Is it safe to power wash an old excavator?

[perryskorp]

Other than inside the cab, obviously. Opinions?

 

[Old Doug]

Dont get crazy on the hyd hoses .

 

[perryskorp]

Understood. Everything else fair game? I wouldn’t go crazy on any of it I suppose.

 

[Old Doug]

Look out for places were there are seals and try not to blow water up into what they seal .

 

[Vetech63]

Give it a full washdown bath and throw some perfume on it afterwards.

 

[CM1995]

What excavator?

Once saw an "operator" wash down the inside of the enclosed cab on a 308E2 with a garden hose including the monitor..

 

[perryskorp]

’91 Kobelco K909. There’s a little garden growing on the undercarriage.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Goes without saying I hope, grease it afterwards to push water out of the pins and such where the water got forced in.

 

[skyking1]

I strongly suggest that you grub out the area around the swivel manually first.
1) pressure washing that area will blast it back at you mercilessly. Grab out what you can with scrapers and gloves first. When you are doing this you can identify and clear out a path to drain out past the edge of the swing gear. I pull a cover off the bottom, for example and then can blast stuff in that general direction.
2) If it does not have a place to go, you will put water into the swing gear tub past the swivel seal.
3) I find that starting with a scraper and a cardboard box, you can gather and dispose of lots of built up ancient grease at the pins without having to wear it and walk in it forever.
Once the big hunks are off then a quick blast will leave it looking OK. Just carving that stuff off with the washer does not make it go away.

 

[perryskorp]

I strongly suggest that you grub out the area around the swivel manually first.
1) pressure washing that area will blast it back at you mercilessly. Grab out what you can with scrapers and gloves first. When you are doing this you can identify and clear out a path to drain out past the edge of the swing gear. I pull a cover off the bottom, for example and then can blast stuff in that general direction.
2) If it does not have a place to go, you will put water into the swing gear tub past the swivel seal.
3) I find that starting with a scraper and a cardboard box, you can gather and dispose of lots of built up ancient grease at the pins without having to wear it and walk in it forever.
Once the big hunks are off then a quick blast will leave it looking OK. Just carving that stuff off with the washer does not make it go away.

awesome advice, thanks.