How EV Pump Rebuilt Obsolete Viking Gear Pumps Before Grinding Season

Project Snapshot

About Lafourche Sugars

This section explains who Lafourche Sugars is and why pump reliability matters during Louisiana’s 24/7 grinding season operations. It gives the operational context that makes efficiency losses and downtime especially costly.

Who is Lafourche Sugars, and what does grinding season require?

Lafourche Sugars is a sugar refiner in Thibodaux, Louisiana that runs 24/7 during harvest season, so equipment performance directly impacts production and logistics. Sugar is refined during the harvest season - typically September through January - when the refinery operates continuously with high-demand pump applications.

Why do pumps matter so much in a sugar refinery operation?

In a 24/7 refinery, a small reduction in pump efficiency creates immediate bottlenecks that ripple into loading, transfer, and throughput. After sugarcane is cut, it’s transported to a mill or refinery where it’s ground to extract liquid, then refined into finished sugar. This is why harvest is often called “grinding season.”

The Problem

This section outlines the exact issue Lafourche Sugars faced - reduced flow from multiple obsolete Viking gear pumps - and the real-world impact on operations, especially truck loading delays on a critical molasses service.

What problem was Lafourche Sugars seeing with their Viking gear pumps?

Lafourche Sugars was dealing with reduced flow rate from multiple Viking gear pumps, limiting efficiency in critical services across the facility. The primary equipment in question included obsolete Viking M125 and N335 gear pumps that needed rebuilds to restore performance.

What did reduced flow impact operationally?

Reduced flow was increasing truck loading time on a critical molasses pump, causing delays when every minute counts during grinding season. When pump output drops, transfer operations slow down, and during seasonal peak operations those slowdowns quickly turn into scheduling and production headaches.

Why EV Pump

This section covers how EV Pump identified the issue during a March 2025 site visit and why a rebuild was the most practical path versus replacement. It highlights the importance of meeting the seasonal deadline and avoiding expensive piping modifications caused by dimensionally different new pumps.

Why did Lafourche Sugars choose EV Pump for this repair?

EV Pump identified the problem during an on-site visit and immediately committed to a rebuild plan that met the refinery’s seasonal timeline. EV Pump dropped in for a scheduled sales call at the mill in March 2025, and during that visit the issue was identified and the feasibility of repair was discussed.

Why rebuild instead of replace these Viking pumps?

Rebuilding was the practical option because “new” pumps can be dimensionally different and may require expensive suction and discharge piping modifications. Even when a replacement pump exists, a different footprint can turn a simple swap into a piping rework project, often costing more than rebuilding the existing unit, especially when the facility needs a drop-in fit.

The Rebuild Plan

This section walks through how EV Pump coordinated pump pickup during turnaround, then performed a teardown, measurement-based inspection, and tolerance comparison to define the rebuild scope. It shows how the rebuild decision was based on documented wear and clear reporting - not assumptions.

What was the pickup and intake plan for the pumps?

EV Pump coordinated pickup around the refinery’s turnaround window so the onsite team could safely remove the pumps from service before transport. Pickup was scheduled for late in the month after maintenance had time to remove the pumps, aligning with the spring/summer turnaround season common for South Louisiana sugar refiners.

How did EV Pump inspect the pumps and confirm the scope?

EV Pump performed a full teardown and measured all critical wear components against factory tolerances to determine exactly what needed replacement. The inspection included documenting wear and comparing measurements to allowable tolerances to support the conclusions and repair plan.

Inspection and measurements included:

• rotor diameter

• rotor and idler tooth lengths

• idler pin diameter

• crescent length

• casing diameters

• visual inspection of the case condition

What did EV Pump find during teardown?

These pumps had been in service so long that every rotating wear component required replacement to restore performance. With wear across multiple internal components, reduced flow and efficiency becomes inevitable, especially in high-demand services like molasses transfer.

Execution and Challenges

This section explains how EV Pump managed long-lead parts for obsolete equipment, corrected a safety-critical relief valve issue, and executed the rebuild once parts arrived in July. It emphasizes schedule control, safety, and restoring efficiency by limiting bypass.

How did EV Pump manage long lead times on obsolete parts?

EV Pump protected the schedule by ordering parts early, even with 3–4 month lead times, and shelving pumps (see critical spares) until all required components arrived. With older and obsolete Viking pumps, lead time and parts complexity can make timeline management the most important part of the project.

What safety-critical issue did EV Pump find during the rebuild?

EV Pump found the pressure relief valve was not functioning properly and repaired it to restore full safety and performance. As part of the rebuild, EV Pump resized and returned the valve to 100% functionality.

Why did repairing the pressure relief valve improve efficiency?

A properly functioning relief valve reduces bypass and improves pump efficiency while lowering the risk of an over-pressure event. Repairing the valve didn’t just improve safety. It also helped the pump deliver output more effectively by limiting unnecessary fluid recirculation/bypass.

When were the pumps rebuilt and returned to service?

Once parts arrived in July, EV Pump rebuilt, repainted, and returned the pumps to the mill for reinstallation ahead of pre-season test runs. EV Pump’s goal from day one was to have the equipment ready mid-summer so Lafourche Sugars could validate performance before the 2025/2026 grinding season.

Results

This section summarizes the outcomes: three rebuilds completed on time and on budget, strong communication throughout the process, and post-install support including run-in adjustments. It also notes the trust earned—resulting in additional rebuild work being awarded.

What was the outcome of the project?

EV Pump completed all three rebuilds on time and on budget, which was mission critical ahead of grinding season. Timeliness mattered because any delay would cut into the refinery’s ability to test, validate, and enter the season with confidence.

How did EV Pump ensure the customer was satisfied after delivery?

EV Pump stayed engaged after installation by communicating throughout the rebuild, following up onsite, and adjusting the pumps after run-in. Post-install support ensured the pumps performed as expected in real operating conditions, not just on paper.

What happened after the project was completed?

The customer was so satisfied that Lafourche Sugars awarded EV Pump additional rebuild work and other pump projects after completion. Delivering on schedule, staying transparent, and supporting startup earned trust - and follow-on work.

Lessons for Other Operators

This section captures the broader takeaways: older pumps can run for decades but still need rebuilds, parts planning is essential on obsolete units, rebuilds can be more cost-effective than replacement when piping mods are required, and decreasing efficiency is often an early warning sign of wear.

What was unusual about these Viking pumps?

One of the pumps had a 1965 manufacture stamp, meaning it had been operating for nearly 60 years with little-to-no downtime history. One maintenance foreman who had been at the mill since the early 1980s had no recollection of the pumps ever being taken out of service.

What should operators know about rebuilding older pumps?

With 60-year-old pumps, parts availability and lead time can be a challenge, so rebuilds require proactive planning and machining capability. EV Pump worked around these constraints by ordering early and being prepared to custom machine components if needed.

When does it make financial sense to rebuild instead of buy new?

Rebuilding often makes sense when a “new” pump is dimensionally different and would require piping modifications that increase total project cost. In many cases, avoiding suction/discharge rework is the deciding factor, even if the rebuild cost approaches the price of a new standalone pump.

What are signs your operation may need a pump rebuild?

Decreasing efficiency, longer transfer times, and unexplained slowdowns are common indicators of internal pump wear and tolerance loss. Rotating equipment is designed to run trouble-free for long periods, but every pump eventually reaches a point where repair or rebuild is the most reliable path back to performance.

Quick FAQs

EV Pump & Equipment is a leading provider of high-performance fluid handling solutions, specializing in custom pump systems and comprehensive services for industries like oil & gas, petrochemical, and municipal water. With a deep passion for pumps and a commitment to excellence, we deliver reliable, efficient solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of every client. Our hands-on approach and elite equipment ensure that your operations run smoothly and efficiently, every time.