Meyer e60 pump leaking around motor

[DesMoines2500]

I searched the archives and found nothing.

Here's the basic issue. I have a Meyer plow with an e60 pump, I had it rebuilt (all new seals at least) by a guy because it was leaking down when I bought it. It seemed to work fine but failed in the first storm after 6.5 hours. It was both leaking around the pump motor and also leaking down again. I broke it down and discovered that he'd installed the lift piston upside down and that caused the little o-ring to get squashed and broken. $.73 oring from ACE hardware fixed that. The motor shaft seal and motor plate o-ring looked OK though so I reassembled and just tested it for 4-5 minutes. The leak down is fixed, but the motor shaft seal is leaking again.

What's the issue? just a bad shaft seal? Too much fluid causing too much pressure (there is a new relief valve installed that's doing it job)? I also read somewhere that it's a symptom of other issues like the hydro pump failing, not sure how that could cause the shaft seal to fail though. FWIW it seems to be the shaft seal leaking and not the 4 3/4" o-ring but I'm not 100% sure of that either.

In the meantime I bought an old e47 and cleaned it up. It's on there now and working, but it's sooooo much slower than the e60 that I would like to get this e60 up and running.


Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[kimber750]

Originally Posted by DesMoines2500

I searched the archives and found nothing.

Here's the basic issue. I have a Meyer plow with an e60 pump, I had it rebuilt (all new seals at least) by a guy because it was leaking down when I bought it. It seemed to work fine but failed in the first storm after 6.5 hours. It was both leaking around the pump motor and also leaking down again. I broke it down and discovered that he'd installed the lift piston upside down and that caused the little o-ring to get squashed and broken. $.73 oring from ACE hardware fixed that. The motor shaft seal and motor plate o-ring looked OK though so I reassembled and just tested it for 4-5 minutes. The leak down is fixed, but the motor shaft seal is leaking again.

What's the issue? just a bad shaft seal? Too much fluid causing too much pressure (there is a new relief valve installed that's doing it job)? I also read somewhere that it's a symptom of other issues like the hydro pump failing, not sure how that could cause the shaft seal to fail though. FWIW it seems to be the shaft seal leaking and not the 4 3/4" o-ring but I'm not 100% sure of that either.

In the meantime I bought an old e47 and cleaned it up. It's on there now and working, but it's sooooo much slower than the e60 that I would like to get this e60 up and running.


Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Are you sure the shaft seal is new? There shouldn't be any real pressure on the shaft seal. What condition is the pump shaft in? Also make sure nyltite washers were replaced, these are not supposed to be reused. These are the plastic washers under the two bolts that holds motor mount in place. If they weren't it is a good chance it could be leaking there.

[DesMoines2500]

Originally Posted by kimber750

Are you sure the shaft seal is new? There shouldn't be any real pressure on the shaft seal. What condition is the pump shaft in? Also make sure nyltite washers were replaced, these are not supposed to be reused. These are the plastic washers under the two bolts that holds motor mount in place. If they weren't it is a good chance it could be leaking there.

Thanks, I'll go that route before I buy a new hydro pump. The shaft seems to be in great shape but I've been reading that on e47s (mine is an e60) that the tolerances can give out and even though it looks fine, the pressure will blow the fluid out the shaft seal and the pump will need to be replaced. Is this only a problem on the e47s? The pump is FAST and strong and works great other than leaking major fluid after 3-4 minutes of use.Could that rule out a bad hydro pump or does that POINT TO a bad hydro pump that's building up too much pressure in the sump base?

I can't be sure he replaced the shaft seal, especially now that I know he installed the packing cup upside down! The more I think about it, there may not even be nyltite washers there

[dave_dj1]

I'm confused, is it leaking around the lift ram or the actual motor shaft?
If it's the lift ram, I would suspect the bottom of piston cup and O ring need some attention, the seal on top is only really a wiper to keep dirt and water out.
If it's leaking around the electric motor I don't know what to tell you, sorry.
I'm trying to link up an E 60 manual but I'm having some trouble.
Search Smithbrothers.com or Meyer site.

[DesMoines2500]

Well, it was leaking behind where the motor but I couldn't tell if it was the shaft seal or bracket bolts due to how bad the leak was.

I do think I have it fixed though. I replaced the shaft seal and the nlytite washers and that SEEMS to have done the trick I'm pretty sure it was the nyltite washers on the bolts that hold the mounting bracket to the pump base.

I need to really test it more so we're not surprised again after a few hours of use but 10 minutes of up/down, left/right and there was no sign of a leak.

[kimber750]

Originally Posted by DesMoines2500

Thanks, I'll go that route before I buy a new hydro pump. The shaft seems to be in great shape but I've been reading that on e47s (mine is an e60) that the tolerances can give out and even though it looks fine, the pressure will blow the fluid out the shaft seal and the pump will need to be replaced. Is this only a problem on the e47s? The pump is FAST and strong and works great other than leaking major fluid after 3-4 minutes of use.Could that rule out a bad hydro pump or does that POINT TO a bad hydro pump that's building up too much pressure in the sump base?

I can't be sure he replaced the shaft seal, especially now that I know he installed the packing cup upside down! The more I think about it, there may not even be nyltite washers there

Pump for E47 and E60 pumps are completely different. May want to also check the vent in your fill plug. If this is clogged it could be causing higher than normal pressures in the reservoir. As fluid is pushed back in to the reservoir it can create minor pressure, few psi. This is normal but the vent is there to relieve this.

If there was no nyltite washers that is where your leak was.

[DesMoines2500]

Originally Posted by kimber750

Pump for E47 and E60 pumps are completely different. May want to also check the vent in your fill plug. If this is clogged it could be causing higher than normal pressures in the reservoir. As fluid is pushed back in to the reservoir it can create minor pressure, few psi. This is normal but the vent is there to relieve this.

If there was no nyltite washers that is where your leak was.

Thanks, I'm almost sure now that it was simply the nyltite washers on the motor mounting bracket. It was the combination of symptoms from 2 issues and trying to apply e47 troubleshooting to the e60 that was throwing me off.

Of course it FRACKING RAINING here today in February so I was in a hurry for no reason, but that's another thread.