Steamboat Pump
By Darrell Clarke
G'day all.
Here are some of my observations re the Aeolian 4 bellows steamboat pump. This is definitely an early style since my Stroud D-A is 1914 and still has the original pump. This pump is still working well after 80 years and has not been recovered or opened up at all --- everything is original except the drive belt which is now round cross section clear synthetic material with a fused joint. The pump performance is actually slightly better under full load than the enclosed pump on my Steck grand. I still have the original leather belt which I wish to preserve as long as possible. I have regreased the bearings and used a molybdenum grease on the wooden con rods to stop any squeaks. The relatively low and fairly constant humidity in this country (Australia) seems to prolong the life of leather, rubber and wood and it is not unheard of for unrestored players to be working still after 70 years or more!
As for noise, it is only noticeable on quiet passages and can be a little obtrusive, but the way the pump is mounted with no springs or packing doesn't help. I don't have any problem with valve noise, so I feel that the basic pump is quiet enough if it is working well. Replacing the leather belt got rid of some of the residual noise caused by the joint.
Referring to Pat's dilemma, personally, I would not like to see the original pump replaced and would suggest checking the valves again. I suspect that pumps in uprights might be inherently noisier, but in my case, this is not so, as the grand box pump needs attention and has a noticeable nock.
Question: The belly cloth is missing from my Steck grand. Should I replace it and hopefully reduce some of the noise, or is it more trouble than it's worth? What do other other owners do and what material would they recommend?
Cheers,
Darrell |
(Message sent Mon 17 Jun 1996, 17:52:00 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.) |
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