Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Bennett 646B

Found this Bennett 646B in town and am trying to work a deal for it. I've got a couple of questions.

It's an old installation and is apparently still hooked up to an underground tank. How hard is it to disconnect a pump and what are the dangers? The guts are there, but I haven't gotten inside the pump yet.

What should I pay for a pump in this condition? It's missing a badge on one side and the window glass on one door is gone.

Thanks for your help. - Jack J.

That looks like a $1100.00 pump. They sell in the $900.00 to $1500.00 range.

Thanks Matt, that's a great guide on the price. Now, what am I getting myself into to get it out of there and home?

Make sure the power is off. A couple of pipe wrenches with cheater bars. Tools to disconnect the pump from the slab. Most important bee spray.

Wouldn't have thought of bee spray. Is there any concern about remaining gas or fumes? It looks unused for years.

I usually put a cap on the pipe that sticks out of the ground when your done. It’s a nice gesture to the owner, so rain doesn’t get into the existing tank (and mix with any possible leftover gas) and so fumes don’t escape. It’s just a good safety measure all the way around. You may have to go to a local hardware store after you take it off, or just tell the previous owner that they should probably cap it.

For all that work in removing it, there's your bargaining chip. Maybe.

No matter how long this gas pump has been unused, there will still be gas in the internal pump mechanism and supply lines. Stale, stinky and likely to leak out during transport especially if hauled laying down. May want to stick a rag in the pipe you just disconnected from the underground tank and duct tape over that until you can drain or remove the actual pump mechanism.

Thanks for all the advice. Now if I can just close the deal... This will be my first pump with the guts. I'm pretty enthused. - Jack J.

(Looking in through the access door)

Another couple of questions from a relative newbie:

- How much does a pump like this weigh (with guts)
- I couldn't quickly find the releases for the doors through the access door. What do they look like? (I didn't have much poke-around time as I was technically trespassing).

Thanks for your patience for questions from someone new to the pump collecting hobby. I'm having so much fun I feel guilty. - Jack J.

I would never ‘poke around’ and trespass on someone’s property. You should find the owner before proceeding any further.

While we all understand the passion for this hobby, I agree with Speedracer. Locate the owner of the property you are trespassing on and get their approval to look at the pump before going any farther. In fact I would have them send you an email with their permission. Finding these pumps is getting more difficult with each passing day, but it is even more difficult to find pumps in the wild from behind bars.

I appreciate the warning. The house is vacant and in a state of slow renovation. A friend of mine found the pump while doing construction work across the street. We went to the house trying to find someone and no one was around. The pump is literally 8 feet from the public road with no fencing anywhere on the property. We have since gotten a contact number for the owner and have found out that he had previously had an interested buyer for the pump but the deal fell through when the buyer discovered it was attached and very heavy. Getting arrested would spoil much of the fun, so other than a few pictures, we left the pump unmolested. It is important to respect other people's property and I thank you for the reminder. - Jack J.

This particular pump has a knob you have to turn instead of levers.

Thanks, huskybob, for the info and photo. JJ