Foam gun not foaming anymore

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NikonGuy

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I bought this Gilmour foam gun last year on Amazon
Amazon.com : Gilmour 75QGFMR Foamaster Adjustable Multi Ratio Cleaning Gun : Watering Nozzles : Patio, Lawn & Garden

It worked great before last night. It was foaming and had no issues. Last night only water was coming out. It wasn't getting mixed with any soap at all. BTW I'm using Chemical Guys Honeydew soap.

I took it apart as much as I could (nozzle, head, feed straw) and no blockage of any kind. It isn't user error as I have been using it problem free from beginning.

I even adjusted the foam output lever and nothing.

Any thoughts? Do they sometimes just crap out? What is the mechanism on how the soap gets mixed. It looks pretty simple. My water pressure has not changed either. Thanks
 
Had one of these myself a few years ago. theres i tiny little metal filter in there somewhere that can get blocked up with soap residue. if you can find it and clean it, it may well solve the problem.
 
Did you lose one of the little brass screw-in plugs? There is one on the top and one on the end of the mixture lever.
 
Niblick said:
Had one of these myself a few years ago. theres i tiny little metal filter in there somewhere that can get blocked up with soap residue. if you can find it and clean it, it may well solve the problem.
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Read some comments on Amazon, will dry to soak unit in vinegar and see if that removes some residue. I didn't see any from visually inspecting it but there probably is something there

Setec Astronomy said:
Did you lose one of the little brass screw-in plugs? There is one on the top and one on the end of the mixture lever.
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I don't think so. From memory I don't think there was ever a top screw or the mixture lever
 
NikonGuy said:
I don't think so. From memory I don't think there was ever a top screw or the mixture lever
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I'm sorry, but there is a little brass plug with a knurled head, one in the end of the mixture bar (only function is to keep the bar from being accidentally pushed out) and one in the top center. If you lose the top center one, or if it gets loose, it allows air to be sucked in instead of picking up the liquid from the cup, resulting in loss of foaming.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I'm sorry, but there is a little brass plug with a knurled head, one in the end of the mixture bar (only function is to keep the bar from being accidentally pushed out) and one in the top center. If you lose the top center one, or if it gets loose, it allows air to be sucked in instead of picking up the liquid from the cup, resulting in loss of foaming.
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Pretty sure there are two versions one does not have the screw
 
allenk4 said:
Pretty sure there are two versions one does not have the screw
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Do you follow me around just to argue with me? The ones without the plugs are the Foamaster II that's plastic, the brass ones have plugs in the locations I stated.

You can see them in this picture, there is one on the left, in the end of the adjustment bar, and one that you are looking straight down on, surrounded by the P/N of the gun stamped into the brass that the OP says he has.

Setting.jpg
 
So what I said is true....there are two versions

Why do you think I am arguing with you?


Pull those wadded panties out
 
NikonGuy said:
Mine has never had those plugs
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Another picture of them, if you lose the one on the top (or if it becomes loose) the gun will not work. I suppose it is possible that Gilmour put something permanent in there instead of the screw-in plug, but the link you posted from Amazon shows some knurl in that spot. They have to drill the hole through the brass, so there will be hole there.

watermark.php
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Based on what? The fact that the OP never noticed them? Do you have a Gilmour foam gun?
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Based on the fact that I indicated there were two version, which there are

I do own a Gilmour, it has the brass screw

I am aware of a 2nd version that does not have a brass screw
 
I'll have to check when I get home tonight. I never noticed the top plug before but I could be wrong. Honestly it just worked before so never paid much attention.
 
allenk4 said:
I am aware of a 2nd version that does not have a brass screw
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Could you provide the model # of that version? As I have already stated, the plastic gun does not have the plugs because it is made differently. What relevance that has I don't know, because the OP has stated what model he has, and that model, which is the one they sell here at Autogeek, has the plugs, as shown in my second picture, which is from a recent thread of Nick's.
 
Lets calm down. I will check tonight and update. Please stay civil. Thanks
 
NikonGuy said:
I'll have to check when I get home tonight. I never noticed the top plug before but I could be wrong. Honestly it just worked before so never paid much attention.
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That's the problem, you don't notice them, and they come loose and fall out. A member on another forum would advise people to Loctite them in when they first got the gun to prevent this problem. If yours is loose, just tighten it. If it's gone, it's an 8-32 thread; you'll have to get a short screw from Home Depot or plug it up with something.

If not you've got to make sure the holes in the adjustment bar aren't plugged up with anything and they are oriented vertically--you do know that there is a feature where you turn the bar 90° for no foam? Did the adjustment bar possibly get twisted?
 
NikonGuy said:
Lets calm down. I will check tonight and update. Please stay civil. Thanks
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Setec gets worked up pretty easily, so I don't worry about it too much

Sometimes he gets a little egocentric and takes it personally, instead of understanding that we are all here to help each other out

No worries
 
allenk4 said:
Setec gets worked up pretty easily, so I don't worry about it too much

Sometimes he gets a little egocentric and takes it personally, instead of understanding that we are all here to help each other out

No worries
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Where exactly did you try to help the OP?
 
Setec Astronomy said:
That's the problem, you don't notice them, and they come loose and fall out. A member on another forum would advise people to Loctite them in when they first got the gun to prevent this problem. If yours is loose, just tighten it. If it's gone, it's an 8-32 thread; you'll have to get a short screw from Home Depot or plug it up with something.

If not you've got to make sure the holes in the adjustment bar aren't plugged up with anything and they are oriented vertically--you do know that there is a feature where you turn the bar 90° for no foam? Did the adjustment bar possibly get twisted?
Click to expand...

Yes, I know about the bar and the proper orientation to let it mix with soap. I use that feature a lot when I only want water and no soap. The bar was oriented vertically and tried it on each and every hole.

And I apologize if I didn't notice the holes. I am almost certain my gun does not have the plugs like the image you showed. But I will be 100% certain tonight.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Where exactly did you try to help the OP?
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Sometimes a thread is not ONLY about the OP's question

There will be others with a similar question who will find this thread. Not all of them will have the same model as the OP

I thought my comment added information to the thread that some might find helpful

Sorry you took it as a personal affront to your knowledge of the Gilmour FoamMaster

My apologies,


Kyle Allen
 
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