Cat Pumps

[Aaron Richards]

The manual calls for seals to be replaced every 1500 to 2000 hrs. Is this really necessary and how difficult of a job is it?

 

[Mike Draper]

no, I have a friend who owns a car wash. Has 8 cat pumps. He doesn't even change the oil in them. Some are 17 years old and still going strong. If you start to lose pressure and you are sure its the pump, then IMO it time to possibly change the seals. As far as changing oil, there is no combustion so the oil doesn't really wear out or lose viscosity. If its not broken, dont fix it.

 

[Art Kelley]

If its not broken, dont fix it.

Indeed. You might want to inspect the pump cups after 5 to 10 thousand hours and change the oil every 1 to 2 thousand hours. Other than that there is nothing to do with a cat pump.

 

[idreadnought]

Yeah I love those pumps. The plunger pumps are the better ones(cat 290) The piston ones are more of a pia (3cp) On my cat 290 I had thousands of hours of abuse and never did anything to it. Change the oil if you want but other than that if its working just let it work. If you have a 290 then buy the hot cups and have them on hand just in case.

 

[Jim Martin]

if all your doing is replacing the seals then just pay close attention to how they come off...lay them out on a clean cloth exactly how they came out....one side of the seals are beveled....it has to go back in the same direction........look at them real close...pretty easy job.....

 

[KevinD]

The manual calls for seals to be replaced every 1500 to 2000 hrs. Is this really necessary and how difficult of a job is it?

Unless you are getting a abnormal pressure drop or volume drop when you key the wand leave the seals alone.
I have run a lot of cat pumps and usually get at least 5000 hours on a new one or a seal replacement providing the cylinders are good when you put a seal kit in them.

 

[Erik]

When runing hot water through the pump, the seals wear much faster. On a Vortex 3000 hrs. The presser was fine because the seals were bad, the chem. injecter would not function properly.

 

[idreadnought]

A chemical injector is run off of only one piston. In this case you could have good pressure but still have problems with chemical injection

 

[GeneMiller]

i haven't done anything to mine except lower the water temp entering it a little,it hits the pump at 180 now. 7800 hrs. fluid change every 500hrs.

gene