Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Gate valves - What happened to them?

I see a lot of parts for visible pumps at swap meet but almost never run across the old gate valves. What happened to them? Did they get melted down or where they put to use in some other area?

When they invented the trigger nozzel, gate valves were no longer required, or needed. Check your local plumbing store for Quick Shut Off valves. They are not cheap.

I see your point, Tim. They must have been largely discarded when they became application obsolete. All kinds of gate valves existed for different applications, so I suspect the visible pump valves were just tossed. I occassionally see and here of one for sale (an original). It's the same thing with spinner/jars... if you dont find one on an old pump, they to must have been discarded cuz I dont see alot of them either. BTW, if you're looking for a gate valve that's sorta vintage looking, check McMaster-Carr. I replaced the handle on one of their gate valves with a vintage looking handle I got Gas Pump Heaven, and it blends right in with the asthetic of the Fry 117 I put it on.

Another theory: when WWII broke out, all sorts of metals were melted down for the cause. Maybe a lot of them went to smelters and became bullet casings.