Rebuilding - superVac21c (Tips, tricks, resources)

Hey there folks. I am interested in rebuilding the vacuum pump in our lab. It is an Across International SuperVac 21c. With multiple hot oil changes it pulls an ultimate vacuum of around 25 micron. I use this pump for short path distillation and would like to get the pump in better health for the distillations. I have a full rebuild kit. I have not rebuilt one of these pumps before. Before I take it all apart, I’m trying to answer a few questions.

  1. Are there any specialized tools that will make this process easier. Specialty bits, allen wrenches, Torque wrenches? Degreasers, lubricants?

  2. Does anyone have any resources pertaining to the task or specific pump? Has anyone rebuilt this specific model or similar?

  3. Are there any common pitfalls that I may encounter while rebuilding this pump.
    Thanks for any and all responses.

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I received pictures of disassembly and cleaning from across international. They suggest ethanol as the solvent for cleaning.

Hoping to revive this topic, or make my own semi-related topic. Does anyone know a pump refurbish company that I can send a SuperVac21 + rebuild kit to and have them do the refurbish for me?

I usually fall back on Provac Sales in Soquel CA, but they were kind of shitty about it when I asked - they clearly push the whole “Edwards is the best, so why dont you buy one of ours” narrative and claim they “don’t even know if these pumps can be rebuilt.” Which is insane - they are not in any way a unique design and these SuperVac pumps honestly kick the shit out of Edwards and go toe-to-toe with Leybold especially for the price.

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