the leathers are? All I know is I have to disconnect that rod somewhere to be able to slide the new leathers on.
I am also gettng estimates and trying to find money to drill a new well cause that seems my only option. but once i take this cap off is there any way to drop a line down and check the depth?

 

[tommu56]

megotatractor

If you can see along side the pump pipe and well caseing drop a fiber tape measure down with a little weight on it to keep it straightwhen it go's limp weight is on bottom as for the water level thats a lot harder look at the tape as you pull it back up for wetness

My well is about 450 ft so I use a rope that I put measured marks on with tape I split the strands and put tape through and hooked glue side to the glue side around a strand and write the footage on it.

can you post any pictuers they will help alot

some of the packers have rope packing with a graphite lubricent in them and are wrapped around rod and nuts or cap tighened on. areomotor calles them stuffing box see attached link

Windmill Packing Gland Stuffing Boxes

tommu56

 

[megotatractor]

I will post the link again http://www.oldiron-nut.com/myers/page43.jpg this is the pump type I have. Looking at the diagram looks like there is indeed a threaded joint just below the packer.

 

[megotatractor]

Got 'er done! I went down in the pit and took the pump rods apart. There was quite a lot of racket down there -possibly the cussing from the leg cramps and claustrophobia.... It took 90 minutes during which time I removed the plunger rod from the pit to examine the worn leathers and the cause on my workbench. There is supposed to be a rubber bushing I hear between the two cup leathers. Someone had replaced whatever was originally there with a threaded brass bushing on which the threads were worn so badly as to become an accentric hole plus the fact the one end of the bushing looked to have been sawn off a longer piece leaving a less than flat surface. These combined so that the lower leather would not be supported evenly or centered and it was wearing quickly on one side by which time the secondary leather would have already been too hard to take over. Problem is when I installed the plunger I may have inadvertently gotten grease and mud on the leather so hopes for it's longevity are not high. Anyone want to drill me a new well?