coolant pump

The coolant pump on my Mazak M4 has slowed down to the point I can pee that fast.

I found a replacement at McMaster Carr:

OUCH! Anybody know of a less expensive replacement for a coolant pump? FWIW, the M4 has a lot of line to go through to get to the two turrets.

Or, is it worth taking the pump apart to see if its just gunked up? I put a water hose on end of the line and backflushed it today - no problems found. The pump is developing very little pressure.

Karl

Not much can go wrong w/ centrifugals, as long as the motor itself is not bad. Mebbe amprobe the motor. But, if the impeller itself is gunked up, then that would f'sure reduce your pressure--basically just a wheel, then, spinning in coolant! If back-blowing the line don't help, start sleuthing: disconnect hoses, perhaps right at the pump outlet, see what happens w/ the flow. I got nice pumps (for Hurcos) at Traverse Tool for $180. Similar to what's on my fadal.

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message news:Ykdfe.10039$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...

Most coolant pumps are of the in-tank style: the motor is suspended above the coolant tank, while the pump housing, shaft, and impeller are submerged in the coolant. These are fairly simple pump designs with not much that can go wrong with them.

If the output volume on your pump has diminished, there are several likely reasons:

1. The pump inlet is obstructed with chips or gunk.
2. The pump outlet is obstructed with chips or gunk.
3. The coolant distribution plumbing is obstructed with chips or gunk.
4. The impeller is fouled with chips or gunk.
5. The shaft bearings/bushings are gummed, corroded, or shot.
6. The motor bearings/bushings are gummed, corroded, or shot.
7. The motor is failing.

I would certainly try to diagnose and correct the problem and/or rebuild the pump before replacing it. Most of the problems listed above are easy to fix; only reason #7 would probably warrant replacing the whole unit.

- Michael

"Karl Townsend" wrote in news:Ykdfe.10039$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net:

Karl, The impeller may be worn. This is usually the cause on our machines that have a centrifugal pump. Chips eat it up over time. You can purchase just the impeller and replace it.

I just put a pump on a mazak. Stole it off an old okuma LC 10 that I scrapped a while ago. They run all nine wires back into the control cabinet and do the 240/ 480 switching in the cabinet.

John

Probly just clogged someplace is all.

Clean any screens, valves, etc. and take the line loose from the pump and see if you get good flow at the pump outlet.

Go from there.

At one point we had the separate coolant systems on our grinders = replaced with a single system, placed outside the shop. From the grinders the = coolant would run into a single filtering tank inside the shop. When the level = rose over a certain point, a pump would start, and empty the tank back into = the outside system.

All in all a simple and foolproof system - except the return pump = couldn't keep up when all the grinders were running at the same time.

The Boss and the electrician was trying to decide whether to replace = the pump with a bigger one or add an extra, when the local shop Know-It-All (yours truly) showed up, and suggested they reversed the rotation of the pump.

For the next few minutes I basked in the faint red glow from their = faces. while the electrician switched the wires.=20 =20

=20

--=20

-JN-

Which might require looking at the impeller of a good pump, to be able to tell the diff.. Ahm wunnerin what worn impeller would look like! Could also be loose on the shaft, but would proly make a noise, as well.

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@rcn.net:

About 1/2 - 1/3 the dia of the original, with rounded edges and worn off blades. Many, many coolant pumps use _plastic_ impellers. But even steel impellers will wear over time if it pumps many chips and fines.

I like Brinkmann pumps, all cast iron, with a cast, screw impeller, generous opening, and will pump chips without a problem. We have filters that will take out the chips and fines before it reaches the actual machine passages.

Sounds like there is a case for cleaning coolant tanks before the sludge builds up to the 1/2 mark! Say it ain't so!

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@rcn.net:

Tanks are pulled and pumped monthly. They are taken outside and pressure washed every 90 days. The problems: a) We machine aluminum, for which this side of a disposable roll media filter placed before coolant can return to the machine there is _no_ way of keeping it out of the coolant tank itself. b) We run 24/7, and the pump runs 24/7. Valves determine where the coolant goes, the pump runs all the time. (Reason: at our cycle times, by the time a pump spins up to a speed fast enough to pump some coolant, the cycle is over with)

Anybody tried a dishwasher pump in a shop, seem to be reliable otherwise.

message

The oils would probably make short work of the plastic in those pumps.

If the pump went bad all of a sudden it's most likely that the impeller is good.( unless it spun off the shaft or you changed your coolant to sulfuric acid))

John

in message

To All:

On a scale of 1-4 with "1" the most corrosive and "4" least corrosive, rate the following ?

Synthetic fluids Water-soluble oils Semi-synthetic fluids Cascade

This is a false comparison. Automatic dishwasher detergent, like Cascade, contains Sodium Hypochlorite Sodium Silicate which is corrosive to aluminum and can even etch glass, but AFAIK, has little effect on most common plastics. On the other hand, there are plenty of solvents that do nothing to metals, yet will quickly dissolve many plastics.

Try this: mix up a concentrated solution of Cascade and water and soak a piece of PVC pipe in it. Now try soaking that same PVC in a bath of methylene chloride. Next, try the same experiment with a piece of aluminum.

- Michael

contains Sodium Hypochlorite Sodium Silicate which is

most common plastics. On the other hand, there are

of PVC pipe in it. Now try soaking that same PVC in

Oh come on say it you got something against our American made dishwasher pumps dontcha ?

Well, well, well ever visited a Midwestern farm ? You'll find some of the friendliest most inventive people anywhere not to mention they got all sorts of Mr. Wizard ways for a dishwasher pump so come on, come on when the cows stop flushing the barn starts pumping

Ok ok nuffs nuff, your'e giving me a headache I gotta find my straw hat and go feed the cows

John