Chris, I looked at your Ram Pump pictures. It appears that you have a Davey brand ram, size 2. The size 2 had a 3/4" drive inlet and a 1/2" discharge outlet. The discharge could be selected to be either right or left side. It was made of cast iron, with a brass clack valve and a leather check valve inside. The size 2 was designed for a flow rate of 3 to 8 quarts per minute. There were 5 sizes available, 1 through 5. The size 5 handles 6 to 14 gallons per minute. This is the supply rate, not the pumped rate. The amount of water pumped depends on the supply rate, the vertical fall available for power, AND the vertical height to be pumped. The size is stamped on top of the air chamber casting. My father bought a Davey size 2 at a yard sale in 1950. When I was 6 years old, I remember helping my father hook up the pipes. We used it for several years to pump water. When I got married and built a house in the country I got the old ram from my father and refurbished it. We used it for about 5 years to supply water to the house. The problem with the Davey is that it relies on an adjustable spring in the clack valve to supply tension. This feature allows the Davey to be adjusted for different water flow rates, but eventually the spring fails and has to be replaced. When mine failed, I could not find a replacement, so I added a lead weight on top of the piston. A lead weight supplies a constant downward force, but cannot be adjusted. I derived the exact weight by experimenting with different weights. Another problem is the second moving part, the "snifter" valve. This is a small check valve on the base that pulls in a bubble of air at each stroke. This prevents the air chamber from becoming "water-logged", another term for losing its air charge. Eventually my snifter valve wore out and had to be replaced. I had to manufacture one myself. The third moving part, the check valve, had an original leather gasket which I replaced with rubber.
After 5 years of constant pumping at a higher rate than originally designed, my brass piston became so worn that it would not function. I traded the Davey to Jim Folk in Conyers, Georgia for a new Folk cast-aluminum ram pump. The Folk used an aluminum weight to supply tension, and all parts were corrosion resistant. It also has a built in rubber air chamber so that it never loses its air charge. It has only two moving parts to wear out. It also has two jam nuts that allow the stroke length (and thus the pumping rate) to be adjusted. I have been using the Folk since 1985, and it has proven to be reliable and long-lasting. Did I consider building my own? Yes, there are plenty of do-it-yourself plans available. I wanted a proven design that I wouldn't have to constantly tinker with. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/RzSHvD/UOnJAA/79vVAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Does your company feature in the microhydro business directory at http://microhydropower.net/directory ? If not, please register free of charge and be exposed to the microhydro community world wide! NOTE: The advertisements in this email are added by Yahoogroups who provides us with free email group services. The microhydro-group does not endorse products or support the advertisements in any way. More information on micro hydropower at http://microhydropower.net To unsubscribe: send empty message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microhydro/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
