Thread: Running in a fire pump

Probably too late but standard running in method is avoid low and high revs under load and maybe vary the revs a bit.

Dean

You have done the run in now change the oil and ALWAYS turn the fuel tap OFF to stop the motor.
NEVER stop the motor with fuel still in the carby. It goes stale and will foul up the carby making it a difficult to start and being a fire pump, you dont need those hassles.

Run it for 10min once a month, 5min under light to medium load, keeps the seals and gaskets in the motor and pump in good shape, stops corrosion as well as the suction and delivery hoses. Always top up the fuel tank to full, stops condensation in the fuel tank and contamination.

BTW, I was in the RFS for 25+ yrs, 15 years as a captain

Originally Posted by rwbuild

ALWAYS turn the fuel tap OFF to stop the motor.

I've heard conflicting views on that one ... the opposing view being something along the lines of the engine running lean when the fuel starts to run out and the drying of seals/gaskets in the carby. To be honest I'm not sure which is right.

I tend to just shut off my fire pump by using the stop button and have been doing so for more than 12 years without any issues.

Also my pump has a 4 stroke motor, if that makes any difference.

Originally Posted by Vernonv

I've heard conflicting views on that one ... the opposing view being something along the lines of the engine running lean when the fuel starts to run out and the drying of seals/gaskets in the carby. To be honest I'm not sure which is right.

I tend to just shut off my fire pump by using the stop button and have been doing so for more than 12 years without any issues.

Also my pump has a 4 stroke motor, if that makes any difference.

I'm inclined to think this is a fairly old piece of wisdom (no offence to rwbuild), back when fuels didn't have much in the way of anti-varnish additives.

I also don't stop infrequently-used engines on fuel.

On the other hand, I try to keep a fairly regular regimen of running those engines - once a quarter or so.

The main point of my original post, however, was a running-in strategy. As it's a governed engine with a consistent load (the pump), there's not much way to follow the usual strategy of varying loads and speeds - unless one's willing to sit there and futz with the governor - which I'm not.

I ended up just doing what I originally posited.

Interesting fire pump, so you can't reduce revs to black out a fire. You can only run at full or near to full revs, so you're out of water in no time, that is if we're talking about a slip-on unit for fire fighting purposes. I've got three fire fighting pumps ,one on a slip on unit(strictly for fire fighting)never been run in. One on a trailer keeping a thousand litre tank company as a backup in fires, never been run in. The other pump pushes water from one tank to an 11,000 gal header tank(house supply),never been run in. So if you've purchased a cheap pump, running it in is only going to reduce it's working life.
PS The pumps have all been run in , in anger.

Not all pumps that are sold as firefighting pumps are wholly suitable for the job of running fire hoses, some are just designed to move large volumes of water from a to b.

Most firetrucks have similar pumps to that that are just used to draft water from a source to put into the truck while the truck pump is being used to run hose lines.

This has nothing to do with fuel or running in, but something else that will stop a ff pump or engine from starting up is a little critter called the mud wasp, they love building their nests in mufflers and also the alloy fins (great way to hold in the heat). When not in use you could wrap your muffler in a soft fly wire and keep a screwdriver handy to clean out the fins.

Originally Posted by mhewitt

Any suggestions? New, cheap (Millers Falls Chinese import), Honda-knock-off engine.

I'm inclined to just run a tank of fuel through it under load (pumping water).

Yup, Plenty of fire fighting pumps are sold all over the world. Running in consists of filling it with fuel and tah dah run in. I am sure the Honda and Briggs and Stratton manuals recommend something more professional.
One bit of advice the little engines like their oil changed regularly. After the first tank of fuel, change the oil. Then every 20 hours ( tank will last 3 hours as a rule) so every 7 tanks change the oil. Most firefighter pumps have never had fresh oil change and last adequately. Those that have their oil changed regularly always last better,
cheers