HELP please

[NewGuy 14]

So i think im screwed...here's the story

Was on a job today using the same machine ive been using for months now...usually when i start her up(not every time) she goes through this no pressure phase that only lasts about 5 seconds and then shes good to go all day...well today i thought same thing was happening but then after about a 1 minute of regular pressure she went limp again...and then it was like she kept trying to get back then go limp then go back then go limp...this went on for about 2 minutes then shes at max strength again...minute later the limp game again...i was praying it was some weird phase shed go through for a little bit but i ended up having to leave the job to get her fixed...took her to northern tools which is really one of the only places down here(miami, fl) to fix pressure cleaners and the mechanic told me he didnt even know how to work on craftsmans...he said that myabe the pump was little bit low on oil and if i just put in a little bit more in to cover to the gears that he wouldnt be surpirsed if she got back to herself right away...so im a genius right....i figured i have engine oil and pump oil at home, so ill just give her an oil change....well engine was easy enough..pretty straight forward....the pump...well the pump doesnt have the little bolt under the pump like im use to drain the oil...i spent an hour and a half online looking up directions for my specific pump but didnt find squat.....so i figure ill just put in a liil bit more oil and let her rip...

So she starts up first pull...good sign.....but starts right away with the limp game...bad sign...then after about 3 minutes of holding down the trigger she gets this burst of energy and shes at max strength like ive never seen her before...i figured this was great, i bought an old machine and it needed an oil change so its gonna be better than before...now im thinking that was a bad sign because after about a minute after her initial burst of strength...she goes limp...but limp limp; no pressure at ALL..not even even garden hose pressure...like no agua coming out of my wand....freaking out i quickly go over to the machine and turn it off.....

i looked down afterwards and saw the all this extra oil my machine spewed out of the breathing hole in the oil cap...from what i understand its fine that it does that its just a little safety precaution the machine has....but when i looked inside the gears had the oil bubbled up in between the gears...it really freaked me out it looked like the oil had coagulated but i poked it with a paperclip and it was just really bubbly no coagulation...

Sooo....wth happened...My engine runs on a Briggs & Stratton 11.50 Gross torque hooked up to a Annovi Reverberi SJV 3G31-1 pump..

please tell me i didnt just destroy my machine..its not a huge machine but it has been feeding me for the past 4 months now...i know the generic answer take it to a mechanic....i cant afford it...please if anyone can help me out here id apreciate it

[mick m 19]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news........ It sounds like the pump seals have gone. It's pumping air instead of water. Not good for the pump at all. It ''shocks'' the piston. Kinda like when you miss that last step on the stairs & you jar your leg. the fluctuation your getting pressure wise, is because of this. One second there's water to be pumped, next there's not. hence the drop/rise in pressure.

2nd, never over fill the oil. In any engine /pump. It needs to be pushed/circulated about the unit. If theres too much, it gets whipped to a foam & you end up with bubbles of oil instead of a constant stream of fluid. The breather hole is there to stop the pump from pressurizing its self. If it cant breath it will fracture the housing. Like you when you have a head cold & it feels like your is going to burst. Then you blow your nose......ah the relief. Same thing.

So, it's off with the pump head, new seals & hopefully you have'nt cracked any pistons. Good luck with it.

[Alexy 85]

Is the pump oil milky or muddy colored at all?

[NewGuy 14]

Engin oil was black as hell...pump oil not sure as i cant figure out how to drain. It but it did apear to be low

[NewGuy 14]

Ok so after about an hour of leaving it alone i turned iy on again thinking it would be different this time...i was right..this time it went straight to no pressure whatsoever...an when i throttled down to turn it off..it slowly "choked" realld loud a couple times and then turned off..pretty sure i saw it puff a little bit of smoke when it choked..im pretty sure im screwed...if anyone can help out id apreciate it but i think im gonna go burry my head in the sand and kick the dog around for a while

[NewGuy 14]

Thank you mick..for some reason i didnt see your post before...does it sound like something i can do myself or am i gonna have to find a mechanic?

[Timo 25]

You need to go buy a pressure washer. You've been washing for four months with a dime store unit. If you choose not to purchase a professional unit, you must accept the fact that your disposable choice is going to need replaced on a regular basis.

Consumer grade pressure washers have a duty cycle and a very limited number of hours designed into them. It sounds like you've got your monies worth, it's time to move on.

[cameronqueen 14]

You need to go buy a pressure washer. You've been washing for four months with a dime store unit. If you choose not to purchase a professional unit, you must accept the fact that your disposable choice is going to need replaced on a regular basis.

Consumer grade pressure washers have a duty cycle and a very limited number of hours designed into them. It sounds like you've got your monies worth, it's time to move on.

+1...I know because I started the same way. Seems cheap at the time but a higher grade machine more than pays for itself in the reduced stress of less breakdowns and missed work!

Sent from my Galaxy S3 Android

[NewGuy 14]

Might seem like dumb request but can you guys give me a suggestion on direct drive machine...just went xmas shopping so budget is kinda tight...

[mick m 19]

I'd be more inclined to go with a belt drive unit.Less stress on both engine & pump & a bit quieter as well. maybe hire a unit to see how you feel about the different set ups that are out there. I know its dead money, renting, but it will give you a better understanding of what your needs are in relation to what you do or intend to do further down the track.

As for repairing it, theres no reason you cant do it yourself. Clean down the machine throughly, lay out the various parts in order. Take your time. Pay attention to how things come apart & how they go back together. Check everything, then check it again! There's some stuff on you tube showing how its done. Once you've done it, you'll wonder what you were stressing about. As i'm sure you are. But you can do this. Have faith in yourself & good luck.

[810F250 14]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news........ It sounds like the pump seals have gone. It's pumping air instead of water. Not good for the pump at all. It ''shocks'' the piston. Kinda like when you miss that last step on the stairs & you jar your leg. the fluctuation your getting pressure wise, is because of this. One second there's water to be pumped, next there's not. hence the drop/rise in pressure.

2nd, never over fill the oil. In any engine /pump. It needs to be pushed/circulated about the unit. If theres too much, it gets whipped to a foam & you end up with bubbles of oil instead of a constant stream of fluid. The breather hole is there to stop the pump from pressurizing its self. If it cant breath it will fracture the housing. Like you when you have a head cold & it feels like your is going to burst. Then you blow your nose......ah the relief. Same thing.

So, it's off with the pump head, new seals & hopefully you have'nt cracked any pistons. Good luck with it.

Sorry to here about your machine issues NewGuy, the positive side your are hopefuly on the way to more reliable power

+1 mick m, but could the unloader produce some of the same symptoms?

Edited December 21, 2012 by 810F250

[Timo 25]

You are still talking about disposable Jorge so one is the same as the other. Go to Costco or SAMs and do the best you can.

Set aside $10 from every job towards getting a real pressure washer. You will blow your socks off when you step up from the worn out 6.5 hp you've been dragging around.

[cameronqueen 14]

If you can afford a decent direct drive... Like a Honda gx390 powered 4gpm machine (comet, AR or similar pump) then that will do you for a while... obviously if you can afford to go to the 'next level' of belt driven machines right now then don't think twice :)

Sent from my Galaxy S3 Android

[NewGuy 14]

Seriously best forum ever...

If i were to get the gx 390 would that be comparable to a belt driven machine or not even close?

[cameronqueen 14]

It won't be comparable to a belt driven or gear driven rig for reliability or longevity.... but you can't really go wrong with that engine for minimal problems while you put in work and save $ for your next, more upscale machine :thumbup:

Engine is only one half of the puzzle though, even more important to try and get the best pump you can afford. All your really find off the shelf on a gx390 (13hp) is a max of 4gpm and 4000psi but that should do ok for starting out, as long as your not planning on taking on any projects that are too crazy!

A machine like I'm describing is what I would say is a good half way house between the kind of home depot machine I'm guessing you've been using up til now and the full on pro rig that you'll probably want to aim for a year or 2 down the line

Sent from my Galaxy S3 Android

Edited December 22, 2012 by cameronqueen

[NewGuy 14]

Lol...ok heres my issue...i dont have a truck..i work out of my nissan maxima..might sound funny but thats what im usin..i just unbolt the handle of my machine before i put it in..

That being said, is a belt driven machine able to fit in my back seat or trunk?...and how much am i lookin to spend on a machine..ballpark figure

[Timo 25]

Go to SAMs or Costco and see which one of the machines can fit in your car.

None of the points the guys are trying to make apply to a man and his maxima.

Go get a machine tomorrow that works for you today. Then spend some time figuring out if you are going to do this for real or continue doing it for ****z n giggles.

After you decide to get serious about it and trade your car in for a pick up is the time to start thinking about what would be best in the long run. A car is not a part of a long term plan.

If this sounds familiar it's because we had this same conversation a month ago on three other forums.

I do respect your hanging in there though. Keep swinging.

iPhone - Tapatalk

[NewGuy 14]

[ATTACH]19483[/ATTACH]

Guy on craigslist wants 700 for it

13 hp honda engine...belt driven...comes with wand and 50' hose

[NewGuy 14]

Timo

Yea it does sound familiar i just cant go on those because i got banned..

I havent made the commitment to trade my car in because i havent been doing this long enough to know if im in for long haul..i hve to see if its gonna be at least kind of consistant...i heard the actual season around here starts in feb..having a truck would REALLY help as i also do random handyman stuff as well as landscaping..anything really that pays..._draw back for the truck is gas mileage and its hard to fit a baby seat in a truck...

[Timo 25]

[ATTACH]19483[/ATTACH]

Guy on craigslist wants 700 for it

13 hp honda engine...belt driven...comes with wand and 50' hose

I would probably ask $700 for it if I had it.

But I've never paid more than $450.00 for that or nicer.

The neat part about that machine is that you could do some simple service yourself if needed in the future.

At $500.00/whatever, I'd rather have that than any thing you could buy at the store for the same money.

[CNY Hood Cleaning 27]

Timo

Yea it does sound familiar i just cant go on those because i got banned..

I havent made the commitment to trade my car in because i havent been doing this long enough to know if im in for long haul..i hve to see if its gonna be at least kind of consistant...i heard the actual season around here starts in feb..having a truck would REALLY help as i also do random handyman stuff as well as landscaping..anything really that pays..._draw back for the truck is gas mileage and its hard to fit a baby seat in a truck...

You can have a baby seat in the truck only if you turn the airbag off. But Yeah a truck looks soo much better and more professional.

[NewGuy 14]

Probably the only belt driven machine ive seen on craigslist..im gonna try and ask for 500

[cameronqueen 14]

I agree on the 500,just hope you get some hours out of it before its done.... Make sure you see it running (obviously lol) but also a good idea to take a quick connect pressure gauge with you if you have/can get one...

Sent from my Galaxy S3 Android

[NewGuy 14]

That make me think its gonna crap out after a week

[mick m 19]

Sorry to here about your machine issues NewGuy, the positive side your are hopefuly on the way to more reliable power

+1 mick m, but could the unloader produce some of the same symptoms?

Hi Griff. I don't think its the unloader. If the bypass is plumbed into the pump, it's still going to get the same amount of water. If that makes any sense. If the pumps not pushing out water it has to be the pump at fault as the unloader is there to divert the flow either back to the pump or to a tank. And as he's working out of his car, theres no tank in the equation. My moneys still on the seals being shot. Or, cracked pistons. I await with interest on the outcome.