[RHClarke]

Saturday morning was cold and crisp, a perfect occasion to fire up Lucifer for maybe one of the last few times. It took a while for the barn to heat up and when one stepped outside a half hour later, it was warmer outside than in! The barn seems to hold the cold rather well. The sun had come out and everything with snow on it was dripping wet.

The HUP was winched out of its box for repairs. First up was to replace the bushings in the front drivers side door hinges. This involved removing the door and drifting out the remnants of the original bushings. The replacement bushings (Canadian Tire assorted pack) fit well and did help with the door alignment. Next was the water pump. A small persistent leak has plagued the HUP all winter. So off came the pump. Soon after, Grant and Bob arrived. Grant busied himself clearing snow from the roofs of the comms shelters and shed. Bob took the tractor out of the barn and turned the snowblower attachment into the sun to melt off the ice that had formed near the intake. Both then joined me in detecting the leak. With no clear evidence of where the leak was originating, I began the removal process. This took until lunch time - a clear indication of my mechanical skills.

Once the pump was removed, we cleaned the old pump face up and looked for warping and evidence of leaks. None were found, so off to lunch we went. After lunch we cleaned all the mating surfaces, coathed the gaskets with sealant, and reattached the water pump using new bolts. It was thought that maybe the old original bolt threads had worn and were not fully engaging. After refilling the rad, Bob and Grant decided that it was warm enough to do some sandblasting. While they had their fun, I played with the HUP.

After refitting the pump and refilling the rad, it was found that the leak was coming from the front end of the shaft. The pump would have to be removed and replaced. Bob rooted through his treasures and came up with a pair of two hole pumps (the HUP has a '54 235 engine in it). One was a "rebuild" Bob got online, the other came off a well-used engine.

We took the rebuild into the barn and removed the pulley - not without considerable effort. Once the pulley was off, the shaft came out and gave us a surprise. The vanes had been worn down as they had cut into the face of the front of the housing. The hole through the housing was worn out of round. So much for "rebuilds" - caveat emptor!

By now we were afloat in surface water. With the ground frozen below, the water stays on the surface filling in all of the low spots like the entrances to the barn. No matter where you went you were sloshing through slush and water. There never seems to be some middle ground here at the barn – it always seems to be extremes of weather conditions. Nonetheless, we carry on as if normal…

Next up was the old pump, which was seized up. We doused it in oil and left it to soak. I am not sure just how well this pump will hold up, so we discussed online replacement resources. Unfortunately, it was time to head home.

Photos:
1 - Conditions -Sunny, warm, wet and slushy.
2 - Bob blasting.