Pump motor replacement

steve_h

Bronze Supporter
Aug 9, 2007
81
Chesapeake, VA
Hi all,
I am new to the TFP forum. I found forum this while battling mustard algae. You guys helped in controlling and eliminating the algae. Thanks.

As most of you know, it has been hotter than **** in the Southeast.
Today, my pool motor, a 4 year old 1Hp Hayward Super pump, over heated for the 2nd time this year. I am beginning to be leery of the pump motor.
The skinner section of the pump is fine. I plan on rigging some sun protection for the pump.

Has anyone replaced just the pump motor? Motors are approx $125 vs $200-300 for a pump/skimmer assy.

Seems like and easy task to replace the motor.

Thanks for the algae help.
Steve
27000 IGV, AquaLogic, Polaris 280, 27 Cu Yds of concrete.
 
Steve, sorry to have missed this until now :oops: - Welcome to TFP! :-D

It's actually not very hard to replace just the motor on a pump! For your superpump you'll need:

9/ 16" wrench (socket wrenches work great if you have a 10" extension for them)
7/ 16" open end wrench
Flathead (-) screwdriver and/ or 1/4 " nutdriver
Adjustable wrench (perhaps 2)
1 SP 1600 Z 2 'shaft seal assembly'
1 SP 1600 T housing gasket
Silicone or teflon base lube (never!! use a petroleum based lube)

The last 2 parts you'll need to get from a pool store or on-line, probably from whoever sells you the replacement motor (I'm fairly sure that the replacement motor is UST- 1102, but may have the number wrong, just make sure that it's a 1 HP motor)

First kill the power to the pump, either unplug it or kill the breaker. If you have valves on the suction side, close them, if not it'll take a little longer to reprime the pump. Now use the 9/16" wrench to unscrew the 4 bolts on the back of the pump. once that is done, the motor and the back of the pump housing will slide out. At this point it's time to start making notes or, better yet take pictures of each step so you can get things back together correctly, these things need to go back together the same way they came out! Now remove the diffuser from the front of the motor assembly (it looks like a nosecone and will just pull off - though sometimes they stay in the housing) Next is to remove the impeller, it's round and threaded onto the pump shaft - at this point, you need to remove the back of the motor (I cheated and have copied some info I wrote last year on doing this -
Hard, kill the power to the pump, open the back of the motor (using a small 'regular' screwdriver or a 1/4" nut driver to unscrew the two securing bolts - if the problem is what I think, you'll have to use the 'flat'(regular) screwdriver to pry the cover off, and possibly a hammer to get it off) (the bolts won't come out of the cover, so don't waste your time trying to get them all the way out, but be sure that they aren't still 'threaded in') Using a 7/16 open end wrench try to 'lock on' to the back end of the shaft (it's dead center of the pump, has 2 flat sides hidden behind a white plastic ~triangle that has 2 copper strips ending in white plastic rings forming another triangle) Odds are you won't be able to get the 7/16 wrench on it (there's only 1 clear path to get the wrench in there and the shaft usually isn't positioned to accept it ;( ) - watch out for the capacitor (the black tube that's about the size of a 'D' cell battery, if you touch it's posts, you'll get shocked). However, if you can lock on the shaft, work the wrench up and down a few times, if it moves for you put everything back together and fire up the pump, should work. Be sure to look for water dripping out of the bottom of the pump if you get it going,

though that info was for 'unsticking' a seized shaft - it describes what you'll need to do to lock the shaft and unscrew the impeller. Once the impeller is off, the sealing plate will fall off revealing the motor mounting plate. Unscrew the motor mount plate from the motor (9/ 16"). At this point the old motor is separated from the pump and you can 'simply' unwire it and wire up the new motor - please take note of which wire is attached to the 2 leads (for 110 volts it should be "black to L1, white to L2 and (always) green to the grounding screw, for 220 volts, it doesn't matter where the 2 wires go) ** note, if it's 110 volts, you need to turn the switch to the 110 position (there's a little orange tag in there reminding you)**

With the new motor wired up properly, put the motor mount plate on the new pump (it says "TOP" where the top is supposed to be :wink: ) Now in the housing sealing plate you will find a ceramic and rubber doughnut, remove that and install the new one (lube it and install it rubber side down!) and remove the spring and rubber piece from the impeller shaft and put the new one on in the same orientation as the old one (the metal flat side goes on first), a little lube on this wouldn't hurt.
On the back of the pump housing there is a gasket, it slides into the housing ~sideways, sometimes they are still good, but it's just easier to replace it to prevent more problems - this is the SP 1600 T, change it out and lube it. Now, using the 7/16" wrench to lock the shaft put the sealing plate back on and screw the impeller back on. Put the diffuser back on the sealing plate and you can reattach the motor to the pump - tighten the bolts on diagonals to insure a good seal. Refill the pump with water, open any valves you closed and FIRE THAT PUPPY UP!! :lol:

Sorry to have been so verbose! If anything I've written is unclear, please ask me about it! I wish you well with this and if I can be of further assistance, simply ask! :-D Again, welcome to TFP!!
 
If the motor when it runs is not noisier than normal the bearings are OK. If it starts OK then
the Capacitor and starting switch is OK. It sounds like the motor is overloading on something.
I would take it apart and be sure that the seal is not dragging or the rotor is not plugged with
debris. I live in AZ and it is 110deg. all summer and I have yet to have a motor overheat. If the
windings short you will trip a breaker every time. Some motors have a overheat switch that can
fail, but that is rare.

Cliff s
 
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