Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Help! (Newbie buys Bennett 646)

Just couldn't avoid a pretty nice unrestored Bennett 646 tall that was at an auction.

First question - its heavy and fragile, so should I disassemble it to transport it home in a station wagon? Will the doors and all the sheet metal come off with the dozen or so small screws? How about the base and pump?

Next questions - how to tell wife, where to start, etc. soon to follow

Lets address the bigest problem, the wife... I have one also, love her very much, but she doesn't always understand. Dinner, roses, favorite wine, chick flick, ect, ect. You get the drill.. Bring a set of tools & WD-40. The more that you can remove, will make it easier to transport. Blankets for padding might also be a good idea, as would a strong friend. I'm not familiar with that pump, but they seem to be fairly basic in their construction. The base will most likley be held on with a few bolts. The base on my S/W 45 is cast iron, and held on with 12 bolts. If you choose to dismantle the pump on site, follow the basics. Tag, mark, and photo everything. A few drawings might help also. The internal parts are VERY heavy. Watch your fingers. Buy books, and stay with the forum. Ask questions, lots of them. Welcome to the hobby, have fun. Befor you know it, you will be getting oil cans, maps, signs, aaaand more, and more........

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If you love your freedom, thank a vet. If you love anything else, thank a trucker!

Welcome Daddio,
I agree with everything thunder says... especially the wife part.
The guts are heavy and most everyone I know removes them.. They really don't add any value to the finished pump... plus they smell.
As far as transporting it.. Put a piece of plywood against your pump before you tip it towards the truck or stationwagon. This will help avoid dents in the door skin as you tip it back and slide it in.
Keep us posted on your progress... and be sure to ask lots of questions on this site. Everyone here is very helpful and knowledgeable. Good Luck.

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Frank

GUT THE PUMP, [everything below the computer]. Leave the base and doors on [use a flag if you can't close the hatch].
Dick

Tell the wife you are getting the coolest lamp she could imagine!!

Figure out if the guts are removed or not, if they are not put plastic under it, better yet lay it down the way you THINK you are going to transport it for 15 minutes and check for leaks..pretty hard to get the stink off the wagon!!

Have Fun with it ...

Thanks for the quick replies! Great advice. I'm thinking some plywood and 2x4s to make a cradle, with blankets
Can you gut a Bennett 646 without disassembling the base and sheet metal? Anybody know where exactly to disconnect from the computer on that model? How about all the linkages? Is it close enough to the 700 series to use that as a model?

Any good book or article recommendations?

thanks again - good advice on checking horizontal for leaks. this one has been disconnected and indoors for a while, so hopefully no gas in it. Will take the old beater car, just in case.

Take a motorcycle tire with a blanket over it between the pump face area and the plywood. This should prevent the sight glass if that pump has it from touching and will be a nice shock absorber while you drive, it will flote like an air ride seat.

Daddio, I am new at this too, and I am on my forth pump. I don't care how long its been unhooked - that sucker still has old gas in it. I just brought home an Erie yesterday with a 40 9/10 price on the computer - had at least a pint in it. Now that you have got a pump - you are hopelessly HOOKED ! You can't beat the guys on this WebSite, and all the help they can give you. I hope your wife collects baskets or that high priced pottery like mine - it helps "balance" my purchases with hers. Brady

When it come to the wife, remember it easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission!!
About the pump, never assume that since its been sitting for a number of years that there is no gas remaining in the pump. I have gutted numerous pumps that have sat dry for several years and they still spill out old gas when disassembled. If it spills into the back of the wagon the wife may not ever be in favor of another purchase.

Take a sawzall, pipe wrench, wire cutters, a scocket set & another pair of pants and shoes [in case you get some old gas on you].

IF you spill some in the wagon, the wife will insist on a NEW CAR. And you will be sleeping in the old one.
...AH !!
THE SMELL OF OLD GAS,
Right Gaspump Rob ?

dont you have any "inlaws" with a "new" pickup you can try out? you can put the first scratches on the box floor!

when i first started collecting pumps i gutted them in the driveway & the old stale diesel fuel got rinsed off on to the lawn & it killed some grass! LOL! ----- load that pump into the ol wagon & leave the base hang off the tailgate, stick the nozzle in the wagons gas tank & cruise home with your head high! ----

hey welcome to oldgas & keep us posted on the progress. what colors are we going on this bennet of yours?

I purchased PCM's "Guide to Gas Pump Restoration" The biggest benefit, outside this forum, is that it is very detailed in, decals, signs, globes, and colors and image standards. As far as disconnecting the internals, it should be pretty basic. Again, I am not familiar with that pump, but it should be just some nuts & bolts. Be careful, those internal parts are heavy. My Southwest 45 was gutted so that I can install a small tv inside it for the shop or game room. Good luck & have fun.

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If you love your freedom, thank a vet. If you love anything else, thank a trucker!

Well, got it home in the OLD wagon. No time to gut it there, so made a cradle and wrestled it in there. Pretty heavy.
Will probably remove the pump right there in the car. Seems to be dry so far.
Before burning my bridges, doesn't anybody save the pumps? One guy told me he thought they were still usable and didnt want to risk losing the complete pump's value etc., so he kept it. Is there even a small chance that we will someday regret trashing the guts -- like when they get rare?

I really doubt that the Guts will ever be rare or collectible.
If you find a use for the motor or pump... please let us know.
Otherwise... they make great boat anchors.

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Frank