To rebuild a Vickers V, VQ or 20V-50V vane pump with a cartridge kit, you match the kit to the full model code (frame, ring size, V or VQ, design number, rotation and seal type), fit a new seal kit, inspect the body, cover, shaft and bearing, then drop in the pre-assembled cartridge facing the right way and torque the cover bolts to the service sheet value. The cartridge comes assembled and tested by the factory, so the real work is picking the right one and not ruining it on the way in.
This is the job these pumps were designed for. Vickers' own V Series catalog says the cartridge is independent of the drive shaft, so you can change flow capacity or service it without taking the pump off its mounting. Most of the bad rebuilds we see come down to the wrong cartridge, a reused shaft seal, or a VQ cartridge in a V pump.
Before you order: write down every character of the nameplate code, including any F3 prefix at the front and any L at the end. V and VQ pumps of the same frame size do not take the same cartridge, and neither do different design numbers of the same pump. If the tag is gone, see how to identify a Vickers pump.
What is in a Vickers vane pump cartridge kit?
A cartridge kit is the pumping section of the pump as one assembled unit. It is not a seal kit, and it is not a full pump. What is inside depends on the family. Per the factory drawings:
| Pump family | What the factory drawing shows in the cartridge kit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 25V (20 design) | Ring, rotor, vane kit (12 vanes and 12 inserts), inlet support plate with bushing, outlet support plate, two pins, two screws. The drawing also marks a few seals as included in the cartridge kit. | Vickers I-3158-S (PDF) |
| 35V and 45V (22 design) | Ring, rotor, vane kit (12 vanes and inserts), inlet support plate assembly, outlet support plate, two pins, two screws. | Vickers I-3197-S (PDF), I-3199-S (PDF) |
| VQ (25VQ, 45VQ, 2520VQ and similar) | Ring, rotor, vane kit (10 vanes and 10 inserts), flex side plate kit with four seal packs, inlet and outlet support plates, two pins, two screws. | Vickers I-3168-S (PDF), I-3166-S (PDF) |
| V2020 (30 design) | Ring, rotor, vane kit (12 vanes) and pins. Shaft end and cover end cartridges are listed separately, and the pressure plate is its own part. | Vickers M-2256-S (PDF) |
Kit contents can vary from what any one drawing shows, so treat this as what a kit includes but is not limited to. Ask us to confirm before you plan around a specific part being in the box.
Cartridge kit, seal kit or full rebuild: which one do I need?
| Kit | What it fixes | When it is enough |
|---|---|---|
| Seal kit | External leaks: shaft seal, O-rings, sealing ring, back-up ring | The pump still makes full flow and pressure and only leaks. See why shaft seals leak first. |
| Cartridge kit | Lost flow, lost pressure, noise from worn ring, rotor, vanes or plates | Body bore, cover, shaft and bearing are in good shape. Always fit a seal kit with it. |
| Full rebuild | Cartridge plus seals plus bearing, shaft or body work as needed | The pump seized, ran dry, ran on dirty oil, or the shaft or bearing has play. |
Vickers' own repair procedure for VQ and high-performance intra-vane pumps lays out the same split. The seal kit is always replaced. The body, cover, mounting bracket, bolts and housing are kept. Bearings, shaft, key, pressure and wear plates, flex plates, rotor, vanes and ring are judged one by one, and if the ring, rotor or vanes are damaged, Vickers recommends replacing the whole cartridge kit.
How do I pick the right cartridge kit for my Vickers pump?
Read the code left to right. Every one of these changes the part number:
- F3 prefix. F3 means Viton seals. Vickers lists a separate F3 cartridge kit for each ring size. For example, a 35V25 takes 02-102552 standard or 02-102560 F3.
- Series. 25V and 25VQ are different pumps. Eaton's kit reference lists a 25V17A cartridge as 591004 and a 25VQ17 (20 design) cartridge as 416441.
- Ring size. The number after the series is the rated flow in US gpm at 1200 rpm and 100 psi. A 45V60 and a 45V50 share a body but not a cartridge.
- Design number. The same 25VQ17 takes 416441 in the 20 design and 595685 in the 30 design, per the same kit reference.
- Rotation. Vickers kits are assembled and tested for right or left hand. Add L to the kit number for left hand, for example 591002-L.
- Which section, on a double. A 2520VQ, 3525V or V2020 has two cartridges. The shaft end and cover end cartridges are different kits.
V and VQ are not interchangeable. The cartridges are different, the vane counts are different (12 on the V drawings above, 10 on the VQ drawings), and the factory sheets list different seal kit numbers for V and VQ pumps of the same frame. If a supplier tells you "V-VQ" without asking your full code, ask again. More on kit matching on our Vickers seal kits page.
The seal kit that goes with each cartridge, per the factory sheets:
| Pump | Standard seal kit | F3 (Viton) seal kit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25V (20 design) | 922850 | 919656 | I-3158-S (PDF) |
| 35V (22 design) | 922851 | 919262 | I-3197-S (PDF) |
| 45V (22 design) | 919850 | 919632 | I-3199-S (PDF) |
| 45VQ (20 design), single shaft seal | 920025 | 920027 | I-3168-S (PDF) |
| 45VQ (20 design), double shaft seal | 920026 | 920028 | I-3168-S (PDF) |
| 2520VQ (20 design), single shaft seal | 920040 | 920042 | I-3166-S (PDF) |
| 2520VQ (20 design), double shaft seal | 920041 | 920043 | I-3166-S (PDF) |
Browse the kits in our Vickers vane pump seal kit collection, or the Viton kits if your code starts with F3.
What should I inspect when I tear down a Vickers vane pump?
Vickers' 1997 repair procedures for its authorized repair network give use, salvage and scrap rules. In short:
| Part | Reuse if | Scrap if |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure plate | No visible scores or scratches on the face. A light wear pattern is acceptable. | Heavy scoring or metal transfer. |
| Rotor | No visible scratches, scores or burrs. Vane slots not worn. | Heavy scoring, fused metal or a burnt look. That is seizure. |
| Vanes | Light or no visible wear pattern. | Heavy wear on the tip and side face with a burnt color. |
| Ring | Wear pattern very light and uniform, no gouges or scratches. | Heavy or deep ripple on the ring contour. |
| Body face | Smooth wear pattern, no nicks or scratches. | Deep scratches with heavy cavitation marks. |
The pressure plate, rotor and vane rows come from the intra-vane procedure. The ring and body rows come from Vickers' companion procedure for square vane pumps, which also gives a simple check for worn rotor slots: dip a new vane in oil and drop it into the slot, and it should slide in slowly under its own weight, not fall in. Light scratches on a body face can be lapped, and Vickers says to remove only enough to clear them, normally within .003 to .006 in maximum.
Our opinion: for a VQ or a 22 design V, do not try to salvage cartridge parts unless you have a lap plate and have done it before. Vickers' own test procedure says these cartridges are built with matched rings and rotors and should be replaced as a pre-tested assembly. The 2520VQ sheet says individual parts of a cartridge are not interchangeable. Buy the cartridge.
Also check the parts that live outside the cartridge: the shaft seal track, the bearing for play, the shaft splines or key, and the body bore where the cartridge sits. A new cartridge in a scored body will not make pressure for long.
How do you rebuild a Vickers vane pump step by step?
- Mark and clean. Scribe a line across the cover and body so the ports go back where they were. Clean the outside before you open it.
- Remove the cover bolts and cover, then lift the cartridge out as a unit. Note which way it sits. If you are replacing it, set it aside for comparison.
- Remove the shaft, bearing and shaft seal if the seal kit is going in, which it should be.
- Inspect the body, cover, shaft and bearing against the table above.
- Fit the new shaft seal. The VQ sheets say to wipe the seal's outside diameter with oil before pressing it into the body, grease the inside lip before the shaft goes through, and assemble the seal with the spring toward the bearing. The 35V and 45V sheets say the same about the spring side and want the seals completely wetted with oil.
- Refit the bearing, shaft and retaining rings.
- Install the sealing ring in the body first, then the cartridge. Every sheet we checked calls for this order.
- Check rotation before the cartridge goes in. The sharp edges of the vanes must lead in the direction of rotation. On VQ cartridges the bronze faces of the flex side plates go toward the rotor. If the cartridge is the wrong hand, reverse it as described below.
- Slide the cartridge over the shaft, fit the cover O-ring, and set the cover back on your scribe mark.
- Oil the cover bolts and torque them evenly to the value in the table below.
- Turn the shaft by hand. It should turn smoothly with no tight spot. If it binds, take the cover back off and find out why before you power it up.
What are the cover bolt torques for Vickers vane pumps?
Only from the factory sheets. If your pump is not on this list, use the service data for your exact model rather than a number from a similar one.
| Pump | Fastener | Torque (oil the threads) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25V (20 design) | Cover bolts, 4 | 70 ± 5 lb-ft | I-3158-S (PDF) |
| 35V (22 design) | Cover bolts, 4 | 120-180 lb-ft (163-244 N·m) | I-3197-S (PDF) |
| 45V (22 design) | Cover bolts, 4 | 255-275 lb-ft | I-3199-S (PDF) |
| 45VQ (20 design) | Cover screws, 4 | 265 ± 10 lb-ft | I-3168-S (PDF) |
| 45VQ (20 design) | Cartridge screws | See the Vickers 45VQ service data | I-3168-S (PDF) |
| 2520VQ (20 design) | Housing bolts, 4 | 65-75 lb-ft | I-3166-S (PDF) |
| 2520VQ (20 design) | 20VQ cartridge screws | 30 ± 5 lb-in | I-3166-S (PDF) |
| 2520VQ (20 design) | 25VQ cartridge screws | 45 ± 5 lb-in | I-3166-S (PDF) |
| V2020 (30 design) | Cover screws, 4 | 75-85 lb-ft (102-115 N·m) | M-2256-S (PDF) |
Note the units on the cartridge screws: inch-pounds, not foot-pounds. Those two small screws only hold the cartridge together. The cover bolts do the clamping.
Get every torque value from the Vickers catalog. Review the Vickers catalog for your model to get all your proper torque values. For the 45VQ, that is the Vickers 45VQ service data (PDF). The parts catalog pages listed further down carry the factory sheets for the other series.
How do I install the cartridge for the right rotation?
Vickers builds and tests kits for one hand. Rotation is read looking at the shaft end: L is left hand (counterclockwise), and no letter on the older designs, or R on the 22 design, is right hand. If you have the wrong hand, the 35V, 45V and 2520VQ sheets give the same fix: remove the two cartridge screws, swap the inlet and outlet support plates, put the screws back hand tight, use the pump cover to align all the sections, lift the cover off carefully and tighten the screws. Vickers says the parts are the same for both rotations, so nothing extra is needed. Full detail, and the same question for other brands, in our guide to telling and changing hydraulic pump rotation.
How do I start up a vane pump after a rebuild?
Follow our hydraulic pump start-up procedure. The Vickers V Series catalog boils its own start-up down to a few points:
- Clean the reservoir and circuit, and fill with filtered oil to a level that stops vortexing at the suction.
- Fill the pump with fluid through one of its ports before starting, especially if the pump sits above the oil level.
- Bleed air at the outlet by loosening an outlet fitting, or use an air bleed valve. The pump should prime within a few seconds.
- Once primed, tighten up and run five to ten minutes unloaded to clear air from the circuit.
The VQ and 22 design sheets call for fluid at ISO 16/13 or cleaner, and the older 25V sheet calls for 18/15 or cleaner. A new cartridge in dirty oil is a short-lived cartridge. If the pump will not prime, check for an air leak on the suction side and confirm the cartridge hand before anything else.
Where to find the parts
- Parts catalogs with the factory drawings: 20V, 20VQ, 25V, 25VQ, 30V, 30VQ and 35VQ, 35V, 45V, 45VQ, 50V, 2520V and 2520VQ, 3520V to 3525VQ, 4520VQ to 4545VQ, V10, V20 and round V series.
- Cartridge kits: 591002 for the 25V12A, V20 kits such as 923487 and 02-137567, and the left hand 02-142799-L. Some cartridge kits are quote items, so send your full code.
- Parts by series: V20, 25V, 35V, 45V, 45VQ.
- Overview: Vickers vane pumps and Vickers rebuild guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Vickers cartridge kit?
It is the pumping section of a Vickers vane pump as one factory assembled and tested unit: ring, rotor, vanes with inserts, inlet and outlet support plates, pins and screws, plus flex side plates on VQ pumps. It is not a seal kit, so fit a seal kit with it.
Are Vickers V and VQ cartridge kits interchangeable?
No. The cartridges are different part numbers, the vane counts differ on the factory drawings, and the seal kits are different. Eaton's kit reference lists a 25V17A cartridge as 591004 and a 25VQ17 (20 design) cartridge as 416441.
How do I find the right cartridge kit for my Vickers vane pump?
Use the full model code. The F3 prefix, the series (V or VQ), the ring size, the design number, the rotation letter and, on a double pump, the shaft end or cover end section all change the kit number. Add L to the kit number for left hand rotation.
Can I replace just the vanes in a Vickers vane pump?
Vickers does not recommend it on VQ and high performance intra vane pumps. Its repair procedure says to replace the whole cartridge kit if the ring, rotor or vanes are damaged, because rings and rotors are matched. The 2520VQ sheet says individual cartridge parts are not interchangeable.
Do I have to remove the pump to change the cartridge?
Not always. The Vickers V Series catalog says the cartridge is independent of the drive shaft, so it can be serviced without removing the pump from its mounting. You still need room to pull the cover, and you should change the shaft seal while you are in there if you can.
What torque do Vickers vane pump cover bolts take?
It depends on the pump. The factory sheets give 70 plus or minus 5 lb-ft for the 25V 20 design, 120-180 lb-ft for the 35V 22 design, 255-275 lb-ft for the 45V 22 design, 265 plus or minus 10 lb-ft for the 45VQ and 75-85 lb-ft for the V2020 30 design. Oil the threads. Use the service data for your exact model.
How do I change the rotation of a Vickers cartridge?
Remove the two cartridge screws, swap the inlet and outlet support plates, refit the screws hand tight, align the cartridge with the pump cover, lift the cover off and tighten the screws. The sharp edges of the vanes must lead in the direction of rotation.
About the technical information on this page. Figures, procedures and part numbers here come from manufacturer service literature and are provided for reference only. They are only as accurate as the factory data, and the revision we have on file may not be the latest for your unit. Always confirm against the current manufacturer documentation for your exact model and follow safe work practices. RestoPower is not responsible for damage, injury or loss resulting from the use or misuse of this information, or from incorrect assembly, adjustment, installation or operation of any unit.
Send us the full code and we will match the cartridge
Give us every character on the nameplate, including any F3 prefix and the rotation letter. We will match the cartridge and seal kit, or quote a full rebuild if the body or shaft is worn.
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