Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Tar used to Waterproof Light Manifolds

I read in a previous post that the manifold/conduits received tar as a waterproofing agent. I would like to reuse the pre-bent conduits. How much tar is inside the conduits? Can I heat up the conduit pipes with a hand-held torch and it will flow out? I assume breathing protection will be in order when heating the conduits.

I don't know what it is. But it's not tar.

There is only a small amount of it at each end of the conduit. I usually just chip it out with a hammer and a small chisel. I then rewire the conduits with new wire.

Definitely dont breath that stuff when heated.

If you are rewiring the pump,Take a torch (outside and be careful to not breath the fumes) take a pair of vise grips and grab and lock it to the old cloth covered wire sticking out.Heat the pipe with a torch and it should pull out in a glob.

It was so hard and brittle that I drilled it out with a 1/2" wood bit (wore a dust mask). There was only one plug of it in the bottom of the manifold; on the supply side to the lights.

The compound is an early dielectric compound. It has been found to be carcinogenic, so you did right by wearing a dust mask... You still got some of it in your lungs, but not enough to do any damage... (my opinion)

(My Father was an electrician and later an Electrical Engineer for the Weyerhaeuser Corporation.. He died of Cancer, partly attributed to PCBs in transformers and this same dielectric compound... I also spent a few years working with these same items, but my Cancer is not affiliated with PCBs nor dielectric compounds)

So a "good rule of thumb" is to protect yourselves at all times with vintage and antique items... As they most likely were painted with lead paint and the electrical and mechanical parts have the possibility of being "hazardous to one's health"...