My North Amerian AR pump oil has never been changed (probaly 10-12 yrs old) and I want to do it. The website calls for AR64545. No other information is given. On the side of the pump it says use SAE90. I have seen a number of posts on various sites and you tube videos where people say it is SAE 30 ND. I am wondering if some of the oil nerds here can confirm what is the AR64545 oil? I am suspicious it is SAE30 ND, which has superceeded the SAE90. Can I easily get a SAE 90 ND??? I only see 80w-90 at the stores? I can get SAE30 ND down the street at the autoparts store and not have to wait a week + for 4 oz. of the AR oil to arrive , if that is what it is now. What can those who know tell me.?
Pressure washer pump oil
- Thread starter nbpt100
- Start date
@Pablo recommended this to me some time back, its whats going in my pressure washer pump. My triplex pump washer is new, so i think i will change it around 50hrs.
I don't know what HPL product would be good for pressure washer pumps. Perhaps @High Performance Lubricants may have something better?
I don't know what HPL product would be good for pressure washer pumps. Perhaps @High Performance Lubricants may have something better?
I looked at that. The Cat oil is SAE 20 or ISO 68.
I found this that indicates the AR64545 is 75W-90 ND
AR Blue Clean PW64545, Full Synthetic Pressure Washer Oil, 75W-90
Synthetic Crankcase case oil, for AR Pumps, used on RP,RG, RM, SRM, RX,SJ and XJ Pumps.
arblueclean.com
Sounds like it contains antiwear additives more like 75W90 gear oil or ISO100 anti-wear hydrallic fluid, Non-detergent "motor" oil generally contains no antiwear additives and at most contains some anti-oxidant or antifoam additives but if it says only "API SA" it would only contain the latter at most.
I think it is more like this marine gear lube which has anti foaming agents and provisions for high humidity.
it is generally much less costly per ounce than the AR mystery oil.
it is generally much less costly per ounce than the AR mystery oil.
Why ask for advice It seems you already have good answers from research. Are you just looking for confirmation?PS. my troy bilt pressure washer lasted 13 years with that cat oil.. everything else fell apart on it except the pump.
I think anything remotely correct is better than 5+ year old contaminated goo in that application
But of course if you change it now and the pump dies next year will you think it was just the pump's time to go?.. or that you used X oil after 10 years.
I am learning as I go. I am not trying to test anyone if that is what you are thinking? When I posted my 1st post I did not know 1/4 as much as I do now. Confirmation is always a good thing. Don't you think when you are learning something new? It would still be good to get a confirmation on what the AR oil is? A good researcher likes to get two indepedent confirmations. This is the internet and anyone can say anything with authority.
PS. my troy bilt pressure washer lasted 13 years with that cat oil.. everything else fell apart on it except the pump.
I think anything remotely correct is better than 5+ year old contaminated goo in that application
But of course if you change it now and the pump dies next year will you think it was just the pump's time to go?.. or that you used X oil after 10 years.
Troy Bilt(MTD likely) made your PW machine. They did not make the pump(correct me If I am wrong). Maybe Cat Pumps made it or someone else. I my research I have seen a wide range of oils used in pumps from SAE30 to 15w-40 to SAE 90. All pretty much different. The MFG of the pumps are pretty protective of what their oils is. At least Briggs and AR. They just say anything else will void any warranty and scare the customer in to paying $3/Ounce for their mystery oil.
Your experience is quite the opposite of most pressure washer owners. The pump almost always fails before anything else. Just look on Craig lists for all of the pressure washers for sale that say. Engine is good, pump is bad. Maybe you can fix it. yada yada.
I would recommend against using EP gear oils in pressure pumps. There are good and bad EP gear oils. Most unfortunately the drive for a "cheap" oil could land you with a less than optimized formulation that can ultimately do more harm than good. This is the reason that cooling tower gearbox manufacturers have distanced themselves from EP gear oils. The potential acid conversion in a wet environment can lead to corrosive wear that is worse than the mechanical wear you would otherwise encounter. Cooling tower gearbox manufacturers tend to recommend R&O oils even though R&O's are a compromise with respect to gear wear. We do a lot of triplex pump lubrication industrially and use a PAO based turbine oil that has AW additives as well as R&O additives. We use good corrosion inhibitors and this oil will pass D-665B rust testing which is done in saltwater. We also make a pretty robust food grade compressor oil that passes 12 stages on FZG and has a 4 ball wear of .40. It also has incredible Hydrolytic stability to further resist acid formation. Knowing how that performs it would probably be my first choice.
If I were to make a purpose built pressure pump oil I would probably create a PAO (provides great demulsibility) based oil that uses ZDDP for sliding wear with all the other necessary additives to perform like the above described products. ZDDP is pretty effective and by itself does not have an issue ruining demulsibility.
When using only a few ounces of oil, the incremental cost of using a better oil compared to the cost of the equipment becomes an easy decision to make.
David
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2021
- Messages
- 1,116
Qt of non detergent sae30
I opened up the pump and it was full of the white colored aluminum corrosion. the oil was pretty black. Decided to replace the entire pump. The new pumps come filled from the factory. I should have used the off season conditioner. I never worried because I store it in a basement that will never get into freezing temperatures. Never thought much about the corrosion issues.
If that AR pump is on a “home”-grade pressure washer(usually with a vertical shaft lawnmower engine), it’s a “sealed for life” pump as claimed. However there’s a silver label that calls for SAE 75W-90 oil and a black fill plug. I use whatever 75W-90 oil I have on hand for a spill and fill.
The AR North American manual on the new pump I bought said DO NOT CHANGE the oil. Use their special oil only to top off if low. I found that statement astonishing First of all what is wrong with changing it if you use their oil? Secondly, how do you know if it is low and if so how much do you add to not over fill.? There is no sight glass or dip stick. You would have to drain it completely. Then measure 2.2 OZ of the oil and add. Astonishing statement!
I use ND 30wt. “Compressor oil” and add some Lucas stabilizer. I have a Hawk pump from the late 90s, still working. Was used for my business for many years, not just home use. It outlasted the Briggs I/C motor.
