T60 pump issues

[Fixemall]

Guys, new here but not new to turning wrenches, I have a buddy who purchased a T-60 that was not winterized and has a cracked pump, personally I would have advised against the purchase but it is my problem now and I need to remove the pump to be sent out. I got the hoses and outer assembly off but am scratching my head on how to remove the impeller, both set screws are off but it seems very tight....am I missing something? All the bolts are out too. Any help is appreciated!

[hydroservice]

What brand T-60? Doesn't sound like a Finn.

[Fixemall]

Definitely a Finn, has Kohler engine and lovely tan pump with a nice crack in it. Trying to remove impeller to get case apart, no place to get gear puller on it and really don't want to beat it up. Right now I sprayed everything with PB and will monkey with it in AM after I call Finn for tech reference.

[hydroservice]

You have to unscrew the shaft from the impeller. To do this you have to hold the impeller from turning and the with a pipe wrench on the shaft unscrew it. There is an impeller tool. It is basically an L shaped piece of 3/8 steel with a hole in one end to bolt to the pump case and the other end is just long enough to fit between 2 blades on the impeller almost touching the base. This simple tool keeps the impeller from turning so you can break the shaft free with a pipe wrench. After you break the shaft free you should be able to unscrew the impeller by hand. If you have to keep using the pipe wrench be sure to back off the tool as you go so it doesn't stop the impeller from coming out. I can honestly say you are better off getting a new pump case then fixing that one if it is split.

[Fixemall]

It unscrewed easily after soaking in PB overnight, case is off to welders despite my suggestion on getting a new one. I plan on ordering all new seals tomorrow. I did peek at the hour meter and it only reads 238, I'm thinking it will be a nice unit when completed.

[hydroservice]

Its really to bad it froze with that few hours on it. Not to say it can't work but years ago we tried getting pump cases repaired only to bite us in the ass when we didn't need it. We never froze a pump but because of the amount of lime we were pumping threw the pump cases would blow out after about 2 years. I can say a T-330 pump case is a lot more than a T-60 so repair looked good but because they are cast repair never worked out for very long. Good luck with that. Be sure to clean out the auto lubricator and piping for it before installing the pump case. Also be sure the pump shaft is perfectly smooth or your new seal won't last long.

[Fixemall]

Thanks for the replies, got the pump back yesterday and the welds are perfect! Never met the guy who did it but I'm told he is a retired steel worker and I only owe him a load of mulch for the repair! Bought new seals and a pound of the million dollar grease from Finn, figured I only want to do this once. Anyone know the torque specs on the pump housing?

[hydroservice]

15 foot lbs. 30-45000 on the impeller clearence.

[Fixemall]

Thanks Hydroservice, I want to get it right so it does not come back with more "issues"

[hydroservice]

As long as the pump shaft was perfect and your welds hold, they should, you will be fine. If all seals are tight on the shaft 1 tub of the million dollar grease should last at least 1 if not 2 seasons. Thats make it about $0.22 per ounce for a season. Its not really so much for what it does.

[Fixemall]

Well, I got it all back together and running. Tested it out by seeding a few areas I prepped in my lawn...no leaks and it runs great after I went thru the carb and changed all the fluids and filters.
I'm not sure how it will work out for my buddy though, local rate for hydroseeding is 8 cents a square foot and I don't know how he will be able to make a profit...guess it is not my problem.

[hydroservice]

Buying materials right and in general keeping all costs as low as possible would allow him to still make a profit. We did at .05 per sq ft. Which was the going rate around here. In our case because small lawn jobs were such a small part of what we did we bought materials by the trailer load so the cost of the materials for the lawn jobs was about as low as they could be. A lot of our customers are just like you and your friend and they do ok at .06 - .08 per ft. Several customers will get a call for seeding, call us for the price of materials they will need then price the job accordingly.

[Fixemall]

Well my buddy has his first job with the Finn tomorrow, he is seeding a new build and setting up the landscaping...hope all goes well as I won't be there to hold his hand and I only showed his son how to run the machine, I'm starting a large freebie grading job to keep my buddies garden center going, he needs about 2,000 ft of land cleared and leveled for a fence due to neighbor complaints from a development that sprung up behind his 30+ year business.

[Fixemall]

Well the T-60 is coming back to the shop, it seems to pump for 30 seconds then loose pressure, if they wait a few seconds and turn the pump back on it repeats the process...anyone have any ideas what to check first?..

[hydroservice]

It sounds as though it is cavitating. After the load is mixed slow the auger down so that it is slowly moving things around. If your recirculation nozzle is worn out it will allow to much material to recirc back into the tank which can also cause cavitating. Try closing the valve a little or if not working alone shut it off once you start spraying just be sure to open it before shutting off the hose. To much tack can make cavitating happen more easily. The most common cause is the auger is going way to fast which is not needed after the load is mixed. An obstruction somewhere could also cause the problem. Run some water only through it and be sure the recirculation is working good and the hose sprays with good pressure and distance. If it has a tower check that as well. If all is good then cavitation is probably the issue.