beer engine help please

[eltei]

Hi, I have just acquired a beer engine (no pipes, no fittings, no check valve) and tried connecting a pipe to it (the larger "fir cone" connector), plugging off the remaining smaller straight connectors (which i am led to believe are for a chiller). cadged a check valve from a plumber and cobbled it to the pipe, plonked it into a DJ of bitter hoping to get something from it.......alas no.....any help would be very gratefully received.

 

[ManseMasher]

Pictures might help?

 

[Dads_Ale]

What sort of check valve did you get. I have an Angram pump and this has a non return valve built in.
Try it without the check valve.

 

[eltei]

I dont think mine is an Angram no distinctive plate or markings. The engine doesn't seem to be drawing at all put my tongue over end of pipe having took check valve off and unless it takes more than 10 or so cranks on the lever it was pull no vaccum.

 

[eltei]

Success!!!!!!!!!!!!! gravity fed some hot water into the beast whilst pumping away and hayho it now works. no need for check valve either. had some pilsner left over in a dj cos i run out of bottles and tried that through, the good lady thinks it tastes like caffereys. next question....best thing to clean the pipe and "basil" with? a weak bleach solution? powdered wine bottle cleaning stuff? or starsan?...................convinced no other way to drink homebrew other than hand pulled.