Hi all -

Thought I was down the final stretch with the Giotto when Mr. Murphy paid a visit. Fired it up for the test run and was getting nothing out of the pump. The pump is an Ulka E/EX5. Before installing, I had tested it and it pumped fine, though it did take a bit of prodding before it started squirting. As everything that carried water was scaled up I had totally disassembled and cleaned the pump assembly.

So pulled it again for another complete teardown. All the valves and seats look good, and double checked everything to make sure it was going back together properly. It did prime briefly, but the draw tube popped out of the bottle and it never primed again after that. It was being fed from a 1/2 gal water bottle that is raised about 5" and is next to to the pump.

Have gone over everything I can find pertaining to Ulkas and priming, and seemed to be doing things correctly. Time to cut to the chase and pick up a replacement? The tech in me hates to give up a possible repair, but I also dislike spinning my wheels.

Thanks for any insight.

I primed an ulka pump on a francis franscis x5 the other day that had been sitting for years. It was coughing up gunk when the inlet tube was 1/2 in water. I let it do that for a bit. Then I used a modified turkey baster (actually a bottle of sriracha hot sauce filled with water) to prime it. It took a solid minute and every ounce of my strength squeezing the bottle and holding the inlet tube up to it to get the thing pumping, but it worked! I'd aggressively try to prime it another time before giving up.

Thanks, will give it another go. Thought these things were supposed to be 'self priming'.

cuppajoe wrote:supposed

There is the key word. Sometimes they need a hand.

IF you have access to an air compressor
blow some air through the pump (dismounted from the unit)
you can tell once the plungers are open and they squirt air out by a very particular sound, cannot describe it but you will know what I mean
from clogged and unopened to once it will open up

Thanks Stefano -

Got it going. While casting about for a solution to provide pressurized water, remembered a retired bladder for backpacking. Here's the pump test rig, just turn on motor with power strip switch and squeeze.

And here's it set up to prime the pump in place.

Worked quite well, and looks "verrrrrry interesting".

cannonfodder - very deliberate use of the word, sometimes they need a kick in the...butt. Love your handle.