Idea: X-treme OR3500 Meshwheel Mod--red dragon style?

[jessezm]

Okay, I don't know if anyone's attempted this yet, but before I go forward, I thought I'd get some feedback...

I have an extra OR3500 as well as an OR3700 (the needlewheel version), which I've planned on running on a custom recirculating skimmer. The skimmer is 8" ID X 29" tall, and of superior build. With the OR3700 alone, it runs great. I just got some Enkamat mesh and have fashioned a meshwheel I'm going to test as well, but the following thought just jumped into my head:

I'm sorry for the lack of pictures so far...

What if.... I took my OR3500, trimmed the volute completely down to the face of the pump, and constructed my own volute with a wider diameter and more room and it's own air valve, sort of like the Red Dragon or ATI pumps' volute?

I could use acrylic, or even PVC tubing for the volute, route a small flange for the cover, and install an intake and output fairly easily with some help from MRC (they're local...) or a local machine shop.

I would need to get more info about the ideal dimensions for the volute,, but from preliminary measurements I could go at least another 1" in diameter and make it as deep as I wanted. I'll try to sketch something up to share, but does anyone have any initial thoughts or ideas? Thanks!

[jessezm]

First problem I can think of is fashioning an intake with the piece that holds the impeller shaft in place, and making sure that it is perfectly aligned and centered. I'm already thinking that might be too daunting a task to overcome... Although I suppose I could use the old intake and just cut it from the cover and re-attach it to the new cover. This also means keeping the volute the same depth. I wonder if it would even be worth all the trouble, now that I think about it, to get just a bit wider volute...

[RichConley]

you'd get way more air/water/etc. It'd work fine. Its just tough to do.


I think it was Hahnmeister who did that on a AC402 pump, and had it pulling more than a deltec aquabee.



The Sicci pumps that the ATI skimmers use are essentially that...small pumps with huge volutes on them. Go big on the input/output....

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9239094#post9239094 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jessezm
First problem I can think of is fashioning an intake with the piece that holds the impeller shaft in place, and making sure that it is perfectly aligned and centered. I'm already thinking that might be too daunting a task to overcome... Although I suppose I could use the old intake and just cut it from the cover and re-attach it to the new cover. This also means keeping the volute the same depth. I wonder if it would even be worth all the trouble, now that I think about it, to get just a bit wider volute...

We do the same thing with maximods. Have to make a new centerning cap. Its not all that tough.

[jessezm]

Thanks, I'll check out the maximods (can't believe I haven't yet!)

[jessezm]

Here's a rough sketch up of what I had in mind


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/83979OR3500_mod-med.jpg