Hold/Fire Pump

Ahoy yee,

I have been working on the Tanu Warrior recently, a 55' West Coast Fishery vessel built in 1952 in Masset BC out of first growth timbers.
Ship details

8V71,Alison gear.. runs well, lotsa gear and goodies..and I've join this forum seeking information re TW and today specifically regarding the raw water fire pump or hold pump.

Has Vancouver BC CA, Pump and Power embossed in the pump housing casting.. likely a long defunct operation.

The pump is/was seized, have it apart now, new bearings and seals in order however I seek the advise of anyone familiar w/these old hold pumps..looks to me that possibly a stuffing type box/seal is employed to keep water in the pump and out of the bearing/shaft area..mostly interested to know anything more than I do now regarding these old hold pumps.

I'm well experienced in West Coast boats, worked at Canoe Cove MFG in 1980s and have owned several boats over many decades.

Tanu Warrior is in reasonable condition and while she may never work commercially again I'd like to restore some systems and bring other systems online for use once again.

Today I'm working twds establishing the water pump system for future use as a fire hose, a pump out or other service.

Thanks!

A picture of the pump would be helpful. In older pumps, a stuffing box is more common than rubber seals.
If I had that boat, I'd go commercial tuna fishing once a year. A good trip could pay your yearly expenses and then some.

Welcome aboard.

Lepke said:

A picture of the pump would be helpful. In older pumps, a stuffing box is more common than rubber seals.

Click to expand...

Thanks, images ..

was it already disassembled when you got it?
what i'm seeing, is a bearing housing, a drip well and the pump seal housing. hard to say what was in the seal housing without being there to take it apart, but you can measure it for a lip seal, or it could possibly be packing rings and a grease cup. with the drip well between the housings it would lean toward packing, but depending on the dimensions a lip seal might be possible and more dripless.
also possible would be a mechanical seal. impossible to tell from the pictures.

Bmarler said:

was it already disassembled when you got it?
what i'm seeing, is a bearing housing, a drip well and the pump seal housing. hard to say what was in the seal housing without being there to take it apart, but you can measure it for a lip seal, or it could possibly be packing rings and a grease cup. with the drip well between the housings it would lean toward packing, but depending on the dimensions a lip seal might be possible and more dripless.
also possible would be a mechanical seal. impossible to tell from the pictures.

Click to expand...

thank you
yes I took it apart, unfamiliar with this old of pump.. but familiar enough to think packing ring/s were employed thank you.

I have to have the packing ring compression end made.. and apparently instead of a lip seal it was a end cap threaded in on the pump end of shaft..which may be more fun to locate/repair. Reading your post packing ring and grease cup makes sense as there is/was a grease nipple above that..

no grease or oil was inside. I suspect maybe someone had used sealed bearings in a repair at some point prior.

It's a better than average pump with bearing support that keeps the bearings out of any water contact. That is an old style stuffing box and the hole is for a grease fitting. If you use newer lubricated packing, you don't need the grease, but it does help in keeping the water in the pump. The original bearings could have been anything from a bronze bushing to several stacked roller bearings. With sealed bearings you don't need the grease fitting and you don't need seals on the outside of the bearings.
If you removed roller bearings, and they fit correctly, you can order replacements online by the number embossed into the race.

Lepke said:

It's a better than average pump with bearing support that keeps the bearings out of any water contact. That is an old style stuffing box and the hole is for a grease fitting. If you use newer lubricated packing, you don't need the grease, but it does help in keeping the water in the pump. The original bearings could have been anything from a bronze bushing to several stacked roller bearings. With sealed bearings you don't need the grease fitting and you don't need seals on the outside of the bearings.
If you removed roller bearings, and they fit correctly, you can order replacements online by the number embossed into the race.

Click to expand...

Thanks

I got new bearings (sealed) and had an end plate made as well as a new piece that crushes the rope in stuffing box. all parts made inc bearings purch ~$350

Thanks, for the update. It's nice to know how these issues end.