Restoration pfeiffer duo 004

[Artem Artemov]

I restored my pfeiffer duo 004. I bought it for $ 140. The pump was dirty, the oil was the color of Coca-Cola, and it needed painting! Now the pump looks like a new one. The vacuum is 1.3*10-2 mbar (9-10 microns). I will print the fan cover in 3D.

- painted in the original color
- new bolts and screws
- new gasket (cut from oil-resistant paronite)
- new oil
- new capacitor
- new plugs and viewing window
- new oil seal
- new fan

[Richard Hull]

Fabulous piece of work and an uphill battle for sure. You are a person who makes things happen.

Richard Hull

[Rich Feldman]

Spectacular work! Thank you for sharing.
Is the contraption with four blue wheels for pressing ball bearings onto motor armature shaft?

I have noticed people with millions of views on Youtube, after posting videos (often wordless)
showing the restoration of other rusty old machines.
Well justified appeal to the masses, even more than videos about squeezing pimples.

[Artem Artemov]

Is the contraption with four blue wheels for pressing ball bearings onto motor armature shaft?

))) my dumbbells and my jeans belt
I put the bearing on the rotor, tightening the dumbbell nuts

[John Futter]

Artem
Well done
The vacuum should be a bit better than that but it might get better with a bit of running.
Just a word of caution I never ultrasonic clean ball bearings as it causes micro peening of the bearing surfaces -- good old kerosine with a brush or an automotive parts washer is what is needed

but fantastic work you should be justifiably proud

[Artem Artemov]

The vacuum should be a bit better than that but it might get better with a bit of running.

I think this is the limit for this pump. It worked for 4 hours. The next day, the pump made 2*10-2 mbar (15 micron) in 40 seconds after start. Do you know this model? What is the limit of this pump?

[Dennis P Brown]

Very impressive and I have little doubt that will all make an excellent vacuum system. You have the key part for the start of any fusor system there. You improvise like a real pro!

After out gassing (both the oil and your vacuum system), more than likely after running for awhile the system will go ultimately get below 5 microns (0.6 or so Pa.) That is typical for all the two stages pumps I either own or used.

[Artem Artemov]

"Houston we have a problem!»

The manufacturer specifies 1.3*10-3 mbar for this pump! (1 micron / 0.13 Pa). For the “uno” model, the pressure is 1.3*10-2 mbar. The pressure in my pump is like 1 stage! I can feel it - it's not oil!

I leaked the oil, disassembled the pump. Between steps 1 and 2, I found plastic shards. This is the “coupling disc”( 140 in the picture).

With the disc, the rotor plates stand as a cross. 90 degrees relative to each other. First stage 1 works, then stage 2. Consistently.

Without the disk, the rotor caught on the pins of another rotor. Plates in the same plane! The vacuum chambers operate in parallel as 1 stage. The plates are at an angle of 10-15 degrees to each other.

The disk was worn out. I think of what to make it out of. Fiberglass (I don't know how it is in english, plates are made of it) or metal. I will be very happy if this is the problem. I spent a lot of time on this pump.

[John Futter]

these discs are usually made from Tufnol tm cloth reinforced phenolic resin as used in many switchboards etc.
G10 fibreglass is not a good substitute due to the glass fibres being very hard and they will damage internal surfaces if they shed while the phenolic cloth basically only polishes intertnal surfaces if it sheds

[Artem Artemov]

John, can I make a disk out of metal?

[John Futter]

Iwouldn't
its a fuse in case of a rotor blade breaking.
at a pinch a tough plastic like acetal could be used

[Artem Artemov]

I made a disk out of fluoroplast-4 (Teflon). Then I will make a disk from kaprolon (kapron) or nylon. I didn't like the other materials. They are hard, but fragile.

Yesterday I was cleaning the new pfaifer duo 1.5 (it had been in the box for 37 years and the remaining oil blocked the rotor). A metal disk is installed there.

Yesterday I ran my duo 004 7 hours. Today my vacuum is 5.5*10-3 mbar (4 microns)! I am happy, the pump is working!

The vacuum would be lower if I used the recommended pfeiffer oil p3. Its viscosity is 95. Now I use VM-1 oil, its viscosity is 60.

[Dennis P Brown]

Excellent work! You really did a great job restoring that pump. Congrats on your achieving 4 microns.

[Artem Artemov]

Thank You, Dennis!



I connected the turbo - everything is fine! The pump will go to my Balzers-Pfeiffer collection

[Victor Gonzalez]

Great job!

I just wouldn't trust the PTFE disc, it's just too "soft".

For the complete restoration the pump still needs the fan cap, this type of blades moves the air like a centrifuge, so if the cap is not there the air doesn't pass through the motor body.

[Artem Artemov]

Thanks!
Soon I will replace it with caprolon or nylon. Yes, the electric motor is heated without a cover. I will buy or 3D print the cover.