Power washer service

[artie]

I bought a cheap Chinese power washer, 3600psi.

It's actually performing quite well.

I've attached a passage from the manual which recommends the first oil change after 20 hours running.

I'm in or about that now however I've never heard of flushing with kerosene before, is that a thing?

 

[duke]

I bought a cheap Chinese power washer, 3600psi.

It's actually performing quite well.

I've attached a passage from the manual which recommends the first oil change after 20 hours running.

I'm in or about that now however I've never heard of flushing with kerosene before, is that a thing?View attachment 179598

Also new too me.

 

[Inspector]

New to me too although I recall as a kid some people before the days of detergent oils would clean their engines. They would drain some of the oil and pour in solvent and run it for a few minutes to clean out the deposits, drain and fill with clean oil and after a an hour or two of running drain and fill with oil again.

They might be recommending the fuel flush as a way to clean out fine metal from the parts seating / breaking in. The 15W/40 would be a detergent oil so any fines will be in suspension and would go out with the drained oil, preferably hot before draining.

Pete

 

[Stuart Moffat]

As a kid, there was always paraffin to hand (same stuff really) and I was taught to use it for cleaning bike chains,gears and ball bearings etc. my dad used it to flush diesel engines. We have oil central heating and I have been known to scoop a litre or so out of the tank!

 

[Myfordman]

Back in the day if you posh there were flushing oils to use during an oil change not just paraffin/diesel.

 

[flying haggis]

Presumably to wash out all the bits of metal than have been ground off the insides of the engine............

 

[paulrbarnard]

With modern oils it is highly recommended NOT to add a flushing agent when changing the oil.

 

[artie]

I went ahead and did it last night. Used it for a half hour or so then drained the hot oil out, let it drip a while.
Then I added the appropriate amount of kero and ran it for 15 seconds before draining again.
It was quite dark, I left it overnight and there wqs dark gritty sediment on the bottom, so it has removed more dirt than just an oil change.
I refilled with fresh oil and used it for ten mins or so.
When I pulled the dipstick the oil is very clean.

I'm thinking this should only be done for the first oil change.

 

[Phill05]

"I'm thinking this should only be done for the first oil change."

You don't need to do it every change but doing it occasionally would help to keep it clean.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

I recall taking apart a qualcast mower many years ago. Oil "circulation" (splash) was by way of some "paddles" fixed to the big end bearing - there was no filter and no pump.

Similar was occasionally the case with much older cars which were relatively very unstressed and machined to far less precise tolerances by comparison to modern engines. Flushing the engine to removed swarf etc was a routine service job.