UPDATE:1 year and still cranks within the first 2-3 pulls. Probably will buy another when this one finally does bite the dust ru-vid.comUgkx43QMbQqu67IZadu9ou8Sg1BdrunMRNqX . No issues at all. Very happy with it.UPDATE: After 6 months of use and over 70 uses I would still highly recommend this pressure washer. It does vibrate a decent amount but never had it “walk” like others have mentioned. No oil leaks, still seems to run like the day I bought it. Still cranks within 2-3 pulls every time. Very happy with my purchase!Have used it about a dozen times now. Plenty of power, cranks up on 1-2 pulls every time. My only complaint would be I wish it was a little taller to make it easier to walk with it (hits my ankles a lot) and that the two hose connections were a little further apart but it hasn’t caused me any issues. Seems to run a good 1-1/2-2 hrs on a full tank, overall a well built machine and definitely worth the money in my opinion.
It's nice to listen to a guy who really understands how these machines work. I've replaced a few pumps, and carburetors in my 34 years as a painter. Thanks for the detailed explanation, great job!!
Best video ever. I have a 4000 psi washer. I'm not getting any pressure. It's been parked up for a while, and i know for sure it's not the winter, cause i live in the caribbean 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago... Again thank you for your information and patience sir. Any other feedback would be most appreciated...
Best video ever, precise and clear explanations along the video. Easy to keep track of procedures, and process all the way through. Can’t wait for next one.
Thanks for the great video. I volunteer at the St John's tool Library in St John's Newfoundland. Your videos help us repair good but non-working donated equipment. We are non-profit organization operated entirely by volunteers. We can't afford to buy new equipment but we love to recycle. Thank you so much for your help.
You are most welcome. If you have a problem that any of the videos do not address a problem on a machine let me know. I work on many types of machines besides paint sprayers.
Found the prob - 3 of those valves were messed from little plastic fragments. I kept it in a storage place that freezes in the winter. Ordering a new set of valves. Thank you!
Just about to remove the pump, but it wouldn't come off. Then I watched the last part, and saw the part about the set screw! But B4 that, I saw how easy it was to remove the valves, I thought that would be a can of worms, but not so! Found tons or rust in the valve seats, rinsed everything out, and viola, it works! Thanks a bunch, Brian - Where would we be without RU-vid.
Thank you Very much 'Brian'' You have a way to 'capture our attention' in the way you explain everything so clearly and is understandable for most anybody who as interest in learning the (abc) of 'pressure washing' machinery... (Like some other 'commentator said' !! YOU (Should/Could) have been a VERY GOOD TEACHER !!! Thanks again, The common 'RU-vid' followers are very lucky to have someone like you to show and teach us 'Your knowledge'...👌👍👏
Great video! Very well explained! I am a DIY guy but new to pressure washers. This video makes me feel comfortable diagnosing and trying to fix a used unit I picked up. Thank you!
The most informative video I've watched to date on small engine related product , clear , concise and no nonsense, here in Southern Africa we battle to get quality service and repair and top notch knowledge, Very much appreciated.
Thank you, thank you thank you. This was very well explained and broken down so anyone can understand it. I appreciate what you did. Thank you very much.
I've worked on a lot of things Brian but had no experience at all with pressure washers. So thank you for the very informative video. Excellent camera work and audio quality along with the great explanation. A tough combination to find on RU-vid videos! Attaboy!
I viewed this video because I am considering purchasing a used pressure washer. Your in depth analysis gives me an idea of what to look for like milky oil and lower outgoing water pressure than what machine is designed. Thank you for your easy to understand explanations.
@@Brian_the_repair_guy what website can i buy new valves ? Mine loses pressure when my water gets hot . I have a detailing company want when the water is hot from the sun it will lose pressure also once’s the tank is half way full . I don’t have a issue if it’s full water tank .
Thank you, I try to make all my videos to the point. I personally hate watching a video with 10 mins of "why" a video is being made and what spirits guided you on your path.
Nice job on this video! I was always curious how my PW pump worked, now I know. This all started trying to figure out why my pump wasn't drawing soap/chemical solution. Thank you very much.
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Thanks for the video.I have two old pressure washers in the pole barn.Never new exactly what the problem was with them.Probably won't fix them but I am going to tear them apart to just see what the problem is.Thanks.
Thanks for the very prompt and informative video. Just sent my commercial unit in to our shop because of no pressure. Now I know what to look for and diagnose the situation. 👍
THANK YOU SIR!!! This has to be the BEST video I've found so far!!! You gave me a better understanding of what each part's function is along w/ what causes different failures! I've got a General Pump T1011 that lost pressure shortly after I effed up. Shut off motor & water to move washer, then fired it up & idled for a few minutes while I did a few things then wound it up to start washing. Gun was probably 50 ft away & when I pulled trigger got nothing...my dumb ass never turned water valve back on! Anywhooters, got it back on ASAP & it worked fine for a bit but after idling again to move a vehicle it decided it wasn't feeling it any more & said "EFF U DUDE I QUIT"! 😁 I'm not afraid to tear into it but been struggling to find accurate teardowns that match mine exactly...pump & unloader (K5) & until now I hadn't even gotten a thorough video explanation so I could diag it & fix it myself w/ minimal cost. I inherited it from my 90 yr old G'pa last year cuz he decided he was gettin tired & it's a good money maker as long as I'm not starting the season going too far in debt!!! So thanks again for sharing knowledge & explaining HOW components works & not just acting like I know everything you do. If I did I wouldn't be here! Thanks again! YOU TAUGHT ME TO FISH & DIDN'T JUST FEED ME FISH FOR SUPPER! 👍 And YES, I'm bored & can BS forever. Hope you enjoyed my novel...✌ P.S. Subbed & checked you're info & found something cool. You joined March 26th 2010 & that was a BIG day for me...because at 6:15 & 6:16 PM My twin 👶boys👶 joined the world!!! I'll take that as the vibe that led me your way & why I was moved enough to write a novel in response to your video! Leland & Landon by the way...and they're pricy cuz, TWO TIMES TWO TIMES, so fix washer-make the doughnuts-blow money on boys!!!
I am very glad you found this helpful. That is why I do these videos, to help. The General pump is top of the line. Congratulations on the twins, although late. Have a good one and good luck
he makes a lot of good points here but in any case of something not working the way it should, always think simple before you get into complicated repairs. I have the exact same Honda motor and pump (Comet Pump). Suddenly no water was making it to the wand where it quick connects to the pump..so , I undid the quick connect from the pump body and low and behold, a piece of rubber had broken away from one of the seals and was completely blocking the exit hole to the hose coupling . Once I cleared the obstructing, good as new
Excellent explanation of how the pump works, Now I m sure I know my problem of water in my pump oil. Thanks for a great tutorial and the breakdown to show the insides of the pump and how they work. Big Thumbs up. Any links to pump kits would be great.
You mentioned that the pressure washers that are sold at Home Depot or Loews it doesn’t pay to repair,but the thing is it’s actually the unloader valve itself that’s an easy fix.Many people are being sold an entire pump assembly when they only needed to clean and oil the unloader valve.This is when you pull the trigger and kicks off after just 3 seconds.This is a common issue many are having.Thank you for sharing your tips and advice.
This depends entirely on the type of pump. Many of the pumps used on the mass produced pumps used on the Lowes and Home Depot machines are not repairable. Access to certain parts are not available. There is no need to oil the unloader. In fact they are not oiled from the factory. The only lube is on the spring and that is a very light coating of grease. It never needs to be greased again. If by chance the grease is flushed away, you need a new unloader. Many of the unloader are built on to the pumps used on the machines from box stores, which means you buy a new pump.
@@Brian_the_repair_guy sorry, my question to you was not correct because it is not leaking in that spot. Without motor running and water hose on, it leaks at bottom between the black pump and brass pump that the unloader is attached to. I did take the unloader off as you suggested and the o rings were bad so I replaced them. Your advice was worth while if I can get the leak stopped. I'm assuming I will have to replace the seals as you show in the video to stop the leak. It sprays fine when using. Problem with using it, it might mess up the motor. I took it replacing the seals in the video was to correct a pressure problem. Thanks for your reply and help.
Pretty much gave up after hearing your opinion about pressure washers from Lowes…anyway, at my age I’m just going to rent one each time I need it. Thank you Sir!!
Old video, looks like a canpump, same one I have. My oil does look milky Lol, about to invest in a good brand pump soon but so far it's still putting in work for me
I just opened a small business with pressure washing. I watch a lot of videos every day in the evening about different things. Most videos are basically all the same. You broke that unloaded valve down to a science. Thanks for your help. I’ve been wondering if I should turn it to get -/+ pressure. But now I no. I also just ordered a pressure gauge, hose swivel , oil cut off & kill switch spark plugs and air filters. I’m gonna order a new pump cause I’ve had the same pump for 8 years. So was wondering if you will do a video on pump replacement. Thanks for taking time out to help people like me.
What a great video, you sure do have a way of explaining how pressure washers work, what kind of pump would you be replacing it with ? Maybe you can do a video installing the new pump and setting up the unloader, again thank you
Thanks Brain, it's nice to listen to English & a guy that knows what he's doing & explains all as he goes, damn good job buddy, Bet you're a$$ I'll be following you & probably asking u a few things, can I send you pictures of a pump I'm working on now?
Great video and very informative. I cannibalized parts from different units. I added a pump from a unit where the motor went bad and added the pump to a Honda motor from another unit where the pump went bad. Now when I let go of the trigger, the unit cuts off immediately. I took the unloader valve out and the piston moves freely. The set nut was spinning freely and not depressed against the larger nut that holds the spring in place. The unit hops and skips more than I recall also. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance for this instructional video.
Fantastic video. You translated giberish to basic English. By far the best video on a pump breakdown. I have a question... Honda gx390 with a CAT 66DX40G1. One of my techs called me and said the engine blew a rod or something because there's a hold in the engine and chunks of the engine flew out. No injuries thankfully. I know that low or no oil can usually cause this so I just purchased another gx390 and am currently swapping it out with the blown engine. I decided to clean the shaft, key, and after coming across your video decided to clean a little more. Something I noticed when cleaning the shaft and key slot....pieces of greasy grass were lodged in there so I was able to clear out what I could see. A couple months ago, this pwasher tipped over while a tech was washing a long walkway. He turned it back up right, white smoke everywhere, small grass fire extinguished. Engine would not restart. Took it to the warehouse, changed all the fluids and spark plug and got it up running again. Then the blown engine incident happened. Is it possible that grass got logged into the pump during the tip over? Is this possibly what blew the engine because the dip stick showed some oil on it when I checked it. I can't see well enough inside the hole that got blown open to see if any oil was in there. This is an older model CAT pump and I'm having trouble removing a few of the tork bolts that hold the head in place, they keep stripping so I found it best to Stop. I'm eager to go ahead and install the pump to the new engine BUT am hesitant to do so in case I didn't get all of the grass out. I've used an air compressor to blow air through all openings (water supply, shaft,unloader, etc. Your thoughts about me moving forward without certainty that all of the grass has been removed (assuming that may have lead to the blown engine). Thank you in advance. We have a 9 - 4 story condo project to start in 6 hours (7:30am CST) and believe it or not the 4gpm wheeled units work better than our 10gpm trailer and flatbed units since we are able to just load the 4000/4 into the 60' man lift basket. This is Phase 2 of the project so we've already been through all the "do it this way" methods. Lol. KtPowerWashing.com
I am having a hard ti.e trying to come up with a scenerio that would cause the engine to "blow" based on the pump that is working as it should. Nothing you have pointed out about the pump leads me in that direction. Tipping the machine over while running could definitely lead to this. Depending on length of time on its side, how much oil dumped in the cylinder while it was running and a couple other factors. When you remove the pump, you should be able to spin the shaft on the pump by hand with a bit of force. Do this a few times to see if you can get a fee full rotations with no restrictions. If you can, the pump is most likely not an issue. I feel the tip over is the culprit. As for the grass, if the grass is IN the pump, use a water filter at the inlet. If the grass is on the shaft, no real concerns.
Hey Brian excellent video, 22:12 , I am really interested to understand and learn - The best combination of Pressure v/s Volume and related nozzle/orifice sizes. kindly help out, let me know if you already have any detailed video on this . Thanks....
Very good video thanks! I purchase a power washer on an aution and has milky oil in the pump. The machine is 6hrs old I replaced the oil once used for an hour then the oil was milky gain. I think k need to rebuild the pump. 😐
Hi Brian, I really appreciate the precision in your video. I recently bought my first used pressure washer with a 4200PSI capacity. However, it is leaking from behind the head of the pump. I suspect it might be the O-rings, but I'm not entirely sure. Can you please guide me on how to fix it? Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you."
Nice video, good technical info, and not overly explained! I have a (discontinued) karcher g4000rh (4000psi 3.4gpm) itʻs leaking oil. what would you recommend as a good replacement pump for it?
Best explanation video ever. I have a similar chinese pump that has no make or model identifiers. Any thoughts on oil for these types of units. Is a decent brand 15-40w ok to use?
Great video , i have the same pump but the video didn't solve my problem, my pump is spraying water out of the channel under the centre piston does this sound like a blown seal?
If there is water leaking between the head and the crank, you need new packings and seals. Check the plungers to ensure no damage before getting your parts
Just ran into your channel, thanks for the video, I bought new 4gpm 4400 psi pressure washer that has a built in unloader valve, I just realize that I should get one that I could run a hose to my buffer tank to avoid damaging it when I’m not squeezing the trigger on the gun. What is my best option other than getting different pw to achieve that. Thanks again.
If your unloader is not a bolt on style, then I am not sure how to go about setting it up for the water to flow back to your tank from the unloader as it dumps. You could replace just the pump to the proper pump.
You are a godsend! Looking at replacing my pump and was intimidated, because I didn't have this info. Now I'm raring to go. One question...I hear generac has something like a bypass water dump when you don't hit the trigger for a while, that keeps the pump cool enough to survive....can you discuss that, and is it a good idea, and how do I put one on? A million thanks!
Generac does not make a pressure washer pump. They use pumps from a variety of manufacturers on their pressure washers. All washer pumps have a bypass. This is what prevents over pressurization. I think you are reffering to an external bypass. These are identified by the unloader having an 18" or so hose that comes out of the unloader and back down to the inlet side of the pump. You can find these on a variety of pumps and machines. I reccomend them. Although they are NOT a 100% protection from overheating from recirculation, they help a lot.
Hi Brian, I have a pressure washer with a Honda GX160 engine and CAT Pump (model 2SFX30GS). The engine usually starts in 1 pull and it seems to run fine. I get good pressure from the gun, but the engine only runs for around 30 seconds, then sputters and dies. After starting, I can operate the gun for less than 1 minute before the engine stalls. If I release the trigger before the 30 seconds, sometimes the engine would sputter and dies. Basically, the engine dies randomly when the pressure washer is operating, and also sometimes dies when the gun trigger is either pressed down or released. At first, I thought it was the engine. I disassembled the carburetor and cleaned the jets. I didn't see any worn parts inside. I also changed the gas tank fuel filter, swapped the gas tank cap with a known good one to rule out venting issues, and unplugged the engine-oil sensor to test. The problem persisted. I then swapped the entire carburetor with a working one from another GX160 engine, and still have the problem. At this point, I speculated it was unlikely the engine. I disassembled the unloader valve and didn't see much wear, and the plunger moved freely without problems. I lubed the seals on the unloader valve with a tiny bit of silicone paste, and the plunger with a small bit of light oil and reassembled, and experienced the same problem afterward. The times the engine didn't die when I release the gun trigger, I see the unloader-valve spring being compressed. At this point, I'm completely stumped. The pressure washer was working fine last year before I winterized it. What do you think is causing this problem? Is there some malfunction in the CAT pump that can cause the engine to stall when the trigger is down and the gun spraying (i.e., no water bypass)?
The engine will stall for typically 3 reasons. 1, Lack of fuel. You stated you did carb work and replaced the gas cap. Probably not the issue. 2, Low oil. You bypassed the sensor. Probably not the issue. The third reason can be too much pressure. Adjust the unloader down for less pressure and give that a try.
@@Brian_the_repair_guy I turned the unloader adjuster all the way counter-clockwise until there's almost no spring tension and almost no pressure, and it still dies. The one thing that really confuses me is why the engine stalls when the gun is spraying. Seems like there should be minimal load on the engine when the gun is spraying, which would point to an engine problem. I don't know too much about pressure washer pumps, but do have quite a bit of experience with Honda GX engines. But I just can't think of anything I missed on the engine side. I know it's not a low-engine-oil, or fuel-cap-venting problem. I put in a new fuel filter and swapped in a know-working carb from another engine. Also, the carb I cleaned works perfectly on the other engine (on a leaf blower). The engine sounds smooth when the gun is spraying until it suddenly dies, like running out of gas. Do you think this is an engine problem or a pump problem? Thanks for your help with this.
@@Brian_the_repair_guy I removed the pump. The engine started and ran smoothly. I let it run for around 3 minutes before shutting it down manually. I did notice one issue during the test: I can put the engine on idle from full throttle without problems. However, if I put the engine on idle, then back to full throttle right away, once in a while, the engine would stall. I thought maybe I have a clogged exhaust. But I got the same problem when running the engine with the exhaust removed. I speculate this isn't the cause of the engine shutting down when the pressure washer is spraying, but it may be. So I want to take care of this before going back to the pump, and also while the pump is off the engine. Any idea what's causing this? The governor is not sticking and seems to be operating as it should. I was going to check valve adjustment, but I'm really grasping at straws here. Regarding the pressure washer issue: do you think it's the unloader valve that's causing the engine to shut down while the pump's spraying? Is there a bypass passage inside the unloader body that could potentially be clogged?
@@ptmoy1 I am leaning towards the engine being the source of the problem. You were able to recreate the shutdown by idling up quickly. This can simulate increase fuel usage when spraying with the pump on. The only reason the pump should affect the engine is if the pump requires more than the engine can give. You stated the engine shutdown even on low pressure. So this eliminates the pump. There is an engine issue in my opinion.
Awesome video, very informative,....how can I diagnose an unloaded, so hopefully I have an easy quick least expensive fix to my no pressure situation?....same pump as your video, ive taken unloader apart to the point of removing adjustment knob and pulled stiff spring.....seems intact except for filthy rusty water, but no scale or rust on spring.....was going to just replace entire pump....should I?
Great video! Two questions. 1. I'm shopping for a 4 GPM 4000 PSI washer. Pump options are AR, Cat, GP, and HP. Which to you recommend for long life and rebuildability? 2. I've read that using pump saver after every use extends the life of the unit. What's your opinion on using light machine oil or something to that effect instead of the product in a can?
I prefer the General pump. Overall I see the longest life, less problems with General pumps. The parts and pump cost a bit more, but I feel it is far better. Long life will come with service, do not allow the pump to freeze, and do not allow the pump to run for more than a couple minutes without water flowing from the gun. When you let the machine run with out pulling the trigger for more than 2 minutes will allow the water to over heat. You do not want that. As far as the oils, use the manufacturers recommended oils.
