What's new
Car Wash Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Cat to Arimitsu conversion

GoBuckeyes

Self-Serve and Automatics
Used my spare Cat 5CP2140W to replace another failed Cat 310 the other day. While I was ordering another spare at $540 a pop, I noticed that the Arimitsu pump is nearly $100 less expensive. People have been saying good things about these pumps for the last several years so I thought I might try one.

Of course out of that $100 savings I will have to buy a few needed things like the pump rails for $27 and oil for $14. My biggest question is regarding the pulley and bushing sizes. We have multiple washes and the pump/motor pulley combinations are not standardized. If a particular set up is working fine for a Cat, is it as simple as using the same H-bushing and pump pulley on the Arimitsu? Are the shaft diameters and RPM/GPM requirements the same?

I also wish they had a double shaft like the Cat pumps. We have washes that have left and right hand set ups which makes stocking a spare more difficult.

Are there any tips you guys want to pass on when switching from a Cat to Arimitsu 313?

Thanks
 
I have also been considering this. Before I give Arimitsu a try I'm going to let Vilco rebuild one of my CAT 310 heads.
 
GoBuckeyes:
I believe you can buy a complete retrofit kit that includes everything you mentioned. The Left and Right shaft thing versus dual shaft is a consideration, but you only have to remember it once!

If you are like me, the quiet operation of the Arimitsu is hard to quantify, but is valuable if you spend any time at your wash this time of year.

I recently bought a new truck when the transmission failed on my old one. At the end of the day, I could not rationalize spending that much money to make an old truck work again. No doubt more stuff would have gone wrong in no time and I would still have an old truck with expensive, new parts. I do not see much wisdom in redoing washout heads. I know others disagree, just my 2 cents.
 
It would be fairly simple to swap the shaft on the Arimitsu when needed. I've done it many times with General pumps.
 
I’d go with the 516 Arimitsu. It’s a beefier pump. It has the same RPM and GPM rating as the Cat 310 and a 5CP. You don’t normally have to replace the pulley, just replace the “H” bushing. The shaft diameter is 22mm on the 516 with a 1/2" inlet and a 3/8” outlet. The shaft on the 313 is 18mm. Like most manufactures, Arimitsu had to raise there prices on January first.
 
Just tell them that you want to retro-fit to Arimitsu and they will send you what you need, namely the pulley, bushing, and rails. I too, wish they had a dual shaft version because I have both lefts and rights. I know most people have one or the other so it isn't as big of a deal for them. I have removed a crankshaft and flipped it around. With my background in small engines it was a piece of cake, but I realize it's not going to be for everybody. The shaft is a different size than Cat's so you will have to change pulleys. I'm sure many people envision multiple trips to the parts store exchanging belts when you mention changing pulleys. I don't know why they won't make the shaft the same size, especially since a large part of their sales are probably retro-fits. The easier and cheaper they make the transition should translate into more sales, but they don't seem to want to copy the size of the Cat shaft.

Everyone has an opinion on oil. I just use 30W non detergent, never a problem.
 
I.B. Washincars said:
Everyone has an opinion on oil. I just use 30W non detergent, never a problem.
I wouldn't use ND30 in a pump if it was still under warranty, but otherwise it works well.
 
Just tell them that you want to retro-fit to Arimitsu and they will send you what you need, namely the pulley, bushing, and rails. I too, wish they had a dual shaft version because I have both lefts and rights. .

The reason there is a shaft on only 1 side is for compactness and no need for a shaft cover. Since Arimitsu is the #1 pump in Japan, Maruyama (The real designer and manufacturer of CAT pumps) has to adapt to Arimitsu to sell pumps over there. It is unfortunately a different story over here.

The good news is that once you use Arimitsu you never want to go back. :D

Randy is correct that the 516 is a beefier pump and a more direct replacement for the 310. However, the 313 is all you need if you are running at 1200 psi or less.

Try one and experience the difference, then you can decide. Do not let your Distributor sell you something else because it is 'what they have in stock'.
 
Arimitsu Pumps

We switched over to the Arimitsu 313 pumps years ago and will never go back to Cats. We even had an Arimitsu fitted to our new D & S Odyssey. The quietness of the pumps will amaze you but the reliability is what you will remember in the long run. Greg is almost always available to answer any questions you might have.
 
Replacement pump for the cat 530 would be Arimitsu 516.

Greg will tell you everything you need to know to replace the cat with an arimitsu.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My biggest question is regarding the pulley and bushing sizes. We have multiple washes and the pump/motor pulley combinations are not standardized. If a particular set up is working fine for a Cat, is it as simple as using the same H-bushing and pump pulley on the Arimitsu? Are the shaft diameters and RPM/GPM requirements the same?
GoBuckeyes,
The 516 and 310 are same RPM/GPM so no pulley change here.
The 313 is 100RPM difference, however with most folks I have assisted, the same pulleys can be used pending the nozzle size they have.
With either model, the H-bushing change is necessary.
313=18mm, 516=22mm, 310=20mm

Thank you,
Greg Thoennes
Sales & Tech. Support
Arimitsu Pumps
 
Back
Top