Has This Ever Happened to Your Pump?

I had something terrible happen to my 1-year old TS-2021B this week. In the middle of a job using my surface cleaner, the pressure suddenly went dead and the pump starting convulsing badly. What happened is that the bolt that holds one of the ceramic plungers in place stripped out the internal threads of the connecting rod. It didn't break the ceramic part but it would be impossible for the existing bolt (or even a new one) to go into the connecting rod to hold everything in place. There is nothing for the bolt threads to grab on to. Not knowing what else to do, I took to my mechanic in Jacksonville and he said it is not fixable (or said it would be better to buy a new pump instead to trying to fix this one). I bought this pump on 12/22/10 and installed it in January 2011.

My mechanic has never seen this happen before. Has this ever happened to any one of you? Is my mechanic right to just replace or should I try to fix this one and replace/repair the connecting rod? Thanks!

HighTide said:

I had something terrible happen to my 1-year old TS-2021B this week. In the middle of a job using my surface cleaner, the pressure suddenly went dead and the pump starting convulsing badly. What happened is that the bolt that holds one of the ceramic plungers in place stripped out the internal threads of the connecting rod. It didn't break the ceramic part but it would be impossible for the existing bolt (or even a new one) to go into the connecting rod to hold everything in place. There is nothing for the bolt threads to grab on to. Not knowing what else to do, I took to my mechanic in Jacksonville and he said it is not fixable (or said it would be better to buy a new pump instead to trying to fix this one). I bought this pump on 12/22/10 and installed it in January 2011.

My mechanic has never seen this happen before. Has this ever happened to any one of you? Is my mechanic right to just replace or should I try to fix this one and replace/repair the connecting rod? Thanks!

Click to expand...

Maybe helicoil it

That connection is a very critical part.. it can't be "fixed".
And, it's lucky the ceramic didn't explode, blasting the head-bolts out of the crank-case.
..THAT would "destroy" the pump.

If it needs a new connecting rod, replace it.. NOT the whole pump.
..and fire your mechanic for suggesting such a thing,
unless he offered you a "specially-priced" replacement to eliminate the downtime.

If you got it from me, I'd go after the mfr. to warrantee "that which should not have failed,"
..even if your filter was plugged solid, cavitaing the pump totally.
I would say, there's a great chance the piston-bolt was over-tightened at the factory.
..and the proof is the fact that the ceramic didn't blast.

See if someone closer to you has a good "back-end" they can sell you.
Then you'll have a new-spare, when General sends you the fixed one.

It's just the piston rod that is damaged. A fairly easy yet slightly time consuming fix. I've probably got a good used one here, and can talk you through the replacement process.

HighTide said:

I had something terrible happen to my 1-year old TS-2021B this week. In the middle of a job using my surface cleaner, the pressure suddenly went dead and the pump starting convulsing badly. What happened is that the bolt that holds one of the ceramic plungers in place stripped out the internal threads of the connecting rod. It didn't break the ceramic part but it would be impossible for the existing bolt (or even a new one) to go into the connecting rod to hold everything in place. There is nothing for the bolt threads to grab on to. Not knowing what else to do, I took to my mechanic in Jacksonville and he said it is not fixable (or said it would be better to buy a new pump instead to trying to fix this one). I bought this pump on 12/22/10 and installed it in January 2011.

My mechanic has never seen this happen before. Has this ever happened to any one of you? Is my mechanic right to just replace or should I try to fix this one and replace/repair the connecting rod? Thanks!

Click to expand...

Pics?

Russ Johnson said:

It's just the piston rod that is damaged. A fairly easy yet slightly time consuming fix. I've probably got a good used one here, and can talk you through the replacement process.

Click to expand...

I think Jerry might be right about it being over tightened. The other option is your seal swelled around the ceramic holding it too firmly, and that typically just ruins the packing.
I disagree w/ Jerry about the easy fix. Remember, he's a freakin' genius with this stuff. First time I did it I took me hours. That said, have Russ or Jerry on the phone before you start.
Now's a good time to buy a pump and fix this as a backup.
It is possible a warranty will be honored, but it may be nice to "learn how"!

The packings around this particular ceramic, as well as the other two, still look fine. I hope to find out about the warranty issue by the first of the week. I have an old TS-2021 sitting in my garage that I was having pressure problems with in the fall of 2010, which lead to me buying this one to replace it. I kind of took a lot of it apart to see how it was put together and may try to put it all back together. The seals and valves in the newer one could go into the older one and I can put the ceramics back on. If I am correct, the ceramics are tightened with a torque wrench to 15 lbs with a nice dose of Loc-Tite. I don't have a torque wrench and will go to my auto shop to borrow one. I will check with General to confirm the tightening specs.

Russ & Jerry, thank you for the offer and I will give one of you a call one afternoon before I try to take the connecting rod out. I would like to see if I can do this as it would be a great learning opportunity over the slower winter. If I get this connecting rod out and feel comfortable about it, I may put one from the older pump into the newer one. As far as my local mechanic, there are two shops an hour away up in Jacksonville and I am not confident in either one. But, I am not mechanically minded so I don't have much choice so I have to use them--but I am trying to learn!! Which is why I am on these boards a lot to read and learn--Thank You Russ, Jerry and several others for sharing your knowledge on so many threads!!