pressure washer pump cracked

[bison]

I have a hawk 3 piston 3000 psi pressure washer pump. it has a crack in the brass pump head on the pressure side.( must've gotten froze over the winter).
I wonder if it can be welded?
and if so,..with what?

thanks

 

[PMILLS]

Grind off any protruding metal flush with an angle grinder. Its gotta be smooth and flush with the surrounding metal.

Fire-up a "brazing torch". Give it the gas and adjust till you have a nice, hot blue flame.

Using a brass brazing rod, simply build-up the bad area and call it a day. Go ahead and allow the material from the rod to sort of "flow" or "pool-up" in the area to be repaired.

I would return to the workpiece in a day or two and finish off the repair - cosmetically, that is. There are all sorts of little ways to make it look nice. Finish off with a "blending" wheel and it will look good.

CAUTION! 3,000 PSI is serious pressure. No way I would do what you are thinking, and I was a gunsmith and metalworker for many, many years.

Have you raised hell with the manufacturer? Most will give you a year or more warranty on the pump.

Anyway, please be careful. Use common sense. I know its a nice piece of gear, but its not worth anyone getting hurt if she decides to bust a gut.

 

[Dick2]

Replace the pump; it's not worth the risk to weld it. A blast of that much pressure could blind you; you don't want to risk that do you?

 

[Bret4207]

You might be able to braze it but I doubt the pump will work right afterwords.

 

[Pops1532]

The key is the crack is on the pressure side. Replace the pump.

 

[Billy Shafer]

Get a new pump. I had an unloader valve on a pump
blow off on me.Dam near took my hand off. Found out
it had been welded.

 

[IH2444]

(quoted from post at 07:09:08 05/12/14) You might be able to braze it but I doubt the pump will work right afterwords.

This.

 

[showcrop]

You can't get at the inside to weld where you need to in order for it to work.

 

[bison]

Thanks for the replies guy's.
I rather try to fix it before buying an other pump.A replacement pump like this is $700 new
If the pump was gonna blow apart it would've done so already(i used it yesterday for 2 hrs cleaning a truck and stock trailer.
The crack is small and in a smooth part on the underside of the pump in a valve housing cavity.
if the crack does not extend into a valve seat(have to take it apart yet) then I will try brazing it as Pmills suggested.
This pump is at least 10 years old,i doubt i would have gotten warranty on a my fault frost cracked pump even if it had been new .:wink:

.I been repairing and welding for 40 odd years but i never needed to weld brass yet

 

[J.Wondergem]

(quoted from post at 10:48:05 05/12/14) Thanks for the replies guy's.
I rather try to fix it before buying an other pump.A replacement pump like this is $700 new
If the pump was gonna blow apart it would've done so already(i used it yesterday for 2 hrs cleaning a truck and stock trailer.
The crack is small and in a smooth part on the underside of the pump in a valve housing cavity.
if the crack does not extend into a valve seat(have to take it apart yet) then I will try brazing it as Pmills suggested.
This pump is at least 10 years old,i doubt i would have gotten warranty on a my fault frost cracked pump even if it had been new .:wink:

.I been repairing and welding for 40 odd years but i never needed to weld brass yet

V out the crack before you start brazing it, and get the brazing rod down in there.

 

[bison]

I brazed it ,I laid a good bead on it(v'ed it out before) after it was cooled down i seen a crack inside the body extending trough the vale seat and up.
I put the pump back together anyway and tried it,..water coming out of 2 other location now.
I guess it is toast