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My coolant flush machine broke down and I thought I was toast | Diesel Mechanics - Vivisector

My coolant flush machine broke down and I thought I was toast

Picked up a used coolant flush machine at auction last month for $200. Saved me tons of time on the first few jobs but the pump gave out halfway through a big fleet job last week. Had to finish flushing a dozen trucks by hand with a bucket and a hose. Cost me an extra 6 hours of labor. Has anyone else had luck fixing those pumps or should I just pony up for a new one?

3 comments

3 Comments

colescott3mo ago

My old pro ex machine did the same thing about three years back. I took the pump apart and found a broken impeller blade that was just rattling around inside the housing. I found a replacement impeller kit online for like 40 bucks and it worked good for another year before the whole motor seized up. Your mileage may vary but sometimes its just a seal or a clog in the lines that looks like a dead pump. I spent a whole weekend rebuilding mine twice before I gave up and bought a new one from a different brand. That said, hand flushing a dozen trucks sounds brutal I feel your pain on that one.

ivan_harris3mo ago

Wait, are you sure it was actually dead though? I've had that same "motor seized" feeling before and it turned out to be a piece of debris jamming the rotor, not an actual mechanical failure. A good whack with a rubber mallet and a thorough cleaning got mine running again.

lewis.brian3mo ago

Buddy of mine ran into this exact thing with a pressure washer he borrowed from his neighbor. He was ready to toss it, said the motor was completely locked up. Turned out there was a tiny pebble wedged in the pump intake that had worked its way past the filter screen. He popped the housing off, fished the rock out with a pair of needle nose pliers, and the thing fired right up like nothing happened. Ran it for another two seasons before the seals finally gave out for real. Always worth a look before you write something off completely.