Goldenrod Pump Information

Dutton-Lainson has been manufacturing robust quality (automotive and marine) products for over 110 years. They've made the GOLDENROD 140 air pump over 60 years. The Goldenrod 140 is rarely advertised or seen in retail stores, so the general public is unaware of it's existance. I've made a special arrangement with Dutton-Lainson to be a direct Dutton-Lainson Goldenrod 140 Dealer and also to perform after market upgrades to meet the specifications required for water rocketry. "It's possibly the last pump you will buy", quote from the box.

NOTE: GOLDENROD 140 air pump does NOT come equiped with a pressure gauge. Those who need a pressure gauge must add one in line between the launcher and this pump, or use a launcher which is equiped with a pressure gauge (like the Bigfoot Launcher). On some occasions I have equiped the Goldenrod 140 with a pressure gauge on special orders only (I will show this on another webpage in the near future.)

See picture of the Goldenrod 140 box.

See ad scan (jpeg) in Dutton-Lainson catalog

The features I like about the Goldenrod 140 Air Pump (as it comes from the Dutton-Lainson factory):

heavy duty 3/8 (.375 inch) diameter solid steel shaft
large solid wood handle with steel threads
thick internal pressurizing 100% LEATHER cup.
ingenius valve intake design
heavy duty thumb lock lever
unique dual steel "draw rods" that TIGHLY hold top and bottom and cylinder together
cylinder's 1.275 inch diameter is comfortable for presurizing rocket to 100 psi (not too big or too small diameter)
cylinder is made of STEEL which resists denting (unlike aluminum cylinder pumps)
internal mircoball check valve has a positive seal to prevent blowback
it is rated at 200 psi
I just agree with the engineered design and workings of this pump, inside and out. It's simple after inspecting it, yet clever. It's pure and uncluttered, and has no unnecessary parts. It's just smart.

THE NEW UPGRADED GOLDENROD PUMP for H2O ROCKETS

MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you can imagine manufacturing a product for 60 years and not hearing from the consumers, you would think everything is good. "No news it good news", right? Escecially when it meets stringent military specifications, and the military is using it to pump up jeep tires and whatever (their egos?).

Well, times have changed. The Water Rocket application is probably the toughest use any air pump will have to endure. Our requirements far exceed specifications needed for the US military.

A Dutton-Lainson representative said I was the first customer in 60 years, an end user, to inquire with their engineering and customer service departments about the Goldenrod 140. I discussed with the engineering staff at Dutton-Lainson regarding their air pump and the extreme requirements needed for Water Rockets. The Goldenrod 140 was already a solidly designed product, but I challenge Dutton-Lainson to "tighen the specs more". In fact, it seems like they were delighted in the "new interest". They responded by cheerfully upgrading and fine tuning the pump for our application! They specificately upgraded the internal valve intake, and internal check valve mechanisms.

DRAW RODS HOLD THE ENTIRE PUMP TOGETHER

After I recieve a shipment of pumps, I dis-assemble them. The two "production nuts" used on the "draw rods" are immediately thrown in the trash. The "production nuts" are a self tapping nut that fails with water rocketry. I could not convince Dutton-Lainson to machine threads on the tips of the draw rods and use machined self-locking nuts, so I perform this task. The problem with self tapping production nuts is that when raising the handle all the way up, people have a tendency to raise it all the way up, thus BANGING the internal valve intake against the top die cast component. Eventually, this banging knocks the self tapping nuts right off the draw rods, and the pump looses air tight seal and eventually the whole pump will diss-assemble. It is the draw rods that hold the entire pump assembly together and give it the air tight seal. When I assemble the pump, I actually "twang" the draw rods to get a musical tone, and I match the tone on both rods (simular to spokes on a bicycle), to get equal tension on both sides of the pump This musical tone is impossible with the original self tapping nuts because they don't have the gripping power to tighten the draw rods tight enought to get a musical note. There is a large diameter O RING in the bottom die cast component that needs to press against the steel cylinder for air tight seal. The tighter holding power of the new machined nuts insure a better air tight seal for the life of the pump.

REEL OUT MORE HOSE
To put out a fire, a fireman must either "reel out more hose, or stand closer to the fire". With H2O Rockets, it's "reel out more hose and be much SAFER", especially when children are envolved. So, another component replaced is the hose. The original hose is only 30 inches long. which is replaced with 150 inch long hose (5 times longer). We use a top quality braided Goodyear hi-temp 1/4 inch hose.

CHECKING the CHECK VALVE
Another proceedure I perform is double checking the internal check valve. Several years ago, I had to rework almost every check valve to meet "MY specifications". I had to rebore and reseat the landing that the micro-ball rested up against. With a microscope, I detected that Dutton-Lainson's CNC machine was leaving the tiniest burr, less than 1/1000 of an inch on the landing, just enought to disturb a perfect cone shaped landing for the micro-ball. I called Dutton-Lainson's engineers, and they responded by reprogramming the CNC machine. Nowdays, I still check for positive seal, and rarely have to rework a valve. I do see how Dutton-Lainson corrected just this tiniest of flaws.

On 08/27/01 we added a SECOND Check Valve in line. This valve is all brass. With double check valves in series, we are assured a greatest check system to prevent air flow returning to the pump cylinder. See photo to the left.

ORDERING INFORMATION
Not for sale (posted 08/08/07. This pump is not made any more.