rock packing while sucking a sponge?  are you putting water ahead of the sponge--that is a big no no. You should put one sponge in and then add about 3-5 gallons of water then another sponge. If you are worried about cutting your sponges, turn the prime port cover upside down and the metal bar will prevent the ball from being sucked in to the material cylinders.

MMmmm I operate a 36z putz and have never had this happen I suck a sponge 80% of the time and water wash the rest. Are you making the mud really wet when you are ready to pump down your hopper??? and if so are you putting water ahead of the sponge... How fast are you sucking it back????

This is what I do daily pump the hopper down to just above the s tube or until you see smoke come out of the hose. then I reverse it 4 x and shake the doom a bit to get the cling ons out...lol then I bring the hose end to one of my back steps and curl it into a U shape pour about 3 gallons of water in and then start pumping in reverse and insert the sponge when it starts to suck the sponge back I lift the 4th section and and straighten out 3and 4 into an A frame.

I stand right beside the down tube and listen when I hear the concrete pass I wait then the ball will pass with a longer sound when that happens I stroke it 1.5 times and open the port and the ball is there every time.

Now here is something most dont know when your folded up in the craddle you can suck a sponge I have had to do it when traveling in between jobs and you get stuck in heavy traffic and you dont want to chance a boom party.

If this will not work for you then go ball.... water..... ball if you are still having problems then water wash.

In addition, I tap on my deck pipe, nice and gently, you can hear the mud make a thick sound, while taping....then you can actual hear the first sponge go by, the water in between the two sponges, and then the second sponge passes and you hear the real "hollow" sounding ping.  I always use the sponge, water, sponge method, and never have clogged while sucking my sponge.  Remember, just pump down you hopper in a designated area or back into the mixer and then suck your sponges....never water up the hopper, or allow a mixer driver to wash out in the hopper and put water in it.  Water causes separation and rock packs.  Another important things is to suck back SLOWLY, so you sponges dont' collapse.

 i run a 32z first ill pump down the hopper until i see smoke coming out the end hose then ill "a" frame my boom . I will then stoke backwards  at about 3/4 pump speed,from here ill shake  the end hose to remove the clinggers. While still backstoking ill put my hand over the end hose to make sure theres good suction this will also help to get rid of the loose rocks because when you remove your hand the the rocks will fall do to the suction being broke. At this point slow the pump down to 1/4 idle and stoke back slow around 4 on the dail fill up a five gallon bucket of water suck the water the put ur ball in and cover the end hose with your hand until the suction pulls on your hand when you feel good suction turn pump off remove your hand slowly and youll here the ball being pulled up when it passes the ruducer take your had away and start pump back up walk over to your deck pipe and listen for your ball after it passes stoke 1.5 times ball should be right at your 90 pipe

another thing ive done since running a putz z boom is straighten three sections and drop the tip straight down this way gravity pulling three sections of crete down for you and you only have to worry about two 90 having crete in them shakking the end hose usally drops the clinnggers out suck back slow and you should have no problems this way is also a little faster when folding up your boom

I run a 38Z, I put the boom in an A-frame, pump my hopper until the mud is just above the s-tube, throw it in reverse 4 to 5 strokes, swing the boom around to the hopper, break the hose off, put a damp ball in at the tip elbow first, suck it back slow, I listen until I hear it head up the tip section and then stop, fill my elbows with water put my second ball in, suck them back nice and slow, Now Im still in an A-frame I start taking out C and D until all my sections are running downhill then start bringing everything together and when you get water gushing in your hopper shut it off. I always count my strokes on prime out and and clean out, so you can always have a close idea where your sponges are in case of a problem. Also turn your prime port so you dont chop your sponges in half :) Everyone has there way of doing things, I have my routine and I do it the same everytime to cancel out error, Never had a problem doing it this way, just the way I do it. Hope this helps.

  For instance what procedure do you use when you cant A-frame the boom and cant swing the tip back to the hopper?

if you haveing problems try this . lower your hopper all the way.let your a frame drain on the ground. take off you end rducer and hose if used or 4-5 or 5" tip hose's. put a lil water in it not much half gallon or so put your ball in. put 3 sections in the air or stright up if room put on 2 on the dial and start slow  that is key. then as you hear mud coming down, goto 4. stand next to your 6-5 and listen. you will hear mud  then a lil water then the ball and watch you hopper and look for a lil wet mud.wallluh clean boom no rock pack and dump a load on the ground . at the wash area i was taught this by a vetren and he was taught by a vet. i have never rocked of this way and i've don it on a 61m- 28m and on a 52 z putz  

oh and watch for air after strokes. open your trasition and there is the ball 

Everybody has their own routine, if you can take a little from each reply and make your own that works for you, you are set. Stick with it and don't change it. As for the no suction. Have you changed any pipe lately. Any air leaks between pipes or leaking elbows will give you problems every time. The guys on this site are loading with experience and I am sure you will fix the problem soon . good luck.

hey z man whould suckin the ball with the boom a'd up whould thatwork  on a schwing 39 m ???

why water wash i use a sponge 100% of the time i have a 38 z putz just pump the hopper down lil above the s tube  then stick in reverse and in a z position  start the pump then start going up with the second just high enough to get the gravity to flow back  then wallah your done .ive had this brand new putz 2 yrs now and thats how i clean up every time ive never had to unbuckle a single clamp .primed out a thousand times without ever pluging up and i pump in texas not the best concrete.

ALRIGHTY THEN.

Young pumper ,

call the person "WESDogg" who trained you on that pump, and go back over the washout routines he taught you. take notes if you have to !

I personally use all methods when they apply.

waterwash basic

waterwash advanced

ball / sponge

grover wash, aka garbage can wash

bucket wash

Air

Nerf football

rolled up old sweatshirt

wintertime rain puddle

LOL, any way try to stick with at least your boom ball & water wash. keep it simple, one thing at a time. remember like the addict says you want to come back with  hollow pipe :-)

3

  yngpumpernca,with no suction you must be missing a gasket.Do you have the ,I think it is 9 " gasket in between the transition elbow and back flange?

stand the boom up if you have the time room etc

 that way if you have anything left over in the elbows (shaking the boom hard can damage it) let gravity help you gotta work with mothernature not against her with your tip elevated past horizontal the ball should come right on back

unless you have real bad cups, gaskets ,barrels as the other posters have mentioned

oops forgot to add i usually keep my sponge in a soapbucket. the soap helps stop air getting by the sponge and lubricates some.goodluck

Hey Rock

I have not operated a 39 swing so I cannot tell you.

Hi

If you have tried 4x now by my count and everyone that has answered you has there own method of cleaning but if you keep packing it could be the stone but it sounds like a air leak. One sure method to find out is take a 1 inch piece of ply wood and make it 2x the size of your pipe if the the pump wont hold the wood on you have a leak also are you packing up in the same place everytime