I got into cleaning the water box the other day and chiped out nearly a gallon icecream bucket of dry slurry.  I can't believe how much someone let it build up.

Q; To get it really clean can I use an acid of somekind?  I got all the big stuff but it is rusty in there and some small traces of slurry.  Can I paint it and if so will any paint do?

Also, I got nearly 3 gallons from the hopper.  Same question, Acid?  Paint?  Should I use the grinder with the wire wheel?

i never use acid on hyd ram parts the acid will eat the crome plating off the ram and start leaking hyd, try hi presure washer and be carefull dont spray to close to the ram bulkheads u can un set the seals  in the bulkhead  happy cleaning

Newby,stay away from the acid.Not  good for chrome and the back side if piston heads.

Use a perssure washer and good old fashion elbow grease.I remember many years ago an operator doing this and left it in over the week end for extra cleaning time,oh boy.

notthing wrong with a little elbow greas

just as important..... no paint in hopper

ANY CLEANING IN WATERBOX--be super careful not to nick or scratch your hyd-cylinder rods!!!!!IMPORTANT

Haven't heard any comments on my old friend Lefty.Perhaps lockout/tagout when playing in sensitive areas.

that's not fair bob,you beat me.

There, Roy, now you beat me. ;~)

For my money, the best (and only) tool for cleaning your water-box is a snap-on gasket scraper. Do one wall, or one side of the bottom at a time. In less than a week it will be 100% perfect... and you will not have any damaged rods.

and since you turn off truck engine - take key and put it in your pocket- then begin to clean water box !!! you will have 8 fingers, two thumbs and will be ready for tomorrows pour.

Thanks all...I will take it all to heart.

Why no paint in the hopper?

no prob with acid on tha hoper but dont use it in tha water box more like what the outher guy said use the per.washer...just clean it out at the end of the day and ya shouldint have all that in it if ya do....

Ask   oe-3

He has the cleanest hopper in the pumping world V. Viking is a close 2nd

After cleaning it out coat the ENTIRE box with grease. Mind where you dump your water for the first few times after that, but then you"ll have a nice coating that will stay put nd prevent future build-up. Nice to see new guys looking for a better way, I've been pupmping 20 years and still look for new ways to do things. Keep up the good attitude.

As to "why no paint in the hopper?", concrete sticks more to paint than it does to bare metal, especially if you use oil. I believe that the bare metal tends to "season", like cast iron does to help the mud to not stick. I like paint on the upper part of the hopper just so fellas can see how clean it looks. I don't know about the OE 3 hopper referenced here, but I would put mine up against any. Good luck.

Larchy

If a pump mfg' wanted to do sometning special they could polish the metal inside of the hopper. Larchy is right on the money!!!