Engine Oil Drain

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Engine Oil Drain
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If you have a pressure washer business you will eventually need to change out or repair the pump. There are a few things you should know to make such change outs easy. You may also need to study up on preventative maintenance so that you do not have to worry about pump failure. Your pressure washer probably has one of two different pumps if it is industrial grade. Either a Cat Pump or a General pump; both are industry standards. General is the leader in the industry for sales and many prefer Cat as it sucks better from plastic water tanks.

Your pump is powered by two parallel belts connected to your engine. You should make sure not to starve your pump from water. When the water tank is empty turn off the engine. Starving a pump will burn it out in about thirty-five minutes. The manufacturer says five to ten minutes, but that's not life threatening. Your pump has a safety feature whereby when you are not spraying the water, it will automatically by pass into the tank provided there is enough water for the complete loop. Thank you. We also thought it was one of our great ideas. You should change the oil in the pump every month. Make sure your pressure washer rig is on level ground and fill the pump to the red dot on the center of the eyeglass. Over filling is a really bad idea.

On your pump you will notice six large bolts. Inside of the holes are check valves with springs. After 300-500 hours you should change them. You can do this yourself. The valve kits are $60.000. It's very easy:

Unscrew bolts

Remove old valve

Replace valve

Make sure to seat the valve evenly

Screw the bolt back in by hand

Make sure the O-ring on the bolt is snug

Tighten with wrench pretty tight

Inspecting The Pump

If you drain the oil and it's got bubbles in it or has turned white, then you have a blown seal and water is getting into the oil because: It overheated due to water starvation; The casing cracked because of vibration; You forgot to change the oil, dummy ($600 mistake and one lost day's work if you can get the parts that fast).

Check to see if the belts are tight. If not tighten them. Look for water drips. A slow drip on the exit side of the pump could cost you as much as 150 PSI at the nozzle. A fast drip (two to three drops per second) could be a 250-300 PSI loss at the nozzle. A steady drip stream might be a 500 plus PSI loss. When you see water leaking, fix the leak ASAP. Be sure to use ample Teflon tape when re-tightening fittings. This will stop future leaks, prevent rust and make fittings easy to separate in the future.

A hole in a hose or leak on the inlet side of the pump causes air to get in. The pump will act as if it's starving for water. It might even pulsate. When the water level in your tank reaches a point below the leak in the hose, air will replace the water and you'll get zero pressure. That makes it very hard to wash anything.

Low pressure in the pump can be caused by a number of things; these are by far the most common, but this is not a complete list, generally if you go thru this list the problem will be solved, check the easiest things first such as water supply:

Faulty pressure gauge (Replace)

Out of water (Fill up tank)

Old or worn out tip at gun nozzle (Replace)

Incorrect tip (Remove and replace)

Belt slippage (Tighten belt)

Hose leaks (Fix leaks)

Faulty unloader (Replace)

Mis-adjusted unloader (Re-adjust)

Worn packing in pump (Take it to dealer)

Inline filter clogged with dirt (Clean it)

Obstruction in spray nozzle tip (Remove it)

Chemical metering valve sucking air (Turn it off)

Slow engine rpm (Check engine)

If you have a pulsating issue at the gun or the machine is Fluctuating pressure, this is a completely different problem than low pressure. You should check for: Worn piston packing (Call dealer). Pump sucking air (Fix hole), Blockage in valve (Remove, check valves and take out blockage). If it is fluctuating and very noisy or if your pump is only noisy check for:

Air in suction line (Check water supply and connections)

Broken or weak inlet or discharge valve springs (Call dealer)

Excessive matter in valves (Check and clean if necessary)

Worn bearings (Check and replace. If necessary, call dealer)

Vibrations from mounting (Tighten it. If unable, call dealer)

If you find the presence of water in the pump oil, it could be caused by: Blown pump head seals, High humidity in air (Change oil more often) or Piston packing worn then call your dealer. If water or oil drips from the bottom of the pump this could be a number of things such as Piston packing worn, the O-ring plunger retainer is worn, Oil seal worn, Pump head seal shot or Crack in pump head. If any of these call the dealer and see if they have the parts in stock, you may be able to fix it yourself if you feel confident, if not you will need to leave your machines with the dealer for repairs.

Pump lubrication should be done every three months or 500 hours, which ever comes first. Use SAE 40 weight oil or equivalent for Cat pumps. Use 20/30 weight non-detergent oil for General pumps. It should be hydraulic oil with anti-wear and rust inhibitor additives. The oil level should be checked by looking in the window on the side of the pump. Only fill oil half way to the red dot.

As a pressure washing contractor you must understand how to maintain and repair your equipment, think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Why Motor Oil Deteriorates

It is common knowledge that, at some point, engine oil must be changed.  It's something that is preached relentlessly to vehicle owners by vehicle manufacturers, quick lubes and oil companies.  But consumers are widely unaware of what exactly makes oil changes necessary.

Many factors contribute to a motor oil's demise, but it is essentially the accumulation of contaminants in the oil and chemical changes in the oil itself that make a motor oil and chemical changes in the oil itself that make a motor oil unfit for further service.  With time, it is inevitable that the oil will be contaminated by dirt or sludge, or succumb to the extreme pressures of temperatures found inside an engine.  High quality man-made synthetics are formulated with the most advanced synthetic base stocks and additive packages to combat the forces that deteriorate conventional oils.

Extreme Heat

Today's engines are running hotter than ever.  More horsepower, turbo chargers and aerodynamic styling have created extremely hot environments that receive less cooling from outside air.  High heat leads to oil oxidation, deposits and thickening in conventional oils.  Because they are made from impure, irregular molecules, conventional motor oils are more susceptible to the effects of heat.  The small, light molecules in conventional oil tend to evaporate as the oil is heated, leaving large, heavy molecules behind and leading to oil consumption and an increase in the oil's viscosity.  If those large, heavy molecules are chemically unstable, they may also break-down and form deposits on component surfaces, further inhibiting the release of heat into the oil stream.

Even in relatively mild temperatures, oxygen works to break down some of the chemicals in conventional lubricants.  The extreme heat in engines actually promotes oxidation.  When conventional oil contaminants break down, they coat components with varnish, deposits and sludge and leave the lubricant thick, hard to pump and with very poor heat transfer ability.

Extreme Cold

Cold temperatures cause oil to thicken.  Conventional lubricants contain paraffin's which cause them to thicken in cold temperatures as the paraffin gels.  At start up, this can leave working parts unprotected for as long as five minutes while the oil warms to a temperature that allows it to flow.

Common Contaminants

Dust and dirt from the air enter the engine through faulty air cleaners, some oil fill caps and crankcase ventilation systems.  Normal engine wear produces small metal particles that are picked up and circulated by the oil.  The abrasive particles of road dust and dirt increase the rate wear and generate larger metal particles.  Those particles are equally abrasive and the rate of wear accelerates with a snowball effect.  While filtration removes most of these contaminants, some remain and are left to circulate with the oil.

Combustion Byproducts

Combustion produces several byproducts that also act as contaminants.  Water and acids lead to sludge, rust and corrosion.  Soot and carbon create sludge and varnish and can clog filters.  Unburned fuel in liquid form is deposited on cylinder walls where it leaks past the rings into the crankcase.  Sludge deposits collect on oil pump screens, limiting the flow of oil to vital engine parts and resulting in rapid and destructive wear.  When oil becomes contaminated, its viscosity changes.  With soot, dirt, oxidation or sludge, viscosity increases; with fuel dilution it decreases.

As you can see there is a lot going on in your engine, but with the right lubricants you will not only protect your engine better, but also experience longer and safer drain intervals.

In Part 2 we will discuss: Internal Forces, Additives and Extended Intervals

About the Author

Steve Tarini is an Independent Amsoil Distributor and has studied the affects of long drain intervals for nearly 14 years. If you would like to learn more about extended drain intervals and Solve Your Lubrication Problems then stop by see us. Or you can Contact Amsoil Now for a quick response.

where is the drain point for engine oil on a 2001 ford focus?

there is a small bolt (usually a 9/16, or 13mm) on the oil pan (bottom of engine). its a stand alone bolt on the bottom of the pan.

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