# Syurp pump



## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

We were running 3 truck geared up for feeding in frame feeders this year. I'm happy with the design of the hose, reel, and return. But we kept having problems with our pumps. 

The pumps went almost all day everyday. We have 3' trash pumps. Used Hondas and crappy ones too. I should say the problem was with the engines and not the pumps. They don't seem to be working too hard but we kept ceasing them, or having valves go and stuff like that. 

Has anyone found something that they've been using a long time with no issues? We need to have 2 guys feeding 1000 gal plus/day. To give an idea how we are working the.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Do you have hour meters on the engines?

What criteria do you use to determine when to change oil and other routine maintenance? 

What oil do you use?

Crazy Roland


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## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

Ditch the trash pumps!


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

If you asked me to build a rig to pump syrup with I would probably recommend a roller pump and either pto driven if you pull your feeding rig with a tractor or a gear reduction engine. There should be a pop-off valve on the outlet side that returns fluid to the tank to prevent over pressure. Lots of folks use a similar set up to spray driveway sealer, a viscous material like sugar syrup. I would design for an output of 5 gal per minute or perhaps a little more as probably adequate.

Have fun engineering-
Bill


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

a search seems to indicate that Honda has off shored much of their small engine manufacturing.

"I'm an engineer for a company that design products with Honda engines on them. 10 years ago they were a step above everyone else, then they moved production to Thailand (at least on the smaller GX line) and it has been downhill from there. Gas cap issues, crankshaft issues, governor problems, back firing issues on our products whose designs haven't changed. Also, Honda we have had every design previously approved by Honda to be used with their engines.

Replace their engines with competitor engines and the problem goes away. 

Worse yet, Hondas warranty isn't cut and dry and they often reject our customers issues when it is clearly an engine issue.

We've been begging marketing to let us switch engines for the last year, but our customers are so engrained to the Honda name they won't let us. 
To be fair, it seems all small gas engines have their issues, especially with all of the emissions crap. I'm certain if we changed engines we would have other sets of issues, but it would make me feel good for a couple weeks."


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

First off avoid ethanol like the plague, small engine problems are more often than not fuel related. We replaced an old B&S on our gear pump that finally tanked a couple years ago with a Honda GX series and it's been awesome, no problem pumping 1,000 gallons per day if need be, sucking out of the top of a tote or bulk tank. Don't mess with the cheaper GC (I think) series, they aren't near the engine.


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

I am a barn equipment dealer. Honda engines start easy. Honda is popular. others last a lot longer. honda parts are much more expensive [ridiculous parts prices]. replacement engines are more expensive.. buy something else. actually the harbor freight "throw-away" engines are better engines and start as good. buy the extended warranty and wear them out..


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Set up your own simple pump system with the appropriate Honda engine and a gear pump with a bypass. I have some honda engine going on thirty years. A few going on twenty and many other over 10. 

KISS. 

Would love to be enlightened by M--equipt what engines are superior to Honda engines?


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

many like Honda engines. I spent the morning running a Honda powered woodspliter. they are not my favorite, on my own stuff I would run one until it's time is done, I would not put much money into a used or new Honda. it is my understanding the new harbor freight ones were designed by former briggs engineers. at 1/4 or 1/3 the price of a Honda an easy choice. a briggs always had a lot more hours in it than a Honda. that is how I would go. the older HF motors were made in china, copies of Hondas, they were about the same in service.


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## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

Roland said:


> Do you have hour meters on the engines?
> 
> What criteria do you use to determine when to change oil and other routine maintenance?
> 
> ...


to my embarrassment, we did not change the oil on the pumps this summer. We have not tracked ours. We run reg 5w30. I considered that perhaps oil was my problem. You think so?


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## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

Brian Suchan said:


> Ditch the trash pumps!


And use?


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## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

Honey-4-All said:


> Set up your own simple pump system with the appropriate Honda engine and a gear pump with a bypass. I have some honda engine going on thirty years. A few going on twenty and many other over 10.
> 
> KISS.
> 
> Would love to be enlightened by M--equipt what engines are superior to Honda engines?


We have the gd also. Should we run high test? And you have a gear pump on it? Not trash right?


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## B&E (Dec 27, 2011)

Honey-4-All said:


> Set up your own simple pump system with the appropriate Honda engine and a gear pump with a bypass. I have some honda engine going on thirty years. A few going on twenty and many other over 10.
> 
> KISS.
> 
> Would love to be enlightened by M--equipt what engines are superior to Honda engines?


We can easily do this. Would a 3" gear give me the same flow as a 3" trash?


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

B&E said:


> We can easily do this. Would a 3" gear give me the same flow as a 3" trash?


No, gear pumps aren't really meant to move high volumes like a trash pump. Where they work great, though, is in moving thick liquids like honey and syrup and they are still able to neatly fill a feeder in between 5 and 10 seconds (depending on viscosity) and we often even idle the rpm's down a bit. We have a couple trash pumps and a gear pump. The gear pump is the one everyone likes to use. The only downside is if you run it dry and lose prime it can be difficult to get primed again. 
Of course changing the oil is important but the single most important thing you can do to extend the life of small engines is to avoid burning ethanol. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...ethanol-can-make-small-engines-fail/index.htm
Don't fall for the temptation of saving a few cents a gallon when you are filling a gas jug.


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## davidsbees (Feb 22, 2010)

I use a 1 inch bronze gear pump it will pump 24 gpm @ 1750 rpm at the pump. At the hose end that depends on how thick your syrup is and the length and diameter of your hose. As for the engine I use a Honda gx 160 6:1 I also use 40 gpm relive valve


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

After my last trash pumps crank went out before it had even pumped a tanker load, I rigged up an electric motor to a bronze gear honey pump and couldn't be happier. Most of our pumping is done filling jugs at home , so the electric is great. I have a new Honda trash pump for filling totes (open feeding) in some yards,but don't have much hope for its longevity.I would agree with those advocating a gear pump.


Did you see Allens website where he rigged up a gear pump to a 12 volt boom motor? I though it was kind of neat. The gas pump nozzles are a problem. I wired mine open then rigged a ball valve to it.Much better.
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/misc/syrup/feed.htm


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