Kranzle pressure washer oil

[julianf]

I've been after one for years. Even "won" one on eBay a few years back and the chap cancelled the sale as it had not gone for enough...

Anyway, picked up one at the weekend. eBay special...

All seems to work, but the oil was filled, pretty much, to the top of the filler.


Id like to think this is "human error" but, given the thing has a sight glass, I'm not so sure.


I drained it and the oil seems oily enough. It's milky but not excessively so, and I've read that the oil goes milky almost instantly on brand new washers anyway?

Can anyone who owns one of these machines confirm? I think a couple of people here have them?

The oil seemed otherwise clean, so, given that I don't have any of their special oil, I poured some of it back in to raise the level to the top of the sight glass.

This one is a 10/122 but I think they're all, pretty much, the same.

The oil level was so high that if there was water leaking enough to raise it that much, I'd assume what I drained would be more like mayo, but it wasn't. I've considered heating it in a pan to see if it starts spitting, as that would be a bit of an indication of water content, but I don't know how "special" the special oil is, so it may spit anyway, I guess!

So, really I'm looking for confirmation that the oil goes milky quickly, and if anyone has any other tips / comments?

I'll order some oil and do a change anyway, I guess.

Thank you

 

[Gareth J]

I have one and have had another. I recall that there is a physical separation between oil and water, so, if the piston seals are leaking, it should drip out from there. The "bell housing" if you like. As such, the oil didn't get watery.

If yours is watery, maybe it's worth investing the design (online first, to check I'm remembering correctly) to see if there is corrosion/gunk blocking the route the water is supposed to drain and pushing it towards the oily bits.

Then testing with any new, cheap oil. Before buying and potentially contaminating any special/expensive oil.

 

[JOEPRO]

I have a kranzle and changed the oil after a few years of use. The old oil was not milky at all.

 

[Rannsachair]

I have the same experience as @JOEPRO, I changed the oil after about 5 years and it was not milky.

 

[Craig-SM]

The oil change is supposed to be every 50 hours of use. If you can’t get the Kranzle oil 15w40 is recommended but you only need around 100ml and should come to the top of the sight glass.

 

[julianf]

A pump seal kit is about 65 quid, which is fine, but...

It might be fine? The oil could, possibly, never have been changed from new etc. I figure there's no easy way of knowing.

I think my best plan is probably to change the oil, with a flush, etc. and just see what happens?

I could do the seals now, but my thoughts on changing good seals, just as a matter of course, can often lead to problems anyway, and, if they work, id rather just leave them.

Do you think this is a sensible enough plan?

 

[JOEPRO]

A pump seal kit is about 65 quid, which is fine, but...

It might be fine? The oil could, possibly, never have been changed from new etc. I figure there's no easy way of knowing.

I think my best plan is probably to change the oil, with a flush, etc. and just see what happens?

I could do the seals now, but my thoughts on changing good seals, just a matter of course, can often lead to problems anyway, and, if they work, id rather just leave them.

Do you think this is a sensible enough plan?

Yes go ahead and change the oil then change it again after say 10 hours of use and see what condition its in before going for seals etc. Usually Kranzle stuff is bulletproof unless its got thousands of hours on it or was abused / froze / run dry

 

[julianf]

Then testing with any new, cheap oil. Before buying and potentially contaminating any special/expensive oil.

There's a third party 15w40 oil sold by one of the companies specifically for pressure washers. Even mentions kranzle on the bottle.

I'm always of the opinion that using an unbranded oil on shorter service intervals is preferable to using branded for longer, so I think that will be what I do.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[MattF]

Eliminate unknowns & work from there. You've no idea how old the oil is, previous storage conditions etc., so replace & monitor.

 

[knighty]

No experience with kranzle but I have experience with others... I wouldn’t chance the seals unless it needs them

It's one of those things where you pull it apart, then find out because you pulled it apart you have to change a bunch of other things too.

 

[julianf]

No experience with kranzle but I have experience with others... I wouldn’t chance the seals unless it needs them

It's one of those things where you pull it apart, then find out because you pulled it apart you have to change a bunch of other things too.

Youtube makes it look easy... : /


A garage took three goes to get the crank seal to seal on my friends landrover. People on forums are always asking if they should do them "just in case" when they're not even leaking.

 

[JOEPRO]

There's a third party 15w40 oil sold by one of the companies specifically for pressure washers. Even mentions kranzle on the bottle.

I'm always of the opinion that using an unbranded oil on shorter service intervals is preferable to using branded for longer, so I think that will be what I do.

Pardon our interruption...

For all the amount required stay with the Kranzle oil

 

[julianf]

...too late. I waited and your response didnt come in soon enough, and ive ordered some.

If nothing more i can use it for testing, and as a flushing oil.


Id be sad if i filled it with fresh kranzle stuff, and then had to junk it instantly if it was leaking.

 

[knighty]

I've always filled mine with 10/30... because that's what all the work vans use and I have it to hand... some have run for years with it in no problem at all

Only ever changed oil when there's been a problem too

and we're fairly heavy users vs home use, running at least 2 hours a day 6 days a week

 

[carbon]

I've read that the oil goes milky almost instantly on brand new washers anyway

Definitely not, the only reason the oil goes milky is water contamination, usually because the seals have worn out or with Kranzle's they usually have a coated piston and the coating can chip. A piston with a chip will damage the seals and water will then enter the pump through the oil seal.

 

[Gareth J]

I'm almost positive there's an air gap on the kranzles I've had. To let any water that pushes past seals drain to outside instead of pushing into the oil housing. If I'm remembering correctly, and oil is going milky, the drainage area is blocked. Likely by gummy aluminium corrosion.

You can see the area I'm talking about on exploded diagrams but I'll try to get a pic of my working one when I'm passing and point out the wee drip hole.

 

[julianf]

There's videos on YouTube on changing the seals.

There's a brass "carrier" (for want of a better description) that holds some of the seals, with specific drain holes.


It's curious that everyone here is saying the oil should never be milky. I'm not disputing that. Just if you run a Google search for "kranzle milky" there are plenty of posts from people saying that it's milky from new.

I only found one vid of someone actually doing an oil change and the oil didn't look milky at all, but was far "greener" than the oil in mine, so maybe it was a different type entirely.

 

[carbon]

kranzle milky" there are plenty of posts from people saying that it's milky from new

Ive sold quite a few Kranzle machines and never seen ones that have been milky from new. Ive sold lots of other makes and never seen this on any of them either.

 

[julianf]

Ive sold quite a few Kranzle machines and never seen ones that have been milky from new. Ive sold lots of other makes and never seen this on any of them either.

Sorry, "from new" was, I admit, the wrong way of putting it.

They were not saying out of the box. But within a very short run time.

I'm not suggesting that you waste your life doing so, but "kranzle milky" will bring up posts on detailing forums.

Again, I know nothing, and have no vested interest. I've bought the oil I mentioned and will do a flush and a change and see what becomes of it!

A 60 seal kit is perfectly acceptable to me. I just dont want to do it unless I know it needs it.

 

[carbon]

Some pumps foam oil more that others and it can look a bit odd if looking at the sight glass when running.

Take the cylinder head off and inspect the pistons, if they have chips in the coating, don't fit new seals without replacing the pistons