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#145224 Mon Jul 13 2009 09:49 AM
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Bernie Offline OP
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I was given a Model 98 that was in working condition when "liberated" but has not functioned in many years. It appears to be a Canadian version with Canadian cities listed on the face plate. This one is white inside and out. Although I remember seeing white ones when I was a kid, weren't they mostly red?

I am stripping it down to have the cover bead blasted and painted. The ID tag has been painted over and I was wondering if I could use paint remover on it without harming the tag itself.

I need a replacement glass, and face plate. I'll try to have the chrome parts polished to see if I can remove most of the pitting. Also on one of the pics below, a red arrow is pointing to a broken spring. Just wondering what this is for and where I can get a replacement.

Dsc00843_1.jpg Dsc00856_1.jpg
Last edited by Bernie; Mon Jul 13 2009 09:50 AM.

Bernie
Retired but refuse to grow up.
Please use For Sale forums to sell

Please - NO offers to Buy or Sell in this forum category

Statements such as, "I'm thinking about selling this." are considered an offer to sell.
Bernie #145228 Mon Jul 13 2009 10:52 AM
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Jack Sim has all the parts you need. I'd buy new chrome parts instead of wasting money on old.

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If you were buying an ECO from the local equipment dealer it was red. If you were Shell and you were buying 100 for all your stations in a large city, they would paint them any way you wanted.

The ID tag should be removed and treated by itself. Sandblast the cover. Anything used on the ID tag will remove all the paint.

I see a lot of units like yours from Canada, where they didn't want to put the unit back together the way it was intended. So they drilled three holes in the chrome and put screws in them. They are not susposed to have screws in the chrome.

You can polish all you want, but you will never get the pits out of the chrome. Replaters can't get the pits out of the chrome. I have seen some pieces of chrome ground so much you read a newspaper through them. They especially can't get the pits out of the lines on the Emblem (upper) and Scuff (lower) plate.

The spring that is broke is part of the shot lengthener.

We have a Service manual, covering the repair of this unit, I have even added "Jack's tips" to further help you.

We stock every part that is in you unit, including the spring you need. We have a Chrome kit that has all the chrome you need, the chome plating is actually better than the original as the original was industrial chrome and not too thick.

Here is a picture of a unit I just finished.

http://img29.imageshack.us/i/eco97e.tif/

Check out my website, it is the largest website devoted to this hobby (over 5000 images). All the parts are listed on the site.

And we do ship to Canada.

www.petrolianacollectibles.com

Jack Sim

Last edited by Jack Sim; Mon Jul 13 2009 12:19 PM.

Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
Bernie #145232 Mon Jul 13 2009 12:29 PM
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I'll have parts available also along with the porcelain face (US style) if I can be of any help.
The "shot lengthener" is the item you have the arrow pointing to. It was optional equipment. You can eliminate it and save yourself some $$.

Ron

Last edited by Ron Scobie; Mon Jul 13 2009 12:36 PM.

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Bernie Offline OP
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Jack,
I sent you a lengthy e-mail Friday.

Ron,
I'll check out your site.

Thanks.


Bernie
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Bernie #145238 Mon Jul 13 2009 12:42 PM
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nice piece, wish I had one!!! Maybe next on my list

Dave

LAWFISH #145282 Mon Jul 13 2009 08:49 PM
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Bernie,

One more thing. You listed your unit as a 98. Your unit is not a 98. The 98 was an ECO on a pedestal. Your unit is a 97. It appears the head part of your unit was originally on a pedestal, at sometime in its lifetime it was removed from the pedestal and put on a wall mount.
Or....Maybe the rear cover of the wall mount 97 was damaged and a repair man put a used rear cover on the unit, and the used cover came off an old 98.

We have ID tags if you wish to change the model number to a 97.

Jack Sim


Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
Jack Sim #145288 Mon Jul 13 2009 09:20 PM
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Thanks Jack.

Hmmm.... Originally, my money would have been on a 98 that was removed from the pedestal. The ID tag has been on there since day one. The whole unit seems to have been together forever and the inside of the wall unit and head are both white. The only part that has red on it is the bottom wall unit plate on the inside. Now I'm not so sure if it was originally a 97 or 98.

BTW, I started carefully removing the paint from the ID tag and found that there is another coat of dark grey paint under the white.

Last edited by Bernie; Mon Jul 13 2009 09:30 PM.

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Bernie #145327 Tue Jul 14 2009 09:41 AM
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I have told this story of the lonely air meter many times.

The station operator decides to buy a air meter. He calls the local equipment warehouse and they send out a salesman. Sometimes he brings a sample, but most of the time he just brings a brochure.

The station operator is already mad because he has to buy something in order to give something away, so when he is asked if he wants the light option, he thinks, "I'll have to run electricity out to that thing, no way." (This is why you find so many ECOs with a light in them). Then he is asked if he wants the water option and he thinks "I'll have to run a water line out to that thing, Hell no, let them carry the bucket."

When the unit is installed the operator is told to be sure to bleed off the water every week. This is never done and it rusts so bad that it requires a service man to repair it.

Then there are the customers. After filling their tires they don't hang up the hose, and if there is the smallest air leak anywhere, the air compressor runs all night. Some throw the hose back at the meter and the chuck hits the glass and brakes it, then it lays on the ground and the nest car runs over it. Any if that isn't bad enough, the next guy to come in unscrews the hose and steals it.

Yet, this trusty lonely air meter stands out there year after year, out living probably 15-20 pumps and some people ask why they are rare?

One more thing, these units were regularly painted by that 12 year old kid that hung around the station, he was given a can of battleship gray (the most used paint after WWII), a brush, and was told to paint everything he could reach.

Jack Sim

Last edited by Jack Sim; Tue Jul 14 2009 09:51 AM.

Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
Jack Sim #145332 Tue Jul 14 2009 10:55 AM
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Having owned and worked in several gas stations over the years what I remember most about using an eco is the phenomenal number of bicycle tires blown up too high and hearing them 'pop'.

You could almost always tell who was going to do it too. We'd be wrenching and somebody would say here comes another one. And...right on cue they would put too much air in it and pop it.

Ohio Oil #145335 Tue Jul 14 2009 11:11 AM
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Saw a guy air up a bike tire for his soe, as usual too much air---they put the bike in the car then it blew..wanna see a chinese firedrill when they piled out of the car!!

take out the main valve and clean it; thats the big brass valve with 3 lines going to it under the broken spring..99% of your troubles are in that main valve..good luck

gaspumpchas

Serving your ECO air meter needs since 1992....

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Originally Posted By: gaspumpchas

take out the main valve and clean it; thats the big brass valve with 3 lines going to it under the broken spring..99% of your troubles are in that main valve..good luck


I took the big brass valve apart and cleaned it. Not much gunk in there to begin with. Thanks for the tip. grin


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Originally Posted By: Ron Scobie
The "shot lengthener" is the item you have the arrow pointing to. It was optional equipment. You can eliminate it and save yourself some $$.


Ron,

Should I remiove the broken spring completely or just leave it as is? whistle


Bernie
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Bernie #145360 Tue Jul 14 2009 09:45 PM
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Bernie,

Just buy a service manual, follow follow the instructions. A unit as old as your is doesn't need a repair, it needs a rebuild.

Have you checked the diaphragm, is is leaking?

Have you checked the strainter, is is filled with rust?

On a unit that dates back to the 60's (almost 50 years old), it needs to be rebuilt!

Buy your parts from anyone you choose, but if you have a problem, here is my phone number: 314-427-3943

Jack Sim

Jack Sim

Last edited by Jack Sim; Tue Jul 14 2009 09:46 PM.

Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
Jack Sim #145361 Tue Jul 14 2009 09:47 PM
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Bernie Offline OP
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Sounds like I need one of your tip manuals. Please add that to the list of stuff I sent you for pricing.


Bernie
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Bernie #145380 Wed Jul 15 2009 09:01 AM
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Bernie, I emailed you the service bulletins a day or two ago. Did you get them? There's no charge for those.
Ron

Last edited by Ron Scobie; Wed Jul 15 2009 09:02 AM.

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cleaned the main valve and the strainer on my 50yr old eco and it works great, no need to rebuild it at this time. i only use it a few times a year, but it is hooked up and ready to go. chris

cggas #145411 Wed Jul 15 2009 05:02 PM
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Jack, u seem to be the man when it comes to ECO'S do u have any rebuild able units for sale, what i mean is one that is beat up, that i could work on my safe, i don't care wall mount or pedestal. thx.


im always looking but never find, why........
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I finally got it apart and the internal mechanism is pristine except for the shot lengthener. I've bead blasted the cover and am pretty sure I can salvage the chrome pieces. All I'm probably going to need is a glass and face plate. smile

Dsc00853_1.jpg Dsc00855_1.jpg
Last edited by Bernie; Wed Jul 15 2009 08:55 PM.

Bernie
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Bernie #145460 Thu Jul 16 2009 12:25 AM
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My current Service Manual covers spot repairs, not complete rebuilding. I believe these spot repairs were ok years ago, but for most of these units that have been around since 1950 (they are almost 60 years old, they should be completely taken apart and rebuilt.
One good sign that your unit needs rebuilding is to take apart the strainer assembly. That is the three cornered thing in the lower left corner, it has a tube going to it. Pull it out, if there is no rust, or the strainer is still there, just blow it out good and put on new gasket on it. If the strainer has rusted away, or if the chamber is filled with rust your unit needs to be rebuilt. This rust has to go somewhere, the first place is the check valve. Most of the check valves we remove are rusted in and will not move, also rust goes up these tubes and into the main valve, many times cloging up the main valve.

I have also yet to find one that did not have a hole in the diaphragm. If you have to replace the diaphragm you might as well do a complete rebuild because you have to remove all the parts to get to the diaphragm, so if they are just laying there, why not rebuild them.

If you were replacing a wheel bearing on a car, wouldn't you check out the condition of the brakes while you are there? Same thing.

As for the chrome. If the chrome has pits in it, no one can get these pits out, I've tried. The replaters grind them down and down trying to get out the pits, and they still can't get them out of the black lines on the upper "Emblem" and lower "Scuff" plates. And the other thing is that the platers cannot grind then replate, then rechrome, then polish a piece chrome for what I sell it for. Actually the chrome we sell is better than the original industrial chrome used on the old units, ours is much thicker and much shinner.

We have the largest stock of ECO parts on hand. You could build a unit from scratch just from using the parts we have on hand. We generally get the parts out the day we receive payemnt or at the most the next day. I have also been rebuilding these ECOs since around 1985, so we can answer any question you might have if you are trying to do it yourself. If you don't want to do it yourself, we can rebuild the unit for around $135 including parts for normal rebuilds. And we guarantee them.

About two years ago I rewrote the Service Manual somewhat. I pulled out the stuff that no longer applied. Since there has been about 5 manuals printed since 1947, I took the best of each one so my manual would cover all the ECOs. ECOs seervice manuals offered you by others are only photocopies of one of the five old manuals. My revised manual covers all five.
BTW we also have a 100% feedback rating on Ebay in our ECO Stores. Our shipping is withing pennies of the actual cost, we don't use a % figure to determine shipping and we don't pad the shipping. We also ship international including Canada. My heavier items go FedEx because both of my daughters work for Fedex.

While some people call me a gas pump guru, I actually know more about ECOs and can answer the ECO questions much better than the Gas Pump Questions. Both Cindy and I can be reached at 314-427-3943. We don't sell gas pump parts or other new stuff, we found our nitch and are trying to be the best at it as possible.

Please feel free to check out our website: www.petrolianacollectible.com the largest website devoted to this hobby (over 5000 images).

Jack Sim

Last edited by Jack Sim; Thu Jul 16 2009 12:27 AM.

Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
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