Baker force pump packing nut

[PaulV]

I have an issue (or maybe not) with water seeping past the packing nut. I find that i need to slightly tighten the nut after each day of pumping, which stops the seep for a while. I am pumping into a tank elevated 12'. Seepage only occurs with elevated pumping for obvious reasons.

Pump has seeped since install 3 years ago. I typically don't pump very often, so this hasn't annoyed me too much. But a new garden has increased the amount of water i need.

Stainless pump rod appears to travel true thru the nut. Is seepage normal, or some okay?

20200609_112521.jpg

20200609_112525.jpg

20200609_112536.jpg

[windybob]

Put the pump on the up stroke, and loosen the packing nut. Lift it up, and see if there is a place to put packing in. You can buy it in 'string style' at the hardware store. It's used for faucets. I'm thinking it goes below the nut, so the more you screw the nut in, the tighter it packs the packing. Like a tapered bottom on the nut. Or something.

I have seen those hand pumps with a brass tube below the packing nut with leathers that push the water out of the pump under force. Dempster comes to mind at the moment. Not sure about yours.

That's my thoughts.

[Wayne]

Don't know if it will work on your pump but I had a fuel pump on my Famous engine. It wouldn't pump no suction. It started out with packing. A friend of mine who is a machinist had an o-ring that isn't bothered by gas. Put it on and now my pump works. I'm thinking if you could find an o-ring the correct size might even try 2 it might seal it. If you want I could ask him where he gets them. They are kinda cream color. I have tried packing a pump with the packing material and haven't had any luck they must of had a special jig to do it at the factory.

[Ron Stauffer]

Paul

So the packing in hand pumps is similarly set up to packing on well head stuffing boxes. They are problematic requiring continual maintenance and still leak. The IBT (inverted brass tube) stuffing boxes seal better, last longer but still require some maintenance.

The best solution is to remove the hand pump and put a riser pipe on the drop pipe high enough to fill the tank on top

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[windybob]

We have installed several "head pipes" inside the tower higher than the water storage, or hill that the water goes over in a pipe. Water will flow uphill that way, as long as it's lower than the top of the head pipe. However, this does void the hand pump.

The round rod that goes into the hand pump must be perfectly centered, and not wobble, so the bushing in the top of the pump should be good on the flat bar. any wiggle of the rod will cause uneven wear so good luck on the packing.it's certainly not a perfect system.

[Gregg]

Paul, don't know if these will help you or not. Please add to the library if you want to.
Gregg

Monitor pump Install.jpeg

Monitor pump dwg..jpeg

Monitor pump Parts Breakout.jpeg

[PaulV]

I appreciate all of the input. One weekend I'll loosen the nut and see if there is any packing, or a place to put packing. I'll share what I find.

We love our handpump and so will deal with the leaky nut for now.

[Wayne]

The leaky nut may be like the glass bowl under old tractor gas tanks dripping. I always tell people it is a feature they don't charge you for.

[DakyNaplesFl]

I would unscrew the packing nut all the way out and put a 7" stick under it to hold it up. Clean out the area where you put the packing very well. I like to use a piece of 1/4" square graphite packing as it fits very snugly.
Cut a small piece so it just fits around the shaft, end to end and work it down to the base. Slowly, tighten the packing nut. Turn off the brake and continue to tighten as the rod moves up and down. It shouldn't leak anymore.