Weldon fuel pump price jump

[Immelman]

M20E, original Dukes 1499 pump. Looks like it may be heading south again, unless I can troubleshoot as an electrical problem.

Searching mooneyspace shows the Weldon PMA replacement (model 18020-A) was had for $800 and change on all the threads I looked up. I went to price the Weldon pump this morning and HOLY SMOKES, $1236 from spruce, which means $1350 after CA tax and shipping....

Does anyone know what gives or whether a new pump can be had for < 1 AMU??

[N601RX]

A couple of months ago the $800 price was still good, but a quick check of several places are all showing $1200-1300 now. At the $800 price many people were willing to upgrade, but at $1300 you can get 3 overhauls on the Dukes.

[helitim]

The price increase must have just happened.  I bought one week before last for $835 from Spruce.  Somebody got greedy overnight when they realized the price discrepancy. 

[FloridaMan]

There's another fuel pump manufacturer that was at Sun-n-Fun last year who supposedly have a PMA for a new replacement. I can't remember who it was, but they had free water at their booth. I think it might've been these guys: http://cjaviation.com/

[LANCECASPER]

Here's a possibility:

http://www.csobeech.com/Dukes-Fuel-Pump.html#DukesRepairAlternative

[firefly201]

What is interesting about Aeromotors LLC in Browntown,Wi is that it is only 7 miles West of Monroe,WI where Rapco has their fuel pump repair facility. I'm wondering if  there was a connection. It appears they have the capability and have been around for a while (http://www.aeromotorsllc.com/aeromotorsllc/about.aspx)

[Immelman]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Maybe I got lucky, again.. went to possibly remove the old pump yesterday for replacement or OH and found that one of the knife splice connectors had a small crack in it Give it a wiggle, pump works. That's an easy repair.

The pump was last rebuilt at George's electric (now no longer doing these) maybe 4 years ago, not too long. Mentally I had prepared myself for the $800 upgrade to a Weldon thinking the time had probably come, but that $1300+ was a slap in the face and it made me wonder about the $400 O/H option.

[Hank]

So why the 50% price jump in the last two weeks? 

[N601RX]

  On 12/18/2015 at 5:25 PM, Hank said:

So why the 50% price jump in the last two weeks? 

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It seems to me it is nothing more than opportunistic greed.  Here is their contact info.  Perhaps we should all send them a note.  http://www.weldonpumps.com/contact/

[DrBill]

I've got a newly overhauled Dukes for $600. Now good for continuous duty.

Bill

 

[jetdriven]

The Dukes pump is not a continuous duty pump.  It has plastic vanes and a Carbonnshaft seal which will fail after only a few hours.  

[Jim Peace]

  On 12/18/2015 at 7:33 AM, Antares said:

There's another fuel pump manufacturer that was at Sun-n-Fun last year who supposedly have a PMA for a new replacement. I can't remember who it was, but they had free water at their booth. I think it might've been these guys: http://cjaviation.com/

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+1....I traded out the Dukes for one in my 64c.........so far so good....been 100 hours now

[DrBill]

  On 12/19/2015 at 3:16 AM, jetdriven said:

The Dukes pump is not a continuous duty pump.  It has plastic vanes and a Carbonnshaft seal which will fail after only a few hours.  

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it is after overhaul  by Aeromotors.. They must change those parts.

Bill

 

[jetdriven]

Leave it on for two hours and you'll find it not working again.  It's not rated to run continuous duty.  Unless aero motors changes the design somehow.

 

We learned this the hard way when a freshly overhauled dukes pump failed us. I had to shell out 900$ for another pump while they took 6 weeks to evaluate our failed one. That required paying a 1200$ core charge.  On top of what the first pump overhaul cost, so I had 3 grand tied up in fuel pumps the first month of ownership.