Salvaged Spa Pumps

I recently sold a 5 HP 1750 RPM compressor duty baldor motor for $172.

That said, it was compressor duty (heavy front bearings, high starting torque). You have a motor that probably has small bearings and not as much starting torque (not needed for an impeller pump, IIRC).

I bought the motor for $12 and also paid a little bit for bearings.

My guess is that you could get about 80-100 bucks apiece.

Call AO Smith and ask them. They will tell you right away. I am skeptical, since compressor motors need beefy front bearings.

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12 amps sounds like a 2 hp motor, a bit light for a compressor. HF sells them new for $89.99 -- and a 3 hp (15 amp) for $84.99.

The motor on my compressor is 3450, with a 5" pulley on the motor. If it were 1725 RPM the motor pulley would be excessively large. The pulley on the pump is also the flywheel; ya match the motor to the pump.

Power loss????

Pool pump motors have a threaded shaft and the impellor screws on. Don't ask how I found this out :) The replacement impellor was only $11

ROFLMAO - BTDT!

Take the cap off the back motor and there will be a slot or flats (if not there then it will be on the front of the shaft between the impeller and motor) to hold the shaft so that the impeller will thread off.

When the shaft seal leaks it screws up the front bearing. They can be a major pain to get off. The two speed is for circulation and jets, the other is a booster pump and is probably in better condition.

Might be hard selling used pool pumps that big. Their more likely to be from a commercial application or rich folk.

No sign of any seal leaks. It looks like the front bearing is bronze, and is just worn out (motor shaft wobbles when I turn the rotor by hand).

I found the slot in the rear of the shaft behind the cap, but the impeller is on too tight. I finally got the motor front housing off and the rotor out, so I can clamp the rotor in a vice. I still can't budge the impeller. With the scroll around it, I can't get anything on it to unscrew it (and I AM turning it in the right direction) and it's too tight to reach in and turn by hand. About the only thing I can think of is to make up some sort of clamp out of aluminum plate, that clamps onto the impeller outer diameter, and then turn it with a wrench of some kind. Lot of work to just try and salvage the pump. I've also tried a strap wrench through the outlet hole, but there wasn't quite enough room. Frustrating.

Did I mention they can be a major pain in the ass? I'm having trouble following how you got some of it apart without taking the impeller off first. Some of the brass impellers have two holes for those special wrenches that I can't recall what their called, you could drill your own. Leather gloves or an oil filter wrench are about the only options if its plastic. You could destroy the impeller and clamp the crap out of the rest it with vice grips, it has to come off dead or alive. There are many types of wet ends, sounds like you've got one of those horrible ones. You've got to understand that its been in chemicals for years.

I only dick around with them for maybe 15 mins. and can see that it's time to break the bad news to the customer.

5 HP w/ the rotor locked, mebbe.... Like how Sears rates their motors.