Wasted $120 on a high-end dredge pump seal kit that failed in two weeks

I bought this fancy seal kit from a supplier online for $120 because it claimed to be heavy duty and last twice as long. Installed it on my dredge pump in Chesterfield last Monday, and by Friday it was already leaking slurry everywhere. Turns out the rubber compound wasn't rated for the sediment mix we pull up around here. Called the company and they blamed it on me not checking the spec sheet close enough. Anyone else get burned by a pricey part that just fell apart?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyprice1mo ago

Yeah I had that exact same problem before switching to a local hydraulic shop that knew our mud.

lopez.quinn1mo ago

Did the seller give you any warning about what sediment types that rubber compound works with? I run a small operation up near the James River and we get a lot of fine silica mixed with clay, plus some random gravel that grinds through standard seals like nothing. Could be the same problem you're dealing with, different sediment can act totally different on the rubber. What kind of material are you pulling out of the Chesterfield site?

taylor.sean1mo ago

Had a buddy who ran a dredge down near Farmville and he swore by some homemade seal kit he threw together with tractor parts and a old tire tube. Worked like a charm until the tire tube started dissolving in some chemical runoff he didn't know was in the water. Sometimes the cheap stuff wins out by accident.