How to Fix a Broken Pump

Just got some water in the Kaplan pump and now there is a leak in there.

Any solutions?

Oil?

Vaseline?

WD 40?

Isopopanol?

How about putting the pump in a container with a few silica gel packets to dehydrate it?

I would think your best bet is to e-mail Kaplan and see if they can help.

It might need that you have to fit a new guage

Calling kaplan is a great idea.

If you are in the US maybe the easiest thing to do is replace it with the Harbor Freight Tools brass pump for $19.00. This is the same pump that some of the penis pump vendors sell for $60.00 to $80.00. I have it, it is great. All you would need to do is swap your hose.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

You can see it even has a reservoir that you could use for water pumping.

Best if you have a store nearby - website has a store locater section. But you can mail order if not. If you order on the web, be warned that standard shipping takes 10 days or so. You can order by phone and ask for faster shipping.

The harbor freight pump is discussed at thunders here:

Lap pump = harbor freight tools pump

Kaplan was no help.

Take a look at the “deluxe pump” and you’ll see the one that came with the kit.

Only $99, what a deal! Right, I paid 60 - 70 for the entire kit.

I’ll order the harbour freight brass pump if I can’t get this one going.

We finally have a sunny day, So I’m going to put the pump in the sun and hopefully the moisture will evaporate out of it.

Why does water cause such a major problem anyways? Will re greasing it help?

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I’m still using the pump:
Pumping very fast and disconnecting the hose before the pressure is gone.

Is the gauge better on the brass one? I have trouble zoning in on the one that I have. I’ll attach a pic of it.

I try to keep the vacuum in the orange or green range. I’ve noticed some people go to super low pressure but I have difficulty zeroing in on 2.5, for example, on this gauge.

The harbor freight gauge has a lot more incremental marks than yours does.

For example, 0 - 5"HG is divided by 8 marks. So pretty easy to figure out where 2.5 etc is.

Here is a slightly larger picture of the pump — but good enough to see:

http://www.vacu tech.com/prodde … asp?prod=100040

Note that the closeup of a gauge is not actually the gauge that comes with the pump (compare the two pictures you will see the pump has a red outer circle — but it is pretty close in terms of markings. Notice also that it is $80.00!

Guess what everyone, I was able to fix the pump.

What I did was take some “Moist” waterbased lube (any waterbased lube should work) and deposit it in the pump via the small hole in the back.

Holding the pump with the nozzle facing down, squirt some lube over the hole and start pumping until the lube is sucked in. Repeat many times.

Anyone that has used waterbased lube knows that it sucks up moisture and becomes a little sticky.

Let the pump sit for quite a while.

When ready, try the pump with your finger around the nozzle. Excess water and lube will squirt out the hole in the back, but notice that the pressure holds.

Water killed the pump, and now water revives it.

However, I’m not sure that my gauge is accurate anymore. Trying by feel alone. -15 (too high) feels like -10. I should try to get a new gauge, or remove it and wash it out or something.

Good luck.

Ya I’m pretty sure my pump has some moisture in it. Does anyone else have any ideas on how to dry it out? Its the pistol style pump, and it wont hold pressure anymore. I am pretty sure there is no way to take this thing apart so I don’t think I could re-grease it like I’ve read works elsewhere. Should I try putting some lube in the back hole? I don’t want to destroy the gauge. Any help is appreciated.