Hi Penny You may be be having the problem that seems to be common with these DUO 5 pumps in that the clutch is slipping. Try disconnecting it from the turbo and switch on so it pumps air. If it then starts run it for a while with a bung on the top to warm it up. Then replace it in the system. John UCL chemistry Penny Higgins wrote: > I'm having troubles (I think) with our rotary vane pump. I wonder if any > of you can help me determine if I really am having a serious problem. > > I had to shut down our mass spec for maintenance and I serviced the > pump. It's been working fine since. I've had to shut the mass spec down > again (for the troubles I described earlier this week) and now when I > try to fire up the vacuum pumps, I do not hear the usual gargle from the > rough pump - just a clicking that seems to increase over time. I look in > the oil window there and rather than seeing the oil flowing like usual, > it almost looks like it's splashing and the pump itself is shaking. > Before the turbos kicked on, I shut down the whole thing. It's a > Pfeiffer Duo 5 (or Duo 5 C - I can't remember) rotary vane pump. > > With the troubles I've been having this week, I really don't want to > make matters worse with a bad rough pump. > > Thanks for your help, > > ~Penny > > ******************************************************************* > Dr. Pennilyn Higgins > Research Associate > > "SIREAL" > Stable Isotope Ratios in the Environment Analytical Laboratory > > Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences > University of Rochester > 227 Hutchison Hall > Rochester, NY 14627 > > [log in to unmask] > > Office: 209b Hutchison Hall Lab: 209 Hutchison Hall > Voice : (585) 275-0601 Outer lab: (585) 273-1405 > FAX : (585) 244-5689 Inner lab: (585) 273-1397 > > http://www.earth.rochester.edu/SIREAL/index.html > ******************************************************************* > > >