Mystifying Deck Fitting

[Steely Dancer]

We've learned that the mysterious through-deck fitting on the port side of the bridge deck on our project 1968 Cheoy Lee Offshore 40 yawl was once the user-facing end of the manual (hand-operated) bilge pump. But we've never seen a photo of one of these actually in use, or fitted with a handle.

Beneath it runs a length of vertical pipe that terminates in our engine compartment (presently vacant, awaiting a new engine), and just underneath the deck, a smaller length of horizontal pipe connects to it at a T-shaped intersection, no valve present or anything, and runs abaft, terminating just at the forward edge of the cockpit.

We have no idea how the pump was fitted into this arrangement, and we want to replace it or otherwise seal or scrap the fitting and install a new manual pump elsewhere. But we'd rather restore the original, if possible, with adjusted improvements for newer materials and so on.

Does anyone out there in CF-world know about these fittings or have any experience with them? What's the best course of action here? Thanks!

[HeywoodJ]

I think the most common installation was something like the Whale Gusher/Gulper (picture below) or one of its brethren. These would be bolted to the bulkhead just below the deck plate and connected to a suction hose/pipe that runs down to the bilge and a discharge hose/pipe that runs somewhere else (sometimes to the cockpit where it goes out the cockpit drains).

Normally the handle is stored somewhere in the cockpit or nearby. Remove the cover plate, insert handle, wiggle back and forth. That’s the reason for the size of the plate, have to get the full throw of the pump. Also have to have the pump mounted immediately below the cover, again to get full throw. These pumps can move a lot of water until you get tired.



Here’s a sketch of under-deck installation with the feet installed to allow bolting to the bottom side of the deck (there are several mounting options).

[Steely Dancer]

Originally Posted by HeywoodJ

I think the most common installation was something like the Whale Gusher/Gulper (picture below) or one of its brethren. These would be bolted to the bulkhead just below the deck plate and connected to a suction hose/pipe that runs down to the bilge and a discharge hose/pipe that runs somewhere else (sometimes to the cockpit where it goes out the cockpit drains).

Normally the handle is stored somewhere in the cockpit or nearby. Remove the cover plate, insert handle, wiggle back and forth. That’s the reason for the size of the plate, have to get the full throw of the pump. Also have to have the pump mounted immediately below the cover, again to get full throw. These pumps can move a lot of water until you get tired.



Here’s a sketch of under-deck installation with the feet installed to allow bolting to the bottom side of the deck (there are several mounting options).

Thanks! I think we'd gotten about that far, but no pumping hardware seems to exist below the fitting...just pipes! Do you suppose we could remove the pipes, install a pump, and work our way down?

[tkeithlu]

Beautiful answer, Heywood.

The pipes are the suction hose for the pump. The whale pump you need is indeed one of the "brethren" models with the pump below the handle. Don't rip it out - it's a really good bit of design work.

[Bill O]

Will agree that is a deck fitting for a hand bilge pump, except the old ones were nothing like the newer pumps. The old ones (like this one) were typically brass/bronze vertical pumps. Have seen a few while helping resurrect older boats.



The OP may have some of the pump parts still installed and it is possible to restore it to working order once again. They were made to be dismantled and serviced. Many of the old internal shaft seals were leather, but should be able to replace them w/rubber if you can't find leather.

[hpeer]

If possible this is the puppy you want, and may well have been what was once fitted.

It is “double acting”, you draw water on each stroke, fore and aft.

It is simply 2 Mk V pumps back to back in a common shaft with the intake and exhaust ganged.

These were made by Henderson, and used by Lavac, and are now sold by Whale.
Very reliable, very simple, easily and simply maintained and rebuilt.

https://www.whalepumps.com/marine/pr...le-Acting-Mk-5

[Manateeman]

Brass or bronze pumps can be rebuilt with leather seals. You can research cup seals as several companies make them or research leather molding.
Leather actually works better than rubber in these hand pumps.
Polish the inside and use modern packing.
Happy trails to you.
The manatee crew.

[Steely Dancer]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Beautiful answer, Heywood.

The pipes are the suction hose for the pump. The whale pump you need is indeed one of the "brethren" models with the pump below the handle. Don't rip it out - it's a really good bit of design work.

Appreciated! But I don't see the space just below the fitting where the actual pump mechanism would go—old or new. So I'm wondering whether a retrofit would require installing new pipes/tubes anyway?

[HeywoodJ]

Originally Posted by Steely Dancer

Thanks! I think we'd gotten about that far, but no pumping hardware seems to exist below the fitting...just pipes! Do you suppose we could remove the pipes, install a pump, and work our way down?

I wonder of some previous owner installed an electric bilge pump down in the engine room and then just used the existing pipes to get the water out of the bilge? Took out the manual pump, hooked the old suction pipe to the discharge pipe where the manual pump used to be, and installed an electric pump at the bottom of the suction pipe?