You just can't beat family in a pinch.

I have a huge number of aunts, uncles and cousins. But because of geography, I've never really known most of them. Many I've never seen since I was a toddler. My mother's eldest brother, my uncle Ralph, is an uncle who I haven't had an adult relationship with. I've often wished I had more interaction with my cousins, but I'm so pathetic about keeping in touch with my brother and sisters that I knew anyone beyond that was a pipe dream.

My uncle recently retired to south Florida, my parents are in north Florida, so they see each other more than in the past. I do manage to keep in touch with my parents and they were visiting uncle Ralph when I bought DeTruck. My mom related to me that my uncle was excited to hear about my truck because he maintained firetrucks for the Air Force for decades and had been to all the pump maintenance schools, etc. Wow! what a score. I wrote him and basically begged for help. And boy howdy! Did he ever come through.

Using my numbered pump panel diagram below, uncle Ralph gave me a description of each control and a sequence to operate them in to try the pump.

The basic sequence was:
1. Chock rear wheels
2. Start Engine (put in 5th gear for pumping as noted in cab)
3. Open tank suction (this is a pullout knob so I'll pull it out, #19)
4. adjust engine speed (~ 1500 RPM, #8)
4a. Note pressure on gage (#4)
4b. Slow engine if pressure is over 75 PSI
5. take cap off 2 1/2" outlet
6. Slowly open control valve associated with selected 2 1/2" outlet
7. See what happens

She PUMPED water!! Pressure was a bit low, but I got water streaming out the booster hose reel under my control!!!!! Wow, this really cranks up the possibilities of the truck. Now I'll go to Ebay and buy some hose and a decent nozzle.

The pump panel rates the truck as follows:
500 GPM @ 150 PSI @ 1810 RPM
350 GPM @ 200 PSI @ 2000 RPM
250 GPM @ 250 PSI @ 2220 RPM
Governed Speed 3240 RPM

I am very excited, thanks uncle Ralph!
--Tim
posted by Tim at 3:45 PM | Link