Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion A newbie with some questions.

Hi guys. Been lurking here for some time, finally got serious and decided to join up.

Several years ago I "rescued" an old visible pump from a barn that was slated for a visit from a bulldozer. The pump cylinder was shot full of holes and the skins are beyond repair, other than that it appears complete.
I'd like to get started fixing it up. I don't plan to sell it, or try for a Concours restoration. It is going to live outside next to my garage.
The pump is a Wayne Boyle-Dayton Division 87b, serial # 1781. The internals are all present, and the pump is quite heavy. There is no globe on it, but the rods and gallon markers are intact. The cylinder top still has the wire/lead seal on it from the last calibration. The last tax sticker on it indicates the fuel tax was 6 cents per gallon.
I know that repop skins are available, and acrylic cylinders are out there as well. I would like to find a hand pump lever to put on it, and create a Texaco Fire Chief Pump out of it.
I want to start collecting stuff for it this winter, and hopefully get it finished by spring. I'm facing some back surgery and I'm not working right now, so I can start playing with it a little bit. Need to occupy my mind...
I plan to buy a couple of the books I've seen suggested here, but I'd really appreciate any input you folks might have as to how to get started, what pitfalls to avoid, and any other thoughts you might have on this project.
Also, I have googled the heck out of this thing, and cannot seem to find any good pictures of this particular pump that have been restored. I believe that it was manufactured sometime after 1924, but cannot nail it down any better than that.

Thanks...

sam8

Welcome to the sight. Use the search option for a lot of your questions. Buy the Jack Sims pump book. Go to local gas bashes and ask questions. Where exactly are you from? I might be close. M2 cents Ted

Welcome to Oldgas.com sam8,
Take a look at some of the visible pumps that have been posted so far in our Gas Pump Image Album . There are some Boyle-Daytons there, but not your same model number.

Oldgas.com sells the PCM Gas Pump Restoration book and the Jack Sim Illustrated Guide to Gas Pumps. Go to: http://gaspumps.info/

Parts vendors are found by clicking on "Parts" at the very top of this page. Contact the vendors with your model number and see what's available.

Send me pictures of before, during and after your restoration. I'll post them here on Shop Talk. We love this stuff. shoptalk@oldgas.com

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Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator

Thanks guys, will do.

Ted, I'm in Nevada County, about 90 miles northeast of Sacramento.

sam8

Welcome to this great hobby! I am glad that you found this site, your fellow oldgassers are glad too!! Do you have any pictures of this pump? The cylinder shouldn't be a problem, there are enough companies that offer repro cylinders I can assure you one can fix you up. So far as the skins go, I'm not sure if anyone offers what you need but if you'll post some pictures (or e-mail them to me at haninfrared@msn.com) I will post them. I and others may have some ideas to help with this skin problem (no pun intended- ha ha).
Welcome to the hobby and the site, WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE YOU!

Neal Dunn
gas pump freak

Depending on the actual condition of the skins, they may be able to be repaired. A body hammer, welder, torch, and bondo can do miracles. If your like me, more time than money, learn to fix, or make, what you have or need. There are a lot of good books available, but this site has probably been the best source of info for me, check out the "mystery decal" string. These guys are great help. Maybe someday I'll have a restoration completed for posting here. Good luck.

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

Your pump is one of the easiest to make new skins for because there is very little taper. You should be able to use straight rolls to turn the curve in the skins then trim to fit.

Your pump should have a cast iron door and frame near eye level. If there is another smaller tin door lower down about knee level it likely uses the handle that pulls out. The little door should have furniture type hinges. Most of these pumps I have seen do not use the normal handle sticking up on the side, but some do.

Does the pump have a globe holder on top or a bar wit two lights coming off the middle above the top bonnet??

Wow, the response here is great!

The skins are rusted to the point that the pitting is almost through the metal. Sometime way back,somebody painted the pump with a brush in a lovely lime green and cream (haha) vertical stripe pattern. There are some chevron decals barely visible on it.
I believe that the paint is probably the only thing holding the skins together. When I scrape the paint at the base of the cylinder, above the skins, I can see bright red paint under all the house paint.
The pump does have the small door at eye level, inside this is the switch that turns on the electric lift pump. When you close the little door, a lever opens the drain at the bottom of the cylinder. There is a brass UL tag on the inside of the little door. On the back of the pump, there is a small cover that sticks out, underneath is the shaft for attaching a manual lever. I think I am going to remove the majority of the heavy stuff inside, if for no other reason than to lighten it up.
The top piece is simply a plate that the rods go throguh to seal the cylinder there is a short threaded rod sticking up, but no dome top.
I'll try and shoot some photos today and send them to Jim for posting. With the sieral # 1781, can anybody nail down the year of manufacture for me?

THANKS!!

sam8


[This message has been edited by sam8 (edited 11-06-2004).]

Sam, without seeing your skins I can't say for sure but here's an idea;

* clean the inside of the skins (sandblast or paint stripper and/or naval jelly, elbow grease and a wire brush). In other words, clean the insides of the skins down to the metal - THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

* Put 2 to 4 layers of fiberglass cloth inside the skins using polyester or epoxy resin. Be sure to wipe the skins down good with a degreaser (laquer thinner, contact cleaner, alchohol or MEK) just before applying the resin and glass.
* Be sure that the outside of the skins are cleaned down to the metal too. You can now Bondo the flaws in the skins. You may have to Bondo then sand, Bondo then sand, etc. many many times to get it where you want it. Then use Spot Putty to fill in any small pits from the Bondo. When finally finished with the filler spray a coat of sandable primer on them and look for more flaws.

Hope this helps! Remember, the worse shape something's in when you start the better you'll appreciate it when it's finished. Be sure to take before during and after pictures to put on this site.
Good luck!

Neal

Hey Neal, your right on. New skins would be the way to go, but on a limited budget, your idea would provide for a nice resto, until funds are available. On another forum that I belong to, the guys get all excited about a dash knob for their truck! Hundreds of dollars, and months, or years of waiting, are how some of those folks operate. Sam8, hobbies are for fun. Enjoy yourself and your new found friends. Make that pump look great, and SHOW IT OFF!!!!

Sam8, Welcome to the addiction of Oldgas. In the areas of metal that is pitted but somewhat solid, you can use a high fill epoxy primer like PPG K36. Its a very easy sanding primer with high fill to build up and fill in the pits. As far as the cylinder goes, the is reproduction acrylic and glass avaliable at a reasonable price. I have never used an acrylic but I heard they have a tendancy to turn yellow over time especially when they kept outside.

I have a 1929 UNION OIL CO. invoice from BOYLE DAYTON DIVISION OF WAYNE PUMP CO. that shows your pump still being offered.
Dick

Thanks, Dick, for the date info. I was guessing around 1930. The barn I rescued the pump from from was built in the mid 1870's, it actually served as a way station for a Wells Fargo Stage Stop, where horses were switched out prior to the last run of about 5 miles uphill to a gold rush town.
The old stage road actually goes through my property.
Is it okay to strip all the heavy plumbing and electric motor out of the pump, or is that a no-no?

sam8

[This message has been edited by sam8 (edited 11-07-2004).]

I knew these guys would jump in and help. As far as motors and plumbing I gut all my pumps and think most other guys on here do the same. No extra value in my opinion. Ted

Most guys take out the pumps and motors from electric computing pumps to get rid of the weight and smell. Not an issue with pump value. But on hand operated visible pumps with a pump lever handle, many restorers keep the pump intact to mount the handle.

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Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator