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pump oil help

washnut

New member
Just need some quick tips on a oil that will work in both cat and hypro pumps.
Is there one?
like to by it locally if available, shipping on oil is crazy expensive in ca.

Thanks to all
 
I have used 30W Non-Detergent in pretty much everything I've owned (Cat, Arimitsu, General, and even Gail...remember those?). It works fine and available most anywhere.
 
I mix 3 parts ND 30 and 1 part transmission fluid and use it in all pumps. The transmission fluid will help protect the pump if water gets in the crankcase and will clean it out very effectively if water has gotten in it.
 
Pump oil help

30wt non-detergent is common and ok to use. Stay away from detergent oils as the splasing in the crankcase can induce foaming.

We use a multi-blend non-detergent premium, SHELL TELLUS S2V100 MULTI-WT ISO 100 - SAE 20W40.
Local oil suppliers can furnish this or an equivalent.

Over the years I have experienced various recipies, Just keep in mind; Any oil is better than NO OIL.......

Greg Thoennes
Tech. Support
Arimitsu Pumps
 
I mix 3 parts ND 30 and 1 part transmission fluid and use it in all pumps. The transmission fluid will help protect the pump if water gets in the crankcase and will clean it out very effectively if water has gotten in it.

Mep, your post regarding the transmission fluid has intrigued me. How does it help with the water, as that seems to be our biggest problem with our cat pumps? Its become such a problem that I replaced two pumps with Arimitsus just to see how they hold up.
 
I mix 3 parts ND 30 and 1 part transmission fluid and use it in all pumps. The transmission fluid will help protect the pump if water gets in the crankcase and will clean it out very effectively if water has gotten in it.

Could you be a little more specific on which Automatic Transmission oil you’re talking about, CVT, Dexron, AFT+3 or AFT+4, Type A or Type F. Which one?
 
I'm with Randy on this one. The pumps we use do not come anywhere near the operating temperatures that cause oil to break down and lose its lubricating qualities. It's not like an internal combustion engine that produces high heat and combustion byproducts that contaminate the oil. Unless you have some kind of condensation issues, the oil will last for years.
 
I'm in Randy's camp on this one.

I'll bet it's been at least 10 years since I changed any pump oil. Heads wash out and I replace the pump before I have any gear box problems.

I've only had one gearbox problem that I can remember - the threads on the plastic sight glass had worn down and the sight glass fell out of the pump and all the oil drained out. That pump threw a rod right through the case of the pump.
 
I've been using Cat Pumps since the Cat 400 (don't know the year), they went to the 410, then 420 then the 430. The 430 was is the same body as the 400, but just kept changing the front sleeves and pistons. When the 310's came out we shifted to the to that model. We never change oil til we have a problem that requires the removal of the pump from the platform. Usually it's because the oil seals have gone bad and the crankshaft of course starts filling up and changing the color to white.

When it's time for an oil seal change we strip the pump all the way down pulling the crank shaft. We then turn the sleeve over when we reinstall so it will wear evenly, put it back together and put it on the shelf. We have about 7 pumps sitting on the shelf waiting to be used and will probably outlast me!

I run my pumps @ 900 psi and have for as long as I can remember and use 4.25 pulleys which will give us (if my memory serves me correctly) about 4.0 gpm on the pump. They not working too hard at that pressure and that's why I believe I get the life out of the pumps that we get. Tip sizes are 4008 and change to 4007 during drought situations.
 
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Forgot to add I use Cat Oil because I have a couple of cases on the shelf. If I ever run out I'll follow Greg's lead because he knows!
 
GoBuckeyes said:
Mep, your post regarding the transmission fluid has intrigued me. How does it help with the water, as that seems to be our biggest problem with our cat pumps? Its become such a problem that I replaced two pumps with Arimitsus just to see how they hold up.
It's a trick I learned from an old mechanic, and I ended up using with my truck when it blew the intake gasket. When I would service a General pump that had water in the crankcase, I would drain it and refill it with the oil/trans fluid mixture and put a tag on it for the customer to change the oil again after a week of running. Sometimes I'd visit their wash to work on something else and see the pump in service with the tag still on it and the reddish oil still in it.

I think the way it works is like this: when the non-detergent oil gets wet and stirred up, it starts to coat everything with a pasty emulsion and the pump doesn't get lubricated. The transmission fluid absorbs the oil and stays liquid.
 
Kevin James said:
Could you be a little more specific on which Automatic Transmission oil you’re talking about, CVT, Dexron, AFT+3 or AFT+4, Type A or Type F. Which one?
I assume you're being a smartass, but if not I just grab whatever is unbranded and cheapest.
 
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