Antique Beer Engine Restoration - Parts Needed

[englishchrissy]

Hi Beer Buddies. I have just got a 1955 Gaskell & Chambers Dalex Triple Beer Engine from Fleabay. I eventually intend to use at least one of the pumps for my homebrew. However, some parts are missing and I'm hoping that forum members may have the bits I need lying around or know where I might obtain them.

The 3 pump Beer Engine. Patent 259293 Quadamant 1955

Beer Engine Full View by twinchrissy, on Flickr

The 3 taps showing missing end caps and 1 missing tap nozzle. Does anyone have these parts. I would be interested in 3 nozzles as the 2 I have are different.

Beer Engine Taps by twinchrissy, on Flickr

One of the taps removed from Beer Engine. I know Harry Mason do a new version of this that is fantastic quality with stainless steel lining but they are about £57 each! I would rather restore the original parts obviously!

Beer Engine Tap Removed by twinchrissy, on Flickr

Tap disassembled:

Beer Engine Tap Disassembled by twinchrissy, on Flickr

The 2 tap nozzles that I have. One has a cone inside the other is flat inside. Not sure why this is but I would love to know. Sorry about the poor quality of this pic.

Beer Engine Tap Nozzles by twinchrissy, on Flickr

The base of the engine pump unit. All three screw on adapters (pipe to barrel?) are missing. Could do with all 3 if someone has some spare.

Beer Engine Pump Base by twinchrissy, on Flickr

The middle pump unit has this brass fitting. The other two pump units don't have the brass fitting. What is it and what does it do?

Beer Engine Middle Pump With Brass Fitting by twinchrissy, on Flickr

The brackets (2No.) are missing for the drip tray. Anyone got them and a drip tray?

Beer Engine Drip Tray Rebates by twinchrissy, on Flickr

The drip tray brackets and drip tray can be seen in the following original sales brochure images:

Gaskell & Chambers 'Dalex' leatherless beer engine, 1938 by twinchrissy, on Flickr

Beer Engine Showing Drip Tray by twinchrissy, on Flickr

So in summary I need:

3 screw on end fittings for the taps.
3 nozzles for the taps
3 screw adapters to the pump unit for the pipe to the barrel
2 brackets for the drip tray
1 drip tray

Anything else that might make the restoration easier, original dalex tools etc.

Phew! Hope you get the drift, I just want to restore these back to as near as original as possible and pull my homebrew through it on special occasions.

Thanks for reading this far.

[Dave S]

I can't see any of your pictures - just place holders

[englishchrissy]

I have followed the instructions by Jim in FAQ. I put the images up on my flickr account and put the image url's in an img tag. For example...

Any ideas to get them to show? This post is a bit pointless without pics! Lol

Ok, sussed it! I will now go back and add the flickr images. Phew! Thanks guys.

[Matt12398]

I couldn't get Flickr to work so went onto Photobucket.

[englishchrissy]

All pics now load from Flickr.

You have to use the Share button above the image and copy and paste the the HTML/BBCode.

Hope this helps other forum members.

[hotmog]

Gaskell & Chambers are now part of IMI Cornelius (UK) Ltd. The "Dalex" trademark is a reference to G&C's Dale End works in Birmingham.

I bought a pair of taps similar to the ones on your beer engine from Harry Mason a few years ago to use on my twin Angram cabinet beer engine in place of the standard s/s swan-necks. Mine are in brass, with a s/s inner liner, but I have no reason to suppose that their dimensions are any different from the ones that would have been produced for your beer engine. You could try Harry Mason in the first instance, therefore, but the only caveat is that that have a minimum order charge of something like £30 if I remember correctly.

The alternative is eBay, where these taps do come up from time to time (search Breweriana) and are usually fairly inexpensive.

I doubt you will be able to find metal sparklers or the tap nozzles, but modern plastic ones are easily obtainable and should fit OK.

For screw adapters, I can only suggest you try your local plumbers merchant. You will probably need to take one of the cylinders in with you to check that it has the correct diameter and thread match.

Brackets and drip tray - fairly easily improvised, I should think.

However, if you are planning to put your beer engine back into service to dispense your home brew, then you have yet to address what is potentially your most problematic issue - and that is the condition of the pistons themselves. Vintage beer engines used leather washers to create a watertight seal around the piston inside the cylinder. If the beer engine has not been used for years, those seals will have dried out or perished, and it is very unlikely that you will be able to source replacements. Check by putting your hand over the inlet pipe at the bottom of the cylinder, and simultaneously pull on the pump handle to see if there is any suction. If not, then I would not entertain much hope, frankly, of getting these back into active service. However that would not mean that you should necessarily abandon their restoration to occupy a non-functional role.

[englishchrissy]

Thanks for the informative reply hotmog. I did in fact speak to Harry Mason today and they said £57 each tap and they have them specially cast so they won't do 3. No problem really because I can't afford £171 for 3 new taps. I was hoping, and have asked in an email to them if they could just supply the 3 end caps that are missing. I'm awaiting their reply. The nozzles, again, it would be nice to have all 3 in brass but yeah a plastic one might do.

I have already tried your suction trick and could not feel any on the 1st pump. Not tried the other 2 pumps yet. The middle one is stuck solid so it will need some looking at.

The first of the sales brochure images above describes it as the Leatherless Beer Engine, Original all metal cylinders, so maybe there is a chance that it can be resurrected. And even if not, I may still do it up just as a display feature.

[hotmog]

I bought this G&C Dalex cask beer pump on eBay recently.



It too is of all-metal (ie leatherless) construction. This particular model was manufactured from the 1950s through to the late 1970s. Although externally in excellent condition, when I got it I found that the handle was locked in the up position as the piston has seized solid inside the cylinder. After partially dismantling the upper casing and tap, and with some WD40 sprayed inside the cylinder, I eventually managed with a spanner and after a lot of effort to prise a slight movement from the piston rod. Once freed, it now operates really smoothly. However the cause of its seizing was obviously internal corrosion, and there is no suction when the handle is pulled, so it will always remain a display-only piece (not that I ever intended to use it for beer dispense). I imagine the tolerances to which these were machined must be fairly tight, so if material is lost through corrosion around the outer edge of the piston, then the only solution is to replace the piston and possibly the cylinder as well - which is unfortunately a non-starter.

[oliver tate]

I recently picked up a pair of pumps the same as the ones pictured by the original poster. One of the pumps was seized solid but we eventually got them apart and a local gasket company are currently making me some new seals. Inside they are completely leatherless, just 2 metal valves. They have polished up well and will hopefully look the part when we have completed the restoration. I will post a new thread with pics once it is done.

[EccentricDyslexic]

Interesting thread, my dad gave me two hand pulls that look identical to your, only there is no under counter gubbins at all. Suppose i best watch ebay for parts?

Steve

[Vergeta]

I know this is an old thread but does anyone have the model number of this Dalex hand pull because im trying to find one

[JRSMITH]

I am resurrecting an old English Beer Engine. The Beer Engine cylinder needs a piston (there are no rings on the piston), I believe. It does work to some extent, but due to apparent wear, there is insufficient seal of the piston/cylinder to produce the needed suction to (reliably) draw (enough) beer into the cylinder on the intake stroke.

The data tag on the cylinder shows it was manufactured by Scovill Schrader Fluid Power Division, which most likely has been bought/sold/absorbed since this part was made. The only identifying number on the tag is 54442 D. The only other data on the tag is; MADE IN ENGLAND. The cylinder is the blue part in the attached picture. I can get detailed dimensions if needed. Thank YOU!

Here is a picture of the Engine... https://imgur.com/a/ehCRXlY
Know of where I might look for a piston?

Thanks,

Jan Smith
USA - Montana