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Thread: High Pressure Washer Hydraulic Pump Question

  1. #1
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    Default High Pressure Washer Hydraulic Pump Question

    Have a Northern Tool 3000 psi washer with a Honda engine and Comet pump.

    Last Summer I went to use it after it sat idle for a year or two and, while it started right up, there ended up being a water leak in to the hydraulic pump. No problem. I changed the water seals, cleaned out the hydraulic pump housing, changed the clear sight glass and o-ring, put new gaskets on it, refilled with new hydraulic fluid, rebuilt the carb and installed new gas lines and filters, etc. All went well, but I never got a chance to test it until today.

    It started right up and idled great. But when I started watching the sight glass, the hydraulic fluid has small bubbles in it and it's getting foamy. Inasmuch as the fluid would get milky and the sight glass would turn a cream color if water was getting in, I'm assuming there's an air leak.

    I checked all eight bolts on the water piston side and the four around the housing of the pump and all were tight as can be.

    Short of taking it all apart and putting some gasket goop around the water piston housing and the hydraulic pump cover, my question is...

    Will it will hurt the pump to use it with the air bubbles in the fluid if the fluid volume is at the 'max' level? I've got to get some of this cleaning done and would at least like to get a little work out of the way before I got tearing things down again.

    What say ye?

    Thanks.
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    "Keep your powder dry, Boys!"
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  2. #2
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    Is the oil normal looking after using it ?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timsmith View Post
    Is the oil normal looking after using it ?
    I only ran it for maybe 5 minutes to see what would happen. Here's what it looked like...

    image.jpeg

    After about ten minutes the fluid clears and the foam is settling out...

    image.jpg

    I pulled the dipstick and the level is the same (maximum level) and the fluid looks normal.

    I'm assuming a longer run wouldn't change things much as I would think there is a maximum amount of air the fluid could hold, but I don't know that for sure.

    One thought... I used an unopened bottle of Northern Tool Power Washer Pump Fluid, and assumed it was good, but the bottle was at least 10 and maybe as much as 16+ years old. I don't recall if my neighbor (who co-owns this washer) or I ever changed the fluid since we got it around 2000 or so. Could the detergent/anti-foam ingredient have gone bad?
    Last edited by WoodieSC; 02-11-2017 at 08:05 PM.
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    Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue
    .
    "Keep your powder dry, Boys!"
    ~ George Washington

    "If I understood everything I said I'd be a genius." ~ 'Unknown'

  4. #4
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    You'll be good , I think that's a piston pump. That oil looks good

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timsmith View Post
    You'll be good , I think that's a piston pump. That oil looks good
    I'm assuming that the foaming isn't normal. Is that right? I don't recall seeing it over the past 15+ years.

    I did find a small amount of fluid leakage directly under the pump cover joint along the bottom (right 1/3 of pump housing with the sight glass on the outside surface), but it took about 6 months for what might have been a teaspoon or less, so I didn't get too concerned over it.
    .
    Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue
    .
    "Keep your powder dry, Boys!"
    ~ George Washington

    "If I understood everything I said I'd be a genius." ~ 'Unknown'

  6. #6
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    Fwiw, it turns out these Comet pumps use a 'special' Comet pump fluid, which NT failed to tell us when we bought the darn thing. I'll pick some up and change the fluid and see if that stops the foaming. If it doesn't, at least I'll know I have an air leak to track down.
    .
    Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue
    .
    "Keep your powder dry, Boys!"
    ~ George Washington

    "If I understood everything I said I'd be a genius." ~ 'Unknown'

  7. #7
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    I'm curious if you ever solved this issue.
    Psalm 23

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scruggz View Post
    I'm curious if you ever solved this issue.
    The mechanic at NT said the same thing as Tim above, I.e., the fluid should be OK, although the Comet fluid might have less foaming to it. I picked up some Comet fluid, but still need to change it. All in all it seems like I'm OK, although I think I'll put a new O-ring on the pump drain plug to stop a very minor fluid 'weeping' I'm seeing.
    .
    Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue
    .
    "Keep your powder dry, Boys!"
    ~ George Washington

    "If I understood everything I said I'd be a genius." ~ 'Unknown'

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