FAQ: Pump Maintenance

Blackmer FAQ: Sliding Vane Pump Maintenance

• How do I re-grease a sliding vane pump?

  Always reference the sliding vane pump Installation, Operation and Maintenance (IOM) manual for specific requirements. General instructions are listed below:

  1. Remove the grease relief fittings from the bearing covers, hydraulic motor adapter or reducer adapter.
  2. SLOWLY apply grease with a hand grease gun until grease begins to escape from the grease relief fitting port. Discard excess grease in accordance with the proper codes and regulations.
  3. Replace the grease relief fittings. DO NOT over grease pump bearings. While it is normal for some grease to escape from the grease tell-tale hole after lubrication, excessive grease can cause mechanical seal failure. The tell-tale hole is located in the head between the bearing and the mechanical seal.

• How often do I re-grease a sliding vane pump?

  Inspect the sliding vane pump every three months for grease levels. If grease is low, add appropriate grease amount to lubricate pump bearings and hydraulic motor couplings (if equipped). More frequent lubrication may be required, depending on the application and the operating conditions.

• How much grease do I apply to a sliding vane pump?

  Apply grease with a grease gun until grease begins to escape from the grease relief fitting port. This port needs to be open (relief fitting removed) before applying grease.

• Is it common for grease or oil to drain from the weep hole between the mechanical seal and bearing?

  After initial installation or after re-greasing and maintenance of the sliding vane pump, it is quite common for grease or oil to drain from the weep hole, due to thermal expansion. However, this is not expected to happen on a continued or ongoing basis. If the weep hole drainage continues, then this is a primary indicator that a mechanical seal has failed on the pump. The pump should be immediately turned off and the mechanical seal should be replaced. Any delay may result in further damage of the pump or motor.

• Is it common for grease or oil to drain from the grease relief fitting?

  It is not uncommon to see grease or oil to drain from the grease relief fitting. The grease relief fitting is designed to allow grease to expel from the pump if the grease expands during operation. This does not indicate anything is wrong with the pump.

• What is the difference between a maintenance and rebuild kit?

  1. Maintenance kits include all wear components. This includes vanes, push rods, o-rings and mechanical seals. The maintenance kits are a low cost solution to keep your sliding vane pump operating at high levels for a long periods of time and helps protect your initial investment.
  2. Rebuild kits will contain all of the components of the maintenance kit. It will also include a rotor and shaft assembly.

  Please see the parts list for a specific pump model to determine the parts included in the kit. Parts included in a maintenance/rebuild kit are noted with a superscript indicating the kit that a part is available in.

• Do all sliding vane pumps have a maintenance or rebuild kit?

  All sliding vane pump models have a maintenance kits available. However, rebuild kits are only available for pump models that have major replacement parts like liners and discs. Rebuild kits are not offered for pumps that only have minor replacement parts. To find out more about your sliding vane pump's maintenance kit or rebuild kit, please download the appropriate parts list.
  
  

• Can a Blackmer Sliding Vane Pump be run in reverse?

  Yes, Blackmer Sliding Vane Pumps are commonly run in reverse to strip the discharge and suction lines of excess fluid. Typically, it should take a bout 1-2 minutes for the pump to completely strip the line. Blackmer Sliding Vane Pumps will not experience any damage from running in reverse because of their dry-run capabilities. 

• How do I tell the direction of rotation of my sliding vane pump?

  Sliding vane pumps can operate in both clockwise (also known as right hand rotation) and counterclockwise (also known as left hand rotation) rotations. In order to identify the rotation of an existing pump in the field, look at the pump from the drive end of the shaft. If the inlet is on the left and discharge is on the top, then the pump has a counterclockwise (left hand) rotation. If the inlet is on the right and the discharge is on the top, then the pump has a clockwise (righthand) rotation.