How We Rebuild a Pumping Unit
Most operators who buy a unit from us choose a rebuilt one: the same dependable iron at a fraction of new-unit cost, ready to set. Here’s what happens to a unit between the day we buy it and the day it leaves our yard on the I-20 in Midland.
Call and tell us what you’re pumping. We’ll tell you what we’ve got.
It Starts With a Down Unit
We buy used pumping units, running or down — even cratered ones. When an operator is shutting down a lease or sitting on iron they don’t need, we make an offer. What decides whether a unit is worth rebuilding is the gearbox: major damage to the gearbox is what makes a unit scrap.
Plenty of outfits will sell you a used unit as-is and wish you luck. We don’t work that way. Every used unit we sell goes through our own shop first, not just parked in the yard. That’s the difference between buying a unit and buying a problem.
The Rebuild, Step by Step
Grease the Tail & Saddle
We grease the tail and saddle bearings.
New Wrist Pins & Bridle
We change the wrist pins and the bridle. They get replaced on almost every rebuild.
Check the Gearbox
We check the oil in the gearbox and look for leaks.
When the Gearbox Needs Work
If the gearbox needs work, we replace any damaged pinions or gears, replace the bearings and seals, then clean the gearbox and change the oil. Gears come off our shelf — we stock them rather than cut them.
When we’ve rebuilt a gearbox and the cranks are off, we can run the gears around with a small electric motor.
Parts Off Our Shelf, or Machined to Spec
Because we carry the largest pump jack parts inventory in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico, the parts a rebuild needs are usually already on our shelves: bearings, housings, wrist-pins, gears and pinions. Our press shop rebuilds bearings in-house, so a rebuild doesn’t sit waiting on an outside supplier.
When a part for an older unit hasn’t been made in years, our machinists cut it on our two HAAS CNC centers: high-speed and intermediate pinions up to size 320, wrist-pins, tail shafts and saddle shafts, made to spec.
Repainted, Set Right, in About a Week
Before a rebuilt unit leaves the yard, it’s repainted and set right. That’s how a forty-year-old unit leaves here pumping like a new one. It depends on the shape the unit’s in, but we can usually get you a completely refurbished unit in about a week.
Call (432) 563-2446Delivered and Set, or Ready When You Come
We run our own haul trucks and crane crews, so we deliver and set units throughout our service area — roughly a 100–150 mile radius across the Permian Basin and Southeastern New Mexico.
Picking it up yourself? You’ll line up the pickup with Chris, our yard foreman, so it’s ready and right when you come for it.
Over 600 Units to Choose From
Over 600 units across our yards: conventional units in a range of sizes, Lufkin and Lufkin Mark, American, Weatherford and Shores, import units from Sentry and Permian, and low-profile units when you need a shorter one. Tell us what you’re pumping, your depth and your timeline, and we’ll point you to the unit that fits. See them on our pumping unit sales page.
Rebuilt Units — Common Questions
How long does a rebuild take?
When is a unit too far gone to rebuild?
What gets replaced on almost every rebuild?
What do you do to the gearbox?
Do you buy down units?
Will you deliver and set it?
More From Snelson’s
Pump Jack Parts
The largest inventory in the region, including hard-to-find parts for older units.
Learn More →Great people, Very knowledgeable, big inventory.
— Jay McKee
Need a Unit, or Got One to Sell?
Call the office and tell us what you’re running. We’ve been setting Permian operators up with the right unit for forty years.
Call (432) 563-2446Shop: Mon–Thu 8–4, Fri 8–3:30 · 7812 W Interstate 20, Midland, TX 79706