HELP! Dolphin Pump teardown

[Ichthys]

I picked up a Dolphin AmpMaster 3000/4000 pump and want to give it a good cleaning prior to putting it into service. I unscrewed the 6 stainless steel screws holding the front of the volute on, and then 4 long long bolts that come thru from the back motor housing all the way into the wet end. The wet end now spins freely, but i have no idea how to get it off. Is it press fit? screwed? magic? Can someone please help me figure this out. I emailed Dolphin and here was their response

Danny,

We do not have a manual for our pumps, because we would rather talk you through it. Please call 850-434-9880 for directions.

Moe


Very nice, but impractical for a guy who works 9-5 and cant call till 8 at night lol..

So anyone here have experience with this?

 

[eww]

Hey Danny. The impeller usually screws off the shaft so you can remove the entire housing. Sometimes they can be a real bear to break them loose though. Its a good idea to change the seal if you have it torn down this far.

Eric
Oceans by Design
1055 Andover Park E
Tukwila, WA 98188
206-575-5006

 

[Ichthys]

so you would reach in between the wet end and the motor and grab the shaft firmly with a pair of channel locks and the twist the impeller?
(Dont say it Peppie... just leave it, leave it....)

 

[eww]

You could. Just be careful not to mar up the shaft. There is also normally a plug on the opposite end that you can remove to expose the other end of the shaft that is slotted for a large screw driver. This is normally worthless though as the impeller is usually way tighter than that.

Eric
Oceans by Design
1055 Andover Park E
Tukwila, WA 98188
206-575-5006

 

[Ichthys]

It came off fairly easily, but bad news is the little seal thing in the middle fell apart when i took it out. I guess I need a new seal. I emailed Dolphin, will see what they say. I have never had the pump fired up and i hate to pay to get a new seal if the motor is bad, wish there was some way of testing it without a volute. What would happen if i just plugged it in with no wet end, would the lack of resistance cause it to fry? Anyone out there have a spare wet end I can borrow to test my motor? Hope that didnt violate TOS

 

[eww]

You can plug it in as a bare motor just to see if it spins. Its designed to run dry as an external pump. It should start quickly and run relatively quiet and not vibrate.

Eric
Oceans by Design
1055 Andover Park E
Tukwila, WA 98188
206-575-5006

 

[Spinner]

I ran 3 3600 pumps on my 750 they are really nice pumps and have great customer service. I agree with changing out seals why you have a chance will be a big plus for you

 

[Ichthys]

Thanks Eric. I plugged it in and it runs smooth, not much noise, seems to pur like a kitten. I am most likely going to send the whole wet end into Dolphin Pumps and have them replace the seal.

 

[Ichthys]

OK so the turn around time on getting new seals put in my Dolphin doesn't fit my obsessive time schedule, so I bought a brand new Reeflo Hammerhead/Barracuda this morning, 6000 GPH yeah! The down side is all my plumbing, all my black PVC and valves and unions were 2" for the Dolphin and the Reeflo uses 1.5"
I will still send the Dolphin wet end into them for seal replacement, then when it comes back will have to figure out what to do with it.

 

[Peppie]

OK so the turn around time on getting new seals put in my Dolphin doesn't fit my obsessive time schedule, so I bought a brand new Reeflo Hammerhead/Barracuda this morning, 6000 GPH yeah! The down side is all my plumbing, all my black PVC and valves and unions were 2" for the Dolphin and the Reeflo uses 1.5"
I will still send the Dolphin wet end into them for seal replacement, then when it comes back will have to figure out what to do with it.

Why not just reduce the pvc size to 1.5'' right at the pump in/out. And run the 2'' valves, unions?

 

[Peppie]

so you would reach in between the wet end and the motor and grab the shaft firmly with a pair of channel locks and the twist the impeller?
(Dont say it Peppie... just leave it, leave it....)

I would have used Vice-Grips instead of channel locks. LOL

 

[Ichthys]

Why not just reduce the pvc size to 1.5'' right at the pump in/out. And run the 2'' valves, unions?

I am going to stick with my 2" black pipe inside the tank for the drain and the return, because i also have the manifold already which is 2" and that special strainer basket dealy. However it will work out better for me to reduce to 1.5" just above the waterline, it will be much easier getting 1.5" unions thru the hole in the wall, the 2" unions were going to be a tight fit. It all works out well, its just a constantly evolving plan, I dont think anything is the same as i originally drew it up in my head. Lemme know if you want that Dolphin peppie, I will give you first crack at it when the wet end comes back from the manufacturer. It will basically be good as new with new anti abrasive marine seals. Looking forward to getting my Skimmer from OBD tomorrow!!!