Trouble Shooting Grit Guard Pad Washer

[mk9750]

Afternoon all!

I set up my Grit Guard Pad Washer over the weekend, and it would not pump water. I did a quick search on my phone to find a fix, saw a couple of answers, tried them without success, and didn't have time to keep working on it (two cars to do this weekend, along with two rounds of golf!).

One of the fixes I found spoke about a ball bearing often getting stuck. But I can't find the info any longer. Has anyone experienced a pad washer that won't pump? If so, what was the fix?

Thanks!

 

[57Rambler]

Based on the assembly drawing found on pg. 4 of the owner's manual, I see no bearings used in this product.

My best guess for pump failure would be either a bad spring or a spring "bound" up in the retainer cup.

 

[mk9750]

Rambler, thanks. I wonder if what I saw about bearings was for a different brand's pad washer. I admit to thinking they were all the same. Perhaps that is not true.

I took the whole thing apart last night. You're right, it's quite simple. I cleaned and reassembled everything, and tried again with no luck. So THEN I found the instructions and read them (what a novel concept!). I tried again, following the directions carefully, also with no luck. The instructions talk about filling the washer to 1/4" over the Grit Guard when depressed. To me, that doesn't help determine if the pump should be depressed when filling or not, so I tried both ways. Neither worked.

Tonight, I'm going to disassemble again and make sure all the springs are oriented correctly. Perhaps when I reassembled, I put the springs upside down? Not sure why it would matter, as I think the mechanics of the pumping action shouldn't depend on the springs being oriented a certain way, but then again, an engineer I am not.

Thanks for the response. I do appreciate it.

 

[2wookies]

All you do it push/pump up and down against the springs and the nozzles push water on the pad. It sounds like you’re expecting this device to do something it doesn’t. You’re better off returning it, I’ve had mine for 3 years and haven’t used it since I bought it. It cumbersome and there’s better ways to wash your pads when you’re done.

 

[mk9750]

Wookies,

I don't think my expectations are out of line. It worked for the four months I had it last fall, but it was buried up on a high shelf and the first I pulled it down to use it was two weeks ago, and it didn't work then. But I'm familiar with what it does.

As for better ways to clean pads, I politely disagree. With a presoak in a bucket with pad cleaner, this does at least as good a job as I do standing in front of my sink, in a third the time, provides quicker drying time (because the water is spun off before hanging), and saves my back. I can also say that I noticed myself trying to extend a pad past where I should swap one out because of my distaste for washing pads in the sink. Without doing it to prove myself right, washing them in the washing machine feels to me like it would reduce pad life, and I tried the homemade pad washer with a bucket, Grit Guard, and a pressure washer, and had too many problems to continue that. I like what a pad washer can do.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

This,

All you do it push/pump up and down against the springs and the nozzles push water on the pad.

Real simple design. YOU pressed the pad against the Grit Guard insert and then lift up and then press and then lift up, etc.

In other words, you pump the pad up and down against the grit guard insert while running the polisher and the up and down movement causes your cleaning solution to be injected into the pad via simple hydraulics.

As the pad presses against and moves over the Grit Guard Insert simultaneous with the cleaning solution injection, the Grit Guard insert acts to scrape or squeegee the build-up of removed paint and spent product off the face of the pad.


Here's a video I made with Bryan Fuller back in 2010 that shows and explains how it works. And "yes" the pad we cleaned live in the video was the real deal.

FWIW

In my opinion and experience, the pad washer, (any brand), works best as a pad cleaner for use at the end of the day, not to clean pads and then continue using the clean pad as you work around the car.

This is especially true for foam pads and wet foam don't cut.

 

[mk9750]

Thanks Mike.

Although I did use it last fall to clean pads "on the go" using Optimum Hyper Polish, which is a Yvan suggestion, I've since stopped using Hyper Polish, and only use the pad washer at the end of the day. My habit is to set up a bucket with pad solution, drop pads in the bucket, and clean them all at the end of the day. I have a high shelf that I put Velcro tape on the underside, and after spin drying them, I hang them from under the shelf overnight until dried, brush them quickly to make sure they didn't pick up anything, and put them back in their Ziploc bags. Works well when the pad washer is working.

I do wish that I could put an extension on my polishers (mostly Flex, but also have a G6) like you show in your video. I've actually used it as a justification to buy a rotary, but still need to figure out how best to practice with it before I use it on a car.

Thanks!