Molex Slurry Sludge Tanker

[Einstien]

Ok, so thought I would breathe some new life into the Molex Slurry Tanker I have - usual corrosion around the metal pipes between the control valves and the pump unit...

But while it pumps fine, it wasn't priming very well so I have pulled the rotor out, I was expecting a rubber edge on the wabbly bit, or something that I could renew, but seems very very odd inside..!

Anyone got any experience with these...?

Here is a pic of the Rotor

And one inside the rotor Housing

Weird.....

Any tips?

 

[Einstien]

I'll take the earie silence as a No then LoL

 

[Barleycorn]

we had several Molexs 'in the day'. Your rotor looks pretty good. The pin driving it used to be a common fault, and the pin would wear and the hole go elongated. We always had a lot of stones which would take the hardening off the rotor, and wear the rubber 'spiral'. Used to get bits from Molex at Guildford, but I think they were bought out by Whale Tankers in the end, probably a good place to try for advice / parts.

 

[Einstien]

Thanks I had found the Whale website, that rotor ain't half expensive!!!!

Is the funny rubber shaped bit inside replaceable, or should I say, was it replaceable then???

The aren't half a good pump when going though!

 

[Molex]

Einstein, I still currently run 2 molex sludge tankers. Looking at your pictures your rotor looks corroded and that the chrome hard wearing metal coating has worn away. This will wear the rubber stator inside out quicker but as long as there is fluid being transferred they are always lubricated. Like barleycorn has mentioned you can get the parts still from Whale tankers. Both the rotor and rubber stator, But I believe are very expensive. Did you find out how much the parts were out of interest? Interesting to know someone else still using one.

 

[Einstien]

I've actually sent the Rotor off to AM Philpot to be re "Hard Chromed" (NOT decorative chrome!) You can't buy the Rotor for the HD130/100 Pump any more apparently.. (I did ring Whale)

It's fairly tight in the elastomer still so should be worth doing, the pins at either end of the internal shaft are very worn allowing some unwanted lateral movement too so I'm confident it will be back and working well. The Pumps are fantastic!

I actually still have the instruction manual and exploded parts diagram that came with the Molex (found it in my filing), so have the part numbers LoL
One thing the instructions do say is to turn the internal shaft around if the holes in it are worn, I'll do this while it's apart anyway (there is already a new set of holes in the drive end and rotor at 90 degrees to the ones I've been using, so should be like new.

I've also tightened up the valves by putting a thin shim above each of the internal brass rotating gates as they are tapered.


The real beauty of these it that they will pump pretty much anything, AND you can suck and blow at the same time!!



P.s. a new replacement pump from Whale was £4500 ;-)

 

[Molex]

Might have to get my rotor re- chromed then. I have one good pump and the other one is like yours. Bit slow on priming and won't lift so much after a certain level in the pit. How much have AM Philpot quoted to do it? I know whale do the pump sets on trailer chassis and the pumps look identical and are galvanised now. I like it that you can pump all day long with them if you wanted to. Do you pump cattle, poultry or pig slurry? Are you using a later or early molex 1200 gallon or 900 gallon tanker?

 

[Einstien]

Mine is the 1200 Gallon one, I guess an early one (Book says Molex Slurry Tanker mk II)

Its £210 to strip polish and re-Hard Chrome the rotor, and it's guaranteed not to be any thinner LoL). Andy at AM Philpot said he would put a good thick layer on it.

Not really much to go wrong with them I suppose, I'm pumping Cow Slurry (or Dirty Water, depends on time of year and rules about pumping slurry vs dirty water), but have pumped all sort through it - have emptied quite a few absolutely solid with muck tanks in the past!

The access door on the back of mine is seized, but I did get in it this time and dig out the sediment (along with half bricks/stones and various other things that should not be in there!