[slief]

For those of you that own a skimmer with the standard Red Dragon pump such as those on the Mini 160, Mini 180, Double Cone 130, Double Cone 150 as well as older skimmers including but not limited to the Supermarin, Deluxe, Double Cones that don't have the RD3 etc, this is the info and instructions for removing and installing the bearing I mentioned above. Make sure you remove and clean your bearing as part of your routine skimmer pump maintenance! This is critical not only to the performance of your skimmer but also the longevity of your pump. As I mentioned above, this often overlooked detail is the #1 cause of premature failure of your Red Dragon skimmer pump. Your pumps should be dissasembled and cleaned inside and out every few months. If you take the time to do that and clean the bearing too, your Red Dragon will last you many many many years. We have customers with well maintained Red Dragons that are in excess of 10 years old.

While I am not keen on using a needle nose pliers to remove the bearing, a hanger with a slight bend at the tip of a set of forceps will work. Note that it's held in place at the base of the bearing cavity with an o-ring.


Again, I am not keen on using a pliers but if you are careful, it can be done. Just don't destroy your bearing in the process. Worse case, we stock them in Florida at RE USA and Germany at our main office.


A piece of 1/2" PVC pipe can come in handy to seat the bearing back into the bearing cavity. A little bit of silicone grease on the o-ring will make it easier to get it in place as can some saliva. Yep, spit can come in handy! It's critical that bearing be in there properly and flat so it's not cockeye. Do NOT place the bearing on the end of the shaft and use the shaft to insert the bearing into the block. That won't work and the bearing will not be seated properly.