On Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:48:22 -0600, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Ignoramus334 fired this volley in
:

I noticed that the coolant flow is not quite what it used to be.

Do you think that the strainer on the pump needs periodic cleaning?



I deliberately do NOT have a strainer on the inlet of my pump. There was
a wire "sock" around it, which I removed, for the reason that it's a
several-minutes procedure to undo all the mounting screws and lift the
pump out of the sump to clean it.

Instead, I have a "catch basket" over the main drain into the sump pan,
along with coarser screens ON the table at the two drain ramps (your
should have those ramp-like screen-mounting platforms and screw holes on
your table, too).

I use a wet/dry vacuum to clean off the screens, which sucks out the crap
from the side it went into the wire with, and gets them very clean
between parts.

I do find, from time to time, that a small chip will lodge in the little
quarter-turn valve I use to regulate the coolant flow. As soon as it
picks up one chip, it tends to collect more of them quickly, and rapidly
diminishes the flow. Simply opening it full-bore clears it out.

LLoyd

I also use no pump screen and instead sreen the coolant going into the
sump. But that swarf has a way of getting EVERYWHERE. And one little
chip anywhere really slows it all down. I've got 3/4 hose up to the
manifold and then small nozzles right at the orifice. nearly always
its either in the manifold or the nozzle.

Once, I needed serious flow for a deep bore on my Mazak lathe and just
didn't have it. Taking the pump apart and cleaning, replacing the main
hose and cleaning the manifold and nozzles produced amazing results

Karl