Portable Fire Pump

[Migmac]

Make sure your suction hoses are tight together. If your using open water point the basket up stream. Rev the engine and pull the lever down, when the revs start to fluctuate you have suction. Crack open the outlet, water should flow.

 

[zx9]

Clan kit cars ran Imp motors before moving to Ford CVH. Really really wanted one in the 80s

One of my old school mates started built a Clan with an Imp motor just before I moved darn sarf so there would have been one knocking around your neck of the woods in about 85 / 86 assuming he ever finished it.

 

[chrismac]

Old thread but I was just having a read, if your pump is not holding the prime you must have a leak somewhere, I have a few of these and even on tick over the flow is fairly mega!!

Your seems a little different to the ones I have seen, FWP or LLP 250-350 GPM (long original version) The GPF 573 same engine just more compact also the GPF 574 electric start and chrystler engine simmilar as the Coventry both 270 - 310 GPM , then its the more modern GP series pumps which had Nissan or ford engines.

I have some workshop manuals if I have any that's of use.

Chris

 

[daleyd]

They were used as emergency fire pumps on Royal Navy ships, the only thing I remember about them is they were horrendously heavy! I’ve started a few and lugged them around but don’t know much more than that, good luck with whatever you decide to do with it.

 

[merryman]

The FWP (Feather Weight Pump) 1020cc engine is sought after by a lot of classic racers because it was the basis of the 1100cc FWA engine which was used in lotus 11s, Elites (the original) etc. Sounds like the OP has the later pump which had a more Imp like motor (I think the later pump was 750cc though).

In the early 1950s Coventry Climax decided to replace their aged side valve engines for fire pumps, and chose Walter Hassan to design a modern, lightweight engine. He accidentally designed a race engine, as high performance engines were his "thing". Soon the racing enthusiasts were fitting them to their cars, and Climax adverts of the time announced "the fire pump engine that wins races". Hillman needed a small engine to go in the new Imp model, decided the smaller version of the Climax engine was ideal, so bought the manufacturing rights to it. Apparently, Climax made engines differ a bit, as the Imp block was die cast, being mass produced, whereas the Climax engines were sand cast.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

https://horstmangroup.com/

This company brought the production rights the Climax engine. They may have some spares left, back in 2008 they did.

But they would supply new bits, so mod may be needed. Just up the road is Phill Weeks Welding Supplies. He used to get old MOD Climax engines. Spares were pricy, but they were warrantied.

The Climax engines supplied to the MOD were good. But were let down by MOD repair companies who did repairs quickly.

The fire hoses are standard fit. But do not hand a "Y" branch from main outlet. It will crack it.

 

[Bullet2012]

Yep old thread but a little update. I replaced the seals in the suction hoses, and purchased some “suction wrenches” and it now works a treat.
I will get some pictures of it working in a couple of weeks and let you all see why I wanted it.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@Bullet2012
We will look forward to seeing it.
You re not collected with the group with the Old Green Goddess near Gloucester?

 

[Robotstar5]

@Bullet2012
We will look forward to seeing it.
You re not collected with the group with the Old Green Goddess near Gloucester?

Is it in this line up?

 

[postie jon]

brings back memories, 2 of us to carry it down to the burn side. test the vaccum b4 doing anything, blank cap on and tighten with the long suction wrench,the long pole with the hole in it, get her idling , then full throttle till she screams, pull over the small vaccum handle and watch the compound gage rise on the negative side , once its stopped moving, switch everything off , time for a minute and a half and watch the gauge to see if it moves ,it shouldnt fall back by more than half bar if so it needs fixing, used to love hearing them scream , if its in working condition , connect all the lengths of suction and put a low level strainer on the end make sure al connections are as tight as you can make them also check to see that all o rings are in place. as before full revs drop the priming handle ,compound gauge should shoot up & the pressure gauge shoud give youa reading , throttle back slightly and crack open a delivery ,keeping the revs more than half. if running keep water circulating thru the pump as you will cook it,have seen an idling pump chucking out very hot water. if all is well ,bang on a branch on the end of the hose and get a mate to hold onto it, gently open the delivery , increase the revs ,dont be savage as you will knock him off his feet ,dont go anything near 7bar as that is optimum working pressure an
d youneed 2 guys well balanced to hold it down, good luck and dont go hurting anyone .. and it can be pull started no probs if the battery is flat.

 

[Nick Wilson]

Have any of you got any idea about the carb settings for a GPF 573 fire pump, it will fire and run for a short time 30 seconds then stop?

 

[Robotstar5]

Have any of you got any idea about the carb settings for a GPF 573 fire pump, it will fire and run for a short time 30 seconds then stop?

Have you tried contacting the FSPG (Fire Service Preservation Group)

 

[Farside]

Coventry Climax motor

Can anyone tell me how to operate it ?

Foot down and get to the first bend first.