Pressure washer pump: the $30 fix for "runs but no pressure"
Difficultyeasy
Time30 minutes
Cost$0 to $30
Engine runs fine, water dribbles out. Check in order: inlet screen clogged (pull the garden-hose fitting, there is a filter), nozzle clogged (poke with the pick that came with it), unloader valve stuck (behind the big knob or cap on the pump; pull it, clean, grease the o-rings), check valves gummed (six little valves under brass caps on the pump head, pull each, clean the seats). Air in the pump from running it without water for 30 seconds can also cause it; purge by running water through with the engine off and the trigger squeezed.
If the pump oil is milky, the seals are gone and a whole new axial pump is $80 to $120, bolts on in 20 minutes.
#pressure-washer#pump#unloader#check-valve#small-engine
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💬 9 comments
9 comments
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The "what went wrong" section is the most useful part of this. More people should do that.
Tried this over the weekend and it worked first time. Thanks for writing it up properly.
Upvoted for the safety notes alone.
Small addition: wear eye protection for the part where you pry it. Learned that one the hard way.
The embedded video is clearer than the official service manual, which is a little embarrassing for the manufacturer.
Should be the same procedure, the part moved slightly but the steps match.
The embedded video is clearer than the official service manual, which is a little embarrassing for the manufacturer.
Solid. Sending this to my brother who keeps asking me to fix his.
Yep, same here. The second time is always faster.