Nick Upton has a couple left Andrew, but he's in the USA. I just bought one.Andrew1967 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 27, 2022 7:30 pm Just collected a Churchill 'Dalek' that I bought last year on eBay. Apart from a repair to the pressurising pipe, it looks pretty good and appears to work.
The instruction plate is somewhat past it so I'd like to find a replacement.
I know these have been remade in the past and was hoping someone had one left over waiting for a good home![]()
![]()
Churchill Hydrolastic pump
-
- Posts: 249
- Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2020 10:12 pm
- Location: Vancouver Island BC Canada
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Paul H.
- Andrew1967
- Posts: 7233
- Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:35 pm
- Location: Usually in my garage on the east coast of Norfolk, UK
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
Thanks Paul, Iain also mentioned Nick.
I’ll send him a message
I’ll send him a message

-
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2022 5:13 pm
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
How do I contact Nick Upton to see if he can supply me with an instruction plate too?
- Andrew1967
- Posts: 7233
- Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:35 pm
- Location: Usually in my garage on the east coast of Norfolk, UK
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
PM sent
-
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:28 pm
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
Hi everyone. I am currently restoring the first of 2 of these units. one for myself and one for my car club. my Vacuum side Tap is totally blocked and corroded with rust and gunk. Can anyone advise if i should rebuild the original tap, or replace it with a new one? And can anyone suggest a suitable replacement tap? It won't let me post a photo for some reason.
- Peter Laidler
- Posts: 4096
- Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:35 pm
- Location: Abingdon Oxfordshire
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
You ought let that blocked, rusty and corroded tap be a lesson Hornetmini. I'm not commenting on what new tap you need except to make sure that it is brass or stainless for obvious reasons. To be honest, my home made hydro evacuation machine uses simple plumbers ball valves.
This is my experience with the ex-garage machines.
The shite that is blocking up your machine is the years of shite, curd, sewage etc etc that has been drawn down fro OTHER hydro cars in the past and left to stagnate in the catch tank/reservior and block up your machine. In the past, nobody thought to replace the fluid in the hydro machines......., they just top it up. Topping up the crap drained down from other cars. So that the current car gets a bit of topped up fluid PLUS the old shite sat in the catch tank/reservoir.
I'd suggest that when you and your car club mates use the machine, that you drain down the reservoir and use new fresh fluid right from the word go.
Someone else who learned the hard way suggested that you use the machine to flush out the system by using distilled or deionised water first*. A few times until it comes out clean, then fill with hydro fluid.
(* you can flush out when the system is apart of course)
There's no replacements for the hydro units now so look after what you've got
This is my experience with the ex-garage machines.
The shite that is blocking up your machine is the years of shite, curd, sewage etc etc that has been drawn down fro OTHER hydro cars in the past and left to stagnate in the catch tank/reservior and block up your machine. In the past, nobody thought to replace the fluid in the hydro machines......., they just top it up. Topping up the crap drained down from other cars. So that the current car gets a bit of topped up fluid PLUS the old shite sat in the catch tank/reservoir.
I'd suggest that when you and your car club mates use the machine, that you drain down the reservoir and use new fresh fluid right from the word go.
Someone else who learned the hard way suggested that you use the machine to flush out the system by using distilled or deionised water first*. A few times until it comes out clean, then fill with hydro fluid.
(* you can flush out when the system is apart of course)
There's no replacements for the hydro units now so look after what you've got
-
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2015 11:33 am
- Location: Gold Coast Australia
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
Hello Hornetmini,
The correct valve you will be looking for is a Saunders Diaphragm Valve.
Hard to find but do appear from time to time. I've also seen just the rubber diaphragm part offered for sale,
but not for a long while now.
I've found a new valve I have here.... Saunders Uk ---- A 1/4 PN16 AL if that helps.
Regards,
Glen
The correct valve you will be looking for is a Saunders Diaphragm Valve.
Hard to find but do appear from time to time. I've also seen just the rubber diaphragm part offered for sale,
but not for a long while now.
I've found a new valve I have here.... Saunders Uk ---- A 1/4 PN16 AL if that helps.
Regards,
Glen
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
-
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:28 pm
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
Thanks for your advice gents. i work with lots of pumps and valves daily, but they are a lot bigger then 1/4". I can find 1/2" saunders online fairly easily, but not 1/4". i am assuming that the saunders valve is used to determine a consistent slow release of the vacuum. i could use a ball valve or similar but it vacuum release would need to be carefully managed. I dismantled the tap off the second dalek last night and the valve seat looks to be in near perfect condition, but it is also totally blocked. Hopefully i can get one unit working fairly promptly.
-
- Posts: 164
- Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 11:19 am
- Location: Camden NSW AUSTRALIA
Re: Churchill Hydrolastic pump
I have made a small modification to the Churchill pump to stop old, contaminated fluid from the car being dumped into the reservoir tank of clean fluid.
There is a tube that enters the reservoir near the top of the tank. This tube carries the old fluid when the pressure side is being used to depressurise the car as well as the old fluid when the vacuum pump is operated.
I removed this tube from the reservoir and ran it down to a container under the pump. When the vacuum is released or the pressure pump is used, it draws clean fluid from the base of the reservoir, so the car always gets clean fluid.
Nothing else needs to be altered and the fluid can be reused after the debris settles.
There is a tube that enters the reservoir near the top of the tank. This tube carries the old fluid when the pressure side is being used to depressurise the car as well as the old fluid when the vacuum pump is operated.
I removed this tube from the reservoir and ran it down to a container under the pump. When the vacuum is released or the pressure pump is used, it draws clean fluid from the base of the reservoir, so the car always gets clean fluid.
Nothing else needs to be altered and the fluid can be reused after the debris settles.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 18161
- Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 11:30 am
- Location: York-ish
- Contact: