Restoring a National Oil Well Pump Jack with a Hit-and-Miss Engine
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- I restored this old National Oil Well Pumping Unit and added a United 2 HP throttle-governed (generically called a hit-and-miss) engine.
Obtained from an old oil field near Petrolia, Texas, this small pumping unit was the perfect size for an animated piece of yard art! It was very worn and required making new bearings and lots of cleaning.
Check my UA-cam page for many other videos like this:
/ @radiotexas
That's fantastic, thank you for bringing us along. Would love to have one of those in my front yard.
Fortunately my wife actually likes it! Thank you for your comment!
I need one of those! I don’t know why but I need one!
They are available... just need to check with the folks around town. They are not light weight!
Very interesting! I grew up in PA. We had lots of coal and heavy equipment. I never thought about the oil fields. This video is so cool!
Great yard art! The only thing I would change is to get some direct burial cable to power it.
Very cool.
Always glad to see old iron saved from the scrap heap.
Thanks!
Absolutely!
This is cook stuff. It's takes a team to make a dream! My family worked in the oilfield, as well as myself until the bottom fell out in 1986. So I can appreciate your efforts into restoring a and keeping this part of America's oilfield history alive. So many props to you sir. 👍
I use to deer hunt in Michigan in the early 70’s and I would hear the old hit and miss motors running, it sounded like a heart beating slowly.
I don't know why, but UA-cam keeps recommending all these oil well videos, and frankly, I'm hooked! I love it, and love to see these machines running, and now to see a tiny little pump being restored, has inspired me to seek out some materials and build a working imitation, just to install it along the side of the driveway to our farmyard. It sounds crazy, I know, but just idea of something mechanical, and animated, really appeals to me.
Thank you for the inspiration 🤠😊
Thank you! More to come! Stay tuned!
@@Radiotexas Indeed I will!
Thanks for the nudge - I almost forgot to subscribe.
@@whitesapphire5865 me 2 all of a sudden I just subbed to the zack life so interesting in from the north east
@@jdjd7127 Me too, too! I subbed to Zach Life not long ago.
It's definitely an eye opener to something a lot less ordinary.
@@whitesapphire5865 I've been binge watching him he's so interesting I've learned so much about electrical oil wells plumbing... I need him for a husband lol
I had to laugh at "Horrible Freight" comment!
I used to show up to location early in the morning to tear down long term shut in pumping units, load them onto trucks, and then install them onto newly drilled wells. I'm talking about pump jacks that ran for 20+ years with minimal maintenance and have the client expecting them to perform like a newly purchased unit on the new wells. My buddy used to say the only tools he needed to get a pump jack running were a sledge hammer, a 36 inch crescent wrench, and a cutting torch. Countless times we ended up in the oil company's bone yard picking bearings or weights like it was a pick-and-pull. Building cribs, filling them with sand, packing them down, using levels to ensure the cement pad sat perfectly flat, etc. The most frustrating part was after you finally got the old pumping unit running working on the new well, you had to sit and wait for fluid to finally hit surface before you could balance the counterweights. These were 2500lb+ weights you needed a knuckle picker to adjust and hope you hit the right balance before you could finally say it was time to go home. Setting pump jacks on oil producing wells is back breaking work.
Thanks for your insights. Appreciate the comments.
I'm in southeast PA and would like to get a pump jack. Any ideas for how to find one?
@@lambertmtDepends, are you looking for a lawn ornament or a working unit? Any idea what size? I'm in Alberta, Canada I could find one here with 1 phone call but I'd need more info for something closer to PA that could be sourced locally.
@Taylor Hutchings give me advice to start pump jack oil buisness
@@taylorhutchings4612 give me advice to start a oil business
Boy, she is a thing of beauty!
That is an awesome piece of yard art! Well done! 👍
Unfortunately my wife doesn't agree! But she's a good sport!!!
As retired oil well pumper, I would love to have one of these in my yard! Awesome job of resurrecting and presenting our industry.
I got a question we’re do I sell the oil too
3:58 Horrible freight, That's new one to me!
I've heard them referred to as Hazardous Freight many times before.
A neighbor with awesome, & unusual yard art like this......that's teh kind of neighbor I want!
I once heard someone say "Harbor Fright"!
@@whitesapphire5865 LOLz! That's a new 1 to me. I like it!
Thank you for the fabulous video. It was enjoyable to watch.
Glad you enjoyed it! And, thank you!
Ill tell you what, for only having 1k subscriber's your video/editing/composition quality is better then 75% of channels with 100k subscribers... And for lawn decor you rebuilt that thing better then it was new!! Your passion shine's through in the quality of all you do!!!👍👍👍
Thanks. My family has been in the photography business for over 140 years... check out the video I made about it... scroll down the list!
Well iam sure you’ve heard of oil city Pa I have a camp near oil creek, I’ve always wanted to make a piece of yard art out of an old pump jack. What a beautiful project.
Thank you! My yellow dog kerosene lamp was made in Oil City, PA!
I love pumping units too
Love the yard art. I want a Small 1/4 scale one in my rock garden.
“Iron mosquitoes suck the blood from the ground..” - Guy Forsyth
That’s some right good work, Jay. Nice lathe, too.
73, de KB5SHC
- Jeremy
Thanks! Watch my Miller Brothers Railroad Machine shop video for more on the lathe!
That is a very good setup. I rework bearings on this size and smaller pumpjacks and it’s amazing how worn these bearings can get. You did an excellent job on the saddle bearing. Thanks for sharing. The yellow dogs were an added bonus!
Thanks very much. Probably would not pass muster for field use but for animated yard art, does the trick. And, as yet several months have passed and STILL NO OIL! Merry Christmas!
I have a Jensen 13W I'm needing bearing work on for my restoration. Can I get your contact information?
@@Radiotexas I suspect you forgot to install the downhole pump. I like the Yellow Dogs.
Came out great! Impressive restoration.
Great informative video and your restored unit is great. I have several I tinker with. I still need to get some Larkin or casing heads set like yours. 👍
HAPPY THREE-SCORE-AND-TEN, YOU OLD GEEZER, YOU!!!
Very inspiring! Thank you!
Nice show, I have never worked or even been up close to an oil well so this video was very informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very cool to watch! My step dad likes to restore old engines, I love seeing old things spark up a new life! Looking forward to the subscription 🍻
Thanks! Lots of projects "in the mill."
I like oil Wells too
very good guy. i'm envious
Thanks!!
Having watched three of your videos, each of which demonstrated your genius. This begs the question: Is there anything you can’t do? :)
Thank you so much. I wish I had better people skills!
Best 73's from Sweden =)
Hello to my ancestors! Check out the Machine Shop video and see why! Thanks!
Looks great! Fun restoration job.
The mild steel part you made is far superior to the casting it replaced. Nice work!
Thanks 👍
The next step is to get somebody to drill a hole about 20 feet deep and set casing. Then you can install a short rod pump and actually pump watered tinted with dye and dump it in a barrel next to it. Then put a pipe about halfway up it draining back into the casing to recycle the water. You can get creative by bring the drain out of the bottom of the barrel and hide or bury the drain piping back to the casing just below ground level to make it more realistic.
Love the video really enjoyed the video on your weekend visit you have some really awesome friends!!
Thanks Jerry. And awesome does not even begin to describe them.
I am entranced! Since my little brother is a petroleum engineer for Conoco Phillips, I have always been intrigued by the search for and production of oil and gas. What a neat piece of yard art! The only way it could be any better is if there were some scale size storage tanks nearby adorned with J&L Oil signs.
Working on that. Have to get a permit from the chief-of-staff and she's not very receptive!
Great video ! 👍
Fella, let me tip my hat off to you Jay. This has been a great educational video for me. I know Texas is know for oil and gas. I bet you do not know what else the state is famous for ??? Let me help you out, guys with round bellies. Look forward to seeing more great videos from you Sir. Peace vf
You betcha! We keep well-fed. Check out the "Longest Two Weeks" video for more Texas oil and gas!
@@Radiotexas I will and thanks.
Love thus project! You did an excellent job on the restoration and setting it up in the yard is awesome. I want to do the same thing at my place. Not any old pump jacks around in Central Indiana though. I do have a 25 hp Bessemer engine I'd like to hook to a power or something in the future.
Very "well" done in all aspects. 73 - K0FTB
Nice restoration. I'd like a pump jack in my yard but the homeowners association would not share my enthusiasm. Keep pumping that imaginary oil !
I understand completely! One reason we're in the country!!! Watch my ham radio video for another reason!!
Another excellent video! I love the joke at the end about one drop of oil.
Thank you! Cheers!
Ive Never seen one for real on my entire life i lived in Canada
Come to Odessa Texas. You will see all you want.
If you had a hill you could try build a central power. (Look it up, truly fascinating)
Seen several of those. Would be very cool to get one!
@@Radiotexas I used to tend gas wells in Titusville PA, very close to the "Drake Well". There was an old central power on one of my lease roads. It was all over grown but the turn table was visible. The engine was missing its cylinder. Way back at end of that lease was a small service rig with 1943 license plate. There was tree growing up inside the derrick and animals has chewed all the rubber of the tires. I spent 48 years in the oil field. I'm retired now, but work part time making fishing lures.
You could probably run a water well pump with one of these.
Smaller one were often used for that purpose!
That might be "Petrolia" NE of Wichita Falls. My kids graduated from high school in Petrolia.
Yes.
Dude!!!!!
Nice work. 73 N2XEV
Many thanks!
I HAVE A OIL WELL
alll i want is ONE GOOD OIL WELL... 20 bbl/day of extra light crude oil , enuf gas to keep the yard light... for the whole block... burning and no water. all in the back yard. pumping a few hours a day. i wud go keep it company, talk to it, paint it, clean it, grease it, change the gearbox oil every... 500 hours? simplest thing in the world . good that the gearbox was in good shape... and u cld get a seal for $3. the saddle bearing looks like a LOT OF work but u got it
That would be nice! I would have further comments but don't want to get cancelled! Working on restoring a 6 HP McCormick-Deering enngine. That will power a generator!
Was the original purpose of the yellow dog burners just for light back in the day??
The "Yellow Dogs" were open flame lights. Developed in the late 1870s, and burned what ever waste liquids that might be available. They were for lighting the wooden derrick floor. As drillers discovered, casing head gas would often come up thru the well head and be ignited by the open flames! Therefore using the lamps where there might be gas was not conducive to a long life! Legend has it the drillers called the lamps "Yellow Dogs" because at because they look like two yellow eyes staring at you in the dark. Mine is a reproduction, sold by Flywheel Supply made of cast iron from the original Oil Well Supply Company patterns. I burn kerosene or Tiki torch fuel. The short one by the engine is an old roadway "pot."
👍👍👍
What brand and model does the jack pump have?
National. I could never locate any literature showing model numbers.
I need a small well head for my national unit… could you find me one?
I willing to pay.
Thanks for the reply
My only disappointment is you didn't make it functional and have it pump water for a water feature.
? Now I know why there is no oil coming up!!!
Yet another expected example of Jay's thoroughly anal attention to detail, craftsmanship and precision!
However: One cannot help but note the lack a standard Texas Railroad Commission well identification sign (assumed to be named, "Miller #1" with location (Spanish Land Grant system) and operator), a tank battery for both oil and salt water, and a separator and a flare. Lack of industry-standard site preparation is also noted. (Where was the mud pit?)
I can hardly wait for a follow-up report of BOPD production! (By the way, how many quarts of Nitro did you shoot to open up the formation? Our biggest one was 8,000 qts. back in the '40s.)
Quite extraordinary and nice work, Jay!
Insofar as it goes...
But now ya' gotta get it into production!
P.S.: And by the way, wish you'd a-told me that you needed a hydraulic press. Would'a made you deal that you couldn't refuse - mine looks identical to what you got [except for the color]...
Sign now in place! All in compliance. Still a dry hole however!
All my Oil wells are dry
Mine too!
Get some raw petroleum to put on it for smell effect.
Have torches for use at night! Smell great!!!!