How do you know when a pump is done?

I have an older haldex 16 gpm that has always made noise since I inherited it 7 years ago. I think it is about 20 years old. Yesterday, it started making noise like a pump that had gone dry. It was dark anyway so I just shut it down. Today, I started it and it was making horrendous noise and almost immediately tripped the breaker on the motor. Is this a not so subtle sign that the pump needs to be replaced?

 

Doesn't sound good. What does the oil look like? Have you changed the filter?

 

I changed the fluid and filter 3 years ago...probably have 100 hours or so on it since.

 

Stored inside or out? Any water in the oil?

 

Always out. Not sure about water...ive put about 10 hours on it in the last couple weeks in cold temps without an issue until late yesterday after it had been running for a couple hours.

 

Loud noise from hydraulic pumps= cavitation or detonation.
Have on one occasion seen the inside of a suction hose delaminate and cause suction side cavitation.

Hard to see from the picture - what is the status of the coupling/insert if there is one

 

Reason I ask about the coupling is it looks like the motor is mounted to plywood - over time could develop a misalignment issue loading the pump bearings...clearances in hydraulic pumps aren't forgiving to bearing failure

 

Should have said internal detonation
Never would have thought videoing a hydraulic pump would be useful someday. Just sent one out for warranty last month - I was running for the 480V 3-ph 200A breaker when I brought the HP compensator up on it...bit bigger than most log splitter pumps

I ruled out aeration as it typically won't trip a pump .... damage and cause it to internally detonate yes

 

I'll pull it around to the garage and take a look at it this week. The electric thing was an experiment that turned into a temporary permanent solution. It has worked so well that it is probably time to mount it properly in a box so that the system stays tight and I'm not relying on a Little Tikes swing to keep the weather off the motor Like everything though, where does one stop? Cheapest thing to do is to do a direct replacement of the pump, properly mount the motor and keep doing what I'm doing. Ideally, I'd go from 16gpm to 28 gpm and put a 6 way wedge with an autocycle valve on it (right now its all manual).

 

S&W not to be a safety nanny but you probably want to change that street elbow on the discharge - looks like a low pressure(150psi) galvanized fitting

 

Yep, as long as I have it apart anyway, I'll likely replumb the whole thing.

 

Good eye on the street elbow basod.

S&W, I've got pressure gauges, flowmeter, and buckets of test fittings if you get to the point of needing them. I'm in Canastota.

 

Thanks for the offer Bret but I would also require an education before I knew what do with them. I think I'm going to assume the pump is bad and the rest of the 25 year old plumbing should be replaced anyway while its apart. I think I'll stick with a 16 gpm pump as they are relatively cheap and I know the system works with one. Any bigger and I think I'd need a bigger tank as I'm right on the edge on hot days anyway...solved that problem by not splitting on hot days). I think the only real questions left are the condition of the cylinder and valve? I haven't seen any seepage from the cylinder ever and have never seen it stall although it has stalled the pump a couple times and tripped the breaker. However, if I don't pull perfectly straight on the valve handle, it makes nasty noises and is completely manual, start/stop in both directions. Almost seems like I should do everything but the cylinder and not have to think about it again?

 

If you're going with a bunch of new parts, make sure there isn't any metal in the system from the pump that went bad. A good flush would be recommended. Does it have a filter now?

 

S&W when you take the belt off the pump, try to turn it by hand. Depending on the failure, it may tell you a lot. If you're still not sure, a hydro shop would test it cheap and may have a new one in stock at a fair price.
+1 about checking the rest of the system for contamination.

 

My eyes ain't what they use to be but the love joy connector fingers do not look like they are inter-meshing & I can't see a nylon spider cushion which goes between the fingers. If this is so, you problem may not be the pump but the linkage between the motor & pump.

 

U r right but that is an old pic when i was first experimenting. That connector is definitely working now as whatever happened is enough to almost immediately throw a 220 20 amp breaker.

 

It could be the motor.

 

Very possible. Should have time to get it around to the garage and get them apart in the next couple of days. The motor came off a rotted compressor tank and I have a near identical spare that came off another compressor with a bad pump.