Vacuum leak? Marc has me confused now!

[scottfab]

Originally Posted by RIP

When you draw a vacuum the small white piston in drawn in, separating the points and shutting the pump off. With a hand operated vacuum pump you should be able to see the points open and close. You could try to use your mouth. Suck, baby, suck.

If the contacts are corroded they can be cleaned up with alcohol and covered with dielectric grease. If the pump runs for
ever it might be that
the diaphragm (in the round section of the pump) has a void in it.
It looks like this and is repairable using a rubber from a kitchen glove.