Churchill Hydrolastic pump

[TECH396]

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

Nick Upton has a couple left Andrew, but he's in the USA. I just bought one.

[Andrew1967]

Thanks Paul, Iain also mentioned Nick.

I’ll send him a message

[TickfordMetro]

How do I contact Nick Upton to see if he can supply me with an instruction plate too?

[Andrew1967]

PM sent

[hornetmini]

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]

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

[OGW 1082]

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

[hornetmini]

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.

[Aussie Bill B]

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.

[mk1]

What a brilliant, simple modification.

[Peter Laidler]

Good idea. But make sure that you check the SG of the filtered used fluid. If there's rusty water in the fluid it indicates that the fluid has been watered down

[Aussie Bill B]

Good idea. But make sure that you check the SG of the filtered used fluid. If there's rusty water in the fluid it indicates that the fluid has been watered down

Good point Peter. I only use the pump on my own cars and use a fluid made by a local business connected with the original supplier to BMC Aust.
The specific gravity of the fluid wasn't the main problem here. Early hydro cars squeaked so the formula had to have a 'lubricity' agent added.

[Tim]

I'm disappointed that you didn't use a period-correct Coke bottle.

Tim

[richardACS]

Am in the process of restoring the twin hose Churchill pump, many thanks for all the info found in this post it has helped greatly in finding some of the missing parts.

It's taken around a full week to strip this down to understand! clean, plate, fabricate missing parts and repaint this tricky little number - presently have done a dry run 1st re-assembly.

I have been trying to locate some new seals:

Hallite pressure seal: 8806510

Hallite vacuum seal: 6504850

So far not found these from any of the UK suppliers and UK Hallite mentioned no stock with the 8806510 under review and 6504850 available from the states with an 8 week back order - any other options?

The 1/4" BSP Dowty washers I've managed to source...

Would also like to change the nylon fluid pipes but concerned that the brass olives might not be available - does anyone know if there is an available supply?

[mk1]

Imperial pressure pipe & olives aren't a problem. Some of the seals are. I got a very good rebuild kit from Aus, but that was a few years ago.

M

[richardACS]

Imperial pressure pipe & olives aren't a problem. Some of the seals are. I got a very good rebuild kit from Aus, but that was a few years ago.

M

Have you used your repair kit Mark? if not is it available? or do you have any identification?

I notice from the thread that we have some good info coming out from Aus but have yet to search for seals from there...

As a matter of interest did you manage to get yours working?

[winabbey]

This is the rebuild kit Mark is talking about but out of stock, and some of the components are NLA apparently.

https://minisport.com.au/products/mini- ... 1994202422

The guy who sourced components (Tony Cripps) has some good articles on his website, including one about the pump.

https://leylandaustralia.com.au/articles.htm

[mk1]

I have restored a couple in the past, they work fine. But don't have any kits left. Sorry.

M

[richardACS]

This is the rebuild kit Mark is talking about but out of stock, and some of the components are NLA apparently.

https://minisport.com.au/products/mini- ... 1994202422

The guy who sourced components (Tony Cripps) has some good articles on his website, including one about the pump.

https://leylandaustralia.com.au/articles.htm

Just an update: Thanks to many who have provided information particularly on components from their experience with this Churchill machine: iain1967, BLT, Glen, OGW 1082, Mark and Andrew 1967, 111robin, bit by bit I've managed to source lever knobs, new pipe lines and olives, instruction plate, Dowty washers, ball bearings, tank cap etc, make up a front plate.

The elusive items so far have been the two main seals for the vacuum and pressure pump. Hallite in the uk have no stock and the pressure seal 8806510 seems to be under the possibility of being discontinued (in the USA), the vacuum seal 6504850 is apparently still available in the USA but would be on a six week waiting list - however they only supply their dealer network - but it might be worth while pursuing them to keep these parts alive...

Andrew has suggested a company: Allseals- Norwich, have spoken to them this morning and sent across details for them to search other possibilities, if we could locate a source we might be able to get one of the main mini parts suppliers interested? (does anyone have experience in discussions with the likes of mini spares?) in making up some seal kits in a reasonable quantity (50?) - which of course might help Hallite or others to consider it a reasonable order..

Interested in what others feel about this or have other suggestions

[richardACS]

BSA Bantam steering head bearings

Could someone advise where the three ball bearings are installed? I only found one in situation - immediately below the brass (red wheel valve) valve sitting on a short brass cross cut tube, there is another shorter cross cut tube below but with no ball bearing so assuming one is also required here but which way round and where does the third go?

If anyone is looking for some of these ball bearings I have extra and happy to post them on....