# surge vacuum pump needs new motor??



## navarrdv (Mar 31, 2015)

I just bought a surge brand vacuum pump the model number is sp-22 it is a 50 cfm pump with the rest of the set up being babson brothers. it needs a new motor but the info plate on the motor is gone so my question is what type of motor do I need? How many horses etc. I bought the whole system for $250 dollars and that included the vacuum setup and 8 surge milkers so all in all it is a good deal. Any help would be appreciated.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

a 1/2 HP electric farm duty motor at 1740 RPMs should do it . of course moveing up a notch or two with a 3/4 or 1 HP sure wouldn't do any harm . I'm working on the same pump my self to get a bucket milker working , they'r several utube videos of the old reliable surge pumps in action , and a site called " Keeping a family cow " has a section on milkers where the friendly experinced members are glad to help with any questions


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

check on ebay for the price on those old surge milkers and you will really see what a good deal you' got ; I would love to get my hands on one of the surge vacuume tanks to match my pump but I can fachion one from pvc pipe if I don't find one .a great think about those old surge pumps and several types of the old stainless steel bucket milkers made in the USA they were made to last and do and can be fixed at home by a farmer like you and me rebuild parts are cheep and available for your milkers


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## navarrdv (Mar 31, 2015)

Thanks Arnie I was afraid I has going to have to get a 5 hp motor. But if a 1 hp will do that makes it much cheaper.:dance:


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## rosalind (Oct 6, 2014)

Mine's 1/2HP and has worked smoothly for years. There's nothing better than a Surge pump, in my opinion.  Good find!

https://spiritedrose.wordpress.com/jersey-cattle/how-to-produce-quality-milk/milk-vacuum-pump/


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## navarrdv (Mar 31, 2015)

rosalind said:


> Mine's 1/2HP and has worked smoothly for years. There's nothing better than a Surge pump, in my opinion.  Good find!
> 
> https://spiritedrose.wordpress.com/jersey-cattle/how-to-produce-quality-milk/milk-vacuum-pump/


My concern is that the smaller motor wont run the pump it is the sp-22 not the sp-11 50cfm is a lot for a 1/2 hp motor and the original motor is LARGE....so I will give it a try I am only milking 2 goats at time with this so..


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## gjhinesjr (Jun 28, 2014)

I tend to agree a 1/2 hp motor isn't overly big. I would definitely recommend going with a 3/4 or 1hp. They shouldn't be that much more. Ideally you'd have info on what what the original pump came with. Either way, any kind of general purpose/farm duty motor should do fine. I'd recommend a TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) motor as well. Those are better for dirty/dusty environments, and can take more of a work load. ODP (Open Drip Proof) motors are made to be mounted to a fan. But those are cheaper usually, so don't assume those will work. Also 1740-ish RPM is pretty standard. 3450 RPM motors are usually cheaper, but don't last as long due to the wear and tear from spinning that fast. Plus, matching the current motors RPM is important because the pulley set you have now is matched to give you a certain RPM at the pump. Which you'll want to keep the same if you can.

*Now that I think about it, measure the shaft diameter on your old motor. That might help you determine the motor hp. Shaft sizes get bigger as you move up hp. Plus the pulley you have on your current motor, will only work with whatever shaft size it's sized for. Not that you cant buy a new pulley for your new motor. But something to check never-the-less.

Either way, if you buy a motor that's too small, it'll most likely either have a hard time initially getting your pump spinning, and/or pull too many amps trying to turn it. Either way, you'll know pretty quick. So you could presumably take it back and get a bigger one. But realistically it would be a lot of work to put the pulley on it, put the wire leads on it, only to figure out it's too small. Just err on the side of caution and get a bigger one.

Honestly, check ebay for motors. I've found the best prices there. Popular well respected brands are Leeson, Baldor, Weg. Goes without saying you'll want a single phase motor as well.

For what it's worth I maintain all the equipment for a municipal water treatment plant. So I work with A LOT of motors & pumps.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

My sp-22 has a 1 1/2 hp motor, it ran 4 milkers....James


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

The sp22 is rated about 11 cfm (not 50) at 15" hg.
A horse or horse and a half should be plenty.
Biggest issue would be making sure the rpms are correct.


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## navarrdv (Mar 31, 2015)

Thanks everybody for the info and advice. I will try a 1 hp motor at the lower rpm. Found a leeson brand farm duty reasonably priced. Now I just have to figure out how and what parts I need to put the surge milkers together:grin:


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## rosalind (Oct 6, 2014)

Hamby Dairy Supply specializes in Surge machines: http://www.surgemilker.com/history.html and hambydairysupply.com/

Sometimes you can find parts cheaper other places, like parts dept. online, etc. but Hamby's been my best bet for making sure I get the correct parts.

If you're milking goats, you might try Caprine supply: https://www.caprinesupply.com for proper inflations and shells and milking lines.


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## navarrdv (Mar 31, 2015)

Ok so I got the 1 hp motor fired it up and VERY little vacuum.??


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Is the dump flapper in the bottom closed?


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## gjhinesjr (Jun 28, 2014)

Your new motor is the same RPM correct? You re-used the same diameter sheave on the new motor? Are you sure the new motor is running at full speed and not bogged down? Do you have an amp meter you could put on the motor?

Need a lot more information to help out.


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## rosalind (Oct 6, 2014)

Often on older units, the air tank has holes on the bottom from rusting out. You can put your hand under there to check for leaks. They can be sealed many ways - duct tape works in a pinch, silicone works for longer term.


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## navarrdv (Mar 31, 2015)

no holes in the tank rpms are correct not sure what the dump flapper is. There is a screw valve looking thing I will try to tighten.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Oil level good? Wonder if the rings are just dry? How much vacuum on gauge? Milker doesn't use much....James


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## rosalind (Oct 6, 2014)

navarrdv said:


> There is a screw valve looking thing I will try to tighten.


Do you mean the pressure relief valve? You should be able to adjust it quite a lot and the gauge should correspondingly go up or down to get where you need it.

Could vary in looks quite a bit, but something similar to the brass knob on the left in this photo?


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## Glenn_Hastings (Jan 9, 2019)

hi, does anyone know the part #, and where to get a set of replacement piston rings for my Surge SP-22 Vacuum Pump?


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