Repairing a Reilang #3 Single-Pump Oiler

I'm repairing an old Reilang #3 single-pump oiler that I bought at auction. For too much. Moisture got inside the oiler and corroded the spring and both check-valve ball bearings. It was pretty filthy when I took it apart, and like an idiot I didn't look carefully at the two ball bearings that act as check valves on the suction (bottom) and discharge (top) of the oiler. Once I cleaned the ball bearings, I found that they were different sizes: 5.5mm and 6.0mm. Whoops. The oiler seems to work with either ball bearing in either position. I'm figuring that Reilang's smarter than me, and they wouldn't have bothered to use two different size ball bearings without a good reason.

Does anyone know which ball goes into which position?

Thanks!
Dave

LowEnergyParticle said:

I'm repairing an old Reilang #3 single-pump oiler that I bought at auction. For too much. Moisture got inside the oiler and corroded the spring and both check-valve ball bearings. It was pretty filthy when I took it apart, and like an idiot I didn't look carefully at the two ball bearings that act as check valves on the suction (bottom) and discharge (top) of the oiler. Once I cleaned the ball bearings, I found that they were different sizes: 5.5mm and 6.0mm. Whoops. The oiler seems to work with either ball bearing in either position. I'm figuring that Reilang's smarter than me, and they wouldn't have bothered to use two different size ball bearings without a good reason.

Does anyone know which ball goes into which position?

Thanks!
Dave

Click to expand...

The 6mm one goes on the swivel pick up elbow along with the large spring. Main problem I've found is that way oil is attacking the neoprene seal. and it goes sort of gooey after a while... need another material for that seal.


Ray

Some pictures and additional info here, courtesy of BT. http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/reilang-oil-can-another-swiss-delight-167450/#post1620595

Ray,

Thank you very much for the extremely useful answer. I have downloaded all the pictures at the woodworkforums.com site, processed them and extracted some measurements off them. Low-accuracy and time-consuming, but it certainly beats having nothing. The pictures are of a double-pump #3, and I have a single-pump #3, but many of the parts seem to be very similar.

I am missing the discharge check valve spring and the suction swivel check valve spring. So I need to wind three springs, counting the pump spring.

I was interested in the problems you're having with way oil breaking down the neoprene seal. Neoprene is rated fairly good with oil; in a non-heated situation like an oil can I would have thought it would do well. In the past, Reilang seems to have made the seal out of a fibrous material which becomes oil-soaked with time. The go-to elastomer for most oil with the automotive industry is Buna-N: for difficult problems a high percentage of Nitrile (the "N" in Buna-N) is specified. Really, though, the gold-plate elastomer for this is Viton: extremely oil resistant and non-oxidizing.

I've attached a zipped Excel spreadsheet and (identical) .pdf of the measurements I've made. If you, or anyone, would be kind enough to take a look and update the spreadsheet with real measurements I'd appreciate it very much.

Thank you again for the help: I was definitely lost! The check valves are lined up in the right direction to be gravity-actuated, and I thought that was how they were supposed to work. Springs? What springs? I paid WAY too much for this oil can!

Dave

View attachment Reilang #3 Single & Double Pump - Springs and Seals.ZIP
View attachment Reilang #3 Single & Double Pump - Springs and Seals.pdf

Hello Dave,

The dismantled can is mine. The photos were downsized to suit the woodie forum's size limits, certainly not a size that would facilitate accurate measurement. If they are of any additional use I can send you the photos individually, they are probably 2 - 3MB in size, or I can burn them onto a CD and post them to you.

I can pull the pump mechanism apart and measure the springs if you like.

Send me a PM.

Bob

Hello Bob,

Thank you very much for the kind offer! PM sent.

Dave