How to Rebuild a Turbo Pump

Turbo pumps are everywhere in our modern lives. They are essential components of jet engines, which power not only jet airplanes, but also jet-powered boats, and soon maybe even cars. They are even used in high-powered vacuums. Knowing how to rebuild a turbo pump is a useful skill. Unfortunately, there is no one set approach that works for all turbo pumps. However, there are some trouble-shooting steps common to all pumps that can make diagnosing and fixing the problem easier.

Instructions

1

Research your turbo pump. As was said previously, the wide variety of turbo pumps makes it impossible to write a comprehensive guide on rebuilding turbo pumps, as the guide might serve help some, but not others. Similarly, there are so many different things that could go wrong with a turbo pump that one guide could not possibly solve all potential problems with a turbo pump. Research more about your turbo pump, then continue.

2

Find the manufacturer and model number of your turbo pump, and the serial number if possible. Finding the manufacturer is extremely helpful as it will help you find forums, owners manuals, and other good resources for your specific turbo pump. In particular, the model number will help you find resources for your specific model.

3

Search for the problem on your model. Try a list of known problems or frequent issues. If your problem comes up there, there might be an easy solution. If not, delve deeper. You are most likely not the only person to ever have to rebuild a turbo pump due to your specific issue.

4

Determine whether or not you can fix the problem by yourself. If you dont know for sure that you can, you should probably contact a turbo pump reseller. They often have outstanding buy-back or repair programs that will cost you a lot less headache than trying to fix it yourself. Also, fixing it yourself will most likely void a warranty, if you still have one.

5

Rebuild the turbo pump using the instructions you've found, if possible. If not, follow expert advice or take the pump to a qualified repairman. Just remember that you will be voiding the warranty if you work on the pump yourself.

6

Test out your repair. Visually inspect your turbo pump, and turn it onto a low setting before you jump right back into full use. It could be dangerous to operate the turbo pump at full velocity if the repair is imperfect.