Mag Drive Supreme 18 Pump Problems

[Mnemic]

So I'm going through all my stuff, and Lo and Behold, I have a Mag 18 that I never really used.

I was going to use this for my CLS on my build back in 2002, but ended up sticking it in storage..... with my LiveRock (I must have thought it was only temporary) with Saltwater, which evaporated.

Note I Hardly used this pump AT ALL. Like, I plugged it in to Test the CLS before I sealed the pipes, and then stored it.

Well on a "dry run" it makes a horrible griding type noise, and After pulling the impeller apart and everything, i am not sure if its the Impeller or the Pump itself.

Id like to salvage this pump if possible for obvious reasons.

Should a new IMpeller assembly fix the problem ya think? any other ways I can tell if its just the impeller or the Pump itself?

 

[crumbletop]

I'd disassemble the pump and soak it and all the parts in vinegar water for a day and clean it out with a toothbrush. Then see how it does.

 

[Mnemic]

Cool.. Glad I bought 3 gallons of Vinegar

Soaking process started!

 

[rcmike]

Have you tried it in water or just in air? They will all make that noise if not in water.

 

[Mnemic]

Dry, air... for like 2 seconds.

Still soaking it, maybe tonite I'll try to run it submerged properly

BTW, love the inverted flight. I can do it in sims, but don't have a bird that can do it IRL.

 

[rcmike]

They will chatter a lot if not in water. Stick it in some water and try it.

That is Alan Szabo flying. I went up to IRCHA last year and got that picture. I'm just up to hovering inverted right now. I don't practice as much as I need to. Nice to meet another heli flier.

 

[crumbletop]

Yeah, I figured when you put quote marks around dry, you didn't really mean that you tried to run them with no water. pretty much any pump will make a lot of racket (and could be damaged) by running in regular old air. Since you said you didn't clean it and salt water likely evaporated over time, the cleaning is still good to do to make sure the magnet etc are free of deposits.

 

[Mnemic]

Looks like I may have screwed it up a little.
The motor chamber had a bit of plastic worn onto it, and the impeller the same. I smoothed both out with a dremel and got the excess material out of it so both are at least smooth.

I've got it in the garrage on a GFCI currently running in about 10 gallons of salt water in a plastic tub. Its running ok, not making any racket, and pushing a lot of water around in that little tub. I had to T it off just to reduce the splashing.

I'm going to regulate it to mixing water and such for now. I'll work on getting new pumps later.

 

[crumbletop]

You'll mix salt water in a hurry with a mag 18

 

[Mnemic]

Mixing salt is one thing.

Left it running overnight, covered with 10 gallons. The water when I checked it bout 12 hours later, was my ideal temp... for a jacuzzi!

I since have removed it, and put the mag1200 in it for now. I think thats a touch better for cooking my rock... not that I wanted to do so intentionally!

 

[crumbletop]

yeah. Mags use a lot of juice and create a fair amount of heat.