Who has had to replace the pump seal on their AM3K
- Thread starter golfish
- Start date
Macimage
Active member
Hi Mark,
I've had two of these replacement seals here to replace the ones on my two AM3k's. However, I've had them here at the house about 2 months. Not really sure how easy it will be to take the pump apart and insert these things.
My pumps are still working; I just had them send them because I don't want to come home to a non-working pump and they also use .2 less amps.
That said, I've been thinking of shipping the pumps back one at a time to have them do it.
Sorry, not much help here. Let us know how hard/easy it is. Maybe I'll give it a go....
Joyce
I've had two of these replacement seals here to replace the ones on my two AM3k's. However, I've had them here at the house about 2 months. Not really sure how easy it will be to take the pump apart and insert these things.
My pumps are still working; I just had them send them because I don't want to come home to a non-working pump and they also use .2 less amps.
That said, I've been thinking of shipping the pumps back one at a time to have them do it.
Sorry, not much help here. Let us know how hard/easy it is. Maybe I'll give it a go....
Joyce
golfish
Team RC
Hey Joyce,
I guess my pump would be concidered one of the first so I guess I can't complain. Dolphin is replacing the seal for free. I'm a pump rebuilder from way back so I shouldn't have a problem. I used to rebuild larger pumps all the time when I worked at daries.
I just hope its as easy as they were
I can't believe nobody has had to do this.
I guess my pump would be concidered one of the first so I guess I can't complain. Dolphin is replacing the seal for free. I'm a pump rebuilder from way back so I shouldn't have a problem. I used to rebuild larger pumps all the time when I worked at daries.
I just hope its as easy as they were
I can't believe nobody has had to do this.
steveweast
Active member
Golfish, I've replaced the seals on 4 of my 7 am3000's. It only takes a few minutes to replace the seals; however, the rear seal must sit in a silicone bed...and the silicone must dry....so, you could be without a pump for a day while the silicone dries.
steveweast
Active member
Here's a brief step by step:
1) unscrew all the small nuts/bolts around the pump housing and remove this first half of the pump housing.
2) in the rear of the pump, you will find a large slotted screw that is connected to the impeller. While holding the impeller, unscrew the slotted screw...the impeller will now unscrew off.
3) on the rear pump housing, you'll find 4 small bolts...unscrew and remove these...they're really long. This detaches the pump housing from the motor.
4)on the back side of the impeller ( step 2 ), you'll find the first seal...use a small flathead screw driver and lift the seal and it's rubber gasket out and replace with the new one.
5)in the second half of the pump housing ( step 3 ), you'll find the second seal. You'll need something thick, like a screw driver handle or a socket wrench extention, to knock out the seal. Silicone is holding this seal in place.
6)after cleaning the second half of the impeller housing, you can silicone in place the second seal.
7)reassemble and let dry for a day.
1) unscrew all the small nuts/bolts around the pump housing and remove this first half of the pump housing.
2) in the rear of the pump, you will find a large slotted screw that is connected to the impeller. While holding the impeller, unscrew the slotted screw...the impeller will now unscrew off.
3) on the rear pump housing, you'll find 4 small bolts...unscrew and remove these...they're really long. This detaches the pump housing from the motor.
4)on the back side of the impeller ( step 2 ), you'll find the first seal...use a small flathead screw driver and lift the seal and it's rubber gasket out and replace with the new one.
5)in the second half of the pump housing ( step 3 ), you'll find the second seal. You'll need something thick, like a screw driver handle or a socket wrench extention, to knock out the seal. Silicone is holding this seal in place.
6)after cleaning the second half of the impeller housing, you can silicone in place the second seal.
7)reassemble and let dry for a day.
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golfish
Team RC
Steve,
I use the pump on a closed loop only. I swapped it for three MJ 1200's. I think they'll do ok for a few days. I assumed they would send it out next day, if it doesn't come by Friday I might just throw it back on line until it does come. Its not that easy to get to.
Thanks
Joyce,
When the tank is ready, I'll have some SPS frags for you.
I use the pump on a closed loop only. I swapped it for three MJ 1200's. I think they'll do ok for a few days. I assumed they would send it out next day, if it doesn't come by Friday I might just throw it back on line until it does come. Its not that easy to get to.
Thanks
Joyce,
When the tank is ready, I'll have some SPS frags for you.
Macimage
Active member
Steve,
Thanks so much for the detailed description. I think I'll give it a try before we leave town for the Memorial Day weekend.
Mark-Thanks for the offer!!! I'm going to give the tank another month or two. I added my first three SPS corals last week. Two of them are doing fine and one is not, so I'll give it some more time to be sure.
Joyce
Thanks so much for the detailed description. I think I'll give it a try before we leave town for the Memorial Day weekend.
Mark-Thanks for the offer
!!! I'm going to give the tank another month or two. I added my first three SPS corals last week. Two of them are doing fine and one is not, so I'll give it some more time to be sure.Joyce
Mark - It's a cinch to replace. Just stinks having to keep the pump down for a day while the silicone drys. Had to replace mine a few months back. Not sure if I got one of the new seals though. Mine did the ol' don't want to start back up trick on me the other day. Gonna have to give Tom a call on that here real soon.
Mark - Just got off the phone with Tom over at Dolphin. Looks like the seal I replaced mine with, about 4 or 5 months ago, was one of the old ones. At that time mine was not really having the start up problem. In my case I had developed a pinhole leak in the rear seal. Looked like it was corrosion to me at the time. Tom was puzzled about that at the time and thought it not possible. Well, I guess they started to investigate it pretty good shortly thereafter and found they were not getting seals of the quality stainless they thought. Not to mention that the seal was using a 14lb spring (which turned out to be the culprit for the non-start issue)
Short story long.......They are confident the new seals (with 8lb spring and higher quality stainless) will solve all problems reported to date. They are shipping me a new one to install today.
Have to admit they have been great about all of this and very responsive. Was given the options of:
1) mail the pump to them and they would do the repair free
2) give them a deposit for a loaner pump and then ship faulty pump to them for free repair
3) Mail the seal to me and I could effect the repair
Tom indicated that I should use GE silicone type II for the repair. He said this would allow me to get the pump back in service after only 2 or 3 hours. He said that after only an hour of cure time he can't pop the seal back out easily. I will add a couple more hours for safety. The last time I waited 6 hours and had no problems.
Short story long.......They are confident the new seals (with 8lb spring and higher quality stainless) will solve all problems reported to date. They are shipping me a new one to install today.
Have to admit they have been great about all of this and very responsive. Was given the options of:
1) mail the pump to them and they would do the repair free
2) give them a deposit for a loaner pump and then ship faulty pump to them for free repair
3) Mail the seal to me and I could effect the repair
Tom indicated that I should use GE silicone type II for the repair. He said this would allow me to get the pump back in service after only 2 or 3 hours. He said that after only an hour of cure time he can't pop the seal back out easily. I will add a couple more hours for safety. The last time I waited 6 hours and had no problems.
I bought an ampmaster 3000 in january, and last time I looked at the pump I could see a little salt dribble starting at the seal on the motor side of the empeller housing near where the motor shaft enters the empeller housing. There was also a little of crusty salt on the table below that spot. Is this the leak you folks are getting?
Joe Kelley
Active member
This is interesting. That came out about a year ago? These companies don't test their products very well. Leaving the beta to the public. The RK2 systems pump needed a seal after the 2nd year. They used a teflon seal I think. I wonder how good the stainless parts fair in salt water? They sure put damage control in the consumers hands. Oh well sorry to rant. I hope that this fix is not half ***.HTH
Joe
Joe
Damn!
Damn!
Figures, the pump I choose to run my whole enchilada is leaking in six freakin months.... at least you guys did all the leg work already! Thanks! now.. um.. could someone please serve this lazy @$$ the phone number and contact information for Dolphin? Much appreciated.. whew gotta go..typing is wearing me out.
Thanks
Damn!
Figures, the pump I choose to run my whole enchilada is leaking in six freakin months.... at least you guys did all the leg work already! Thanks! now.. um.. could someone please serve this lazy @$$ the phone number and contact information for Dolphin? Much appreciated.. whew gotta go..typing is wearing me out.
Thanks
Double Damn!!
Double Damn!!
This thread prompted me to do one of my supposedly weekly (more like several months) power downs.... Take a wild guess what didn't kick back on.....
Son-of-a-.......... Tom who? at what 888/800 please... tanks folks!
Damn..damn.. I need to just buy another pump or what? Iwakis still hangin in there? Maybe a Hayward pool pump?? Hey, my neighbor has one of those in his pool house!! HAhah (((" Hooooney!!??? Honey!! Where the heck did you put my POOL PUMP???!!! DAMN!"))) BAHAHAH (evil plot hatching)
Double Damn!!
This thread prompted me to do one of my supposedly weekly (more like several months) power downs.... Take a wild guess what didn't kick back on.....Son-of-a-.......... Tom who? at what 888/800 please... tanks folks!
Damn..damn.. I need to just buy another pump or what? Iwakis still hangin in there? Maybe a Hayward pool pump?? Hey, my neighbor has one of those in his pool house!! HAhah (((" Hooooney!!??? Honey!! Where the heck did you put my POOL PUMP???!!! DAMN!"))) BAHAHAH (evil plot hatching)
golfish
Team RC
Rowdy,
Here's the link http://www.dolphinpumps.com/contact.htm
Guys. I have another question. I understand the back seal on the pump housing. I don't understand why there's a seal on the impeller.
Here's the link http://www.dolphinpumps.com/contact.htm
Guys. I have another question. I understand the back seal on the pump housing. I don't understand why there's a seal on the impeller.
steveweast
Active member
golfish, the seal on the back of the impeller presses against the seal in the rear housing when it's reassembled...creating the water tight seal. This isolates the shaft from the water. It's when this contact between these two seals fail that we get the drip...drip...drip. The two seals are really two halfs of one seal...they just press against each other for the water tightness. It's also because of this that if you don't have that impeller on tightly, you'll get a leak.
