CAT Pumps Pressure Washer Pump Oil

Why use CAT Pump Oil?

You might be wondering why you should exclusively use official brand oil instead of a CAT Pump oil alternative? While it's tempting to use a cheaper, lower quality oil, CAT highly recommends against doing so. CAT’s premium grade oil is formulated to be the best option for your pump and maintains a standard quality that alternatives simply won't adhere to. Consider these benefits of CAT oil:

• Contains anti-wear additives that protect metal-to-metal drive surfaces, which significantly extends the drive life.
• High oxidative and chemical stability resists deposit formations and provides reliable and consistent performance.
• Premium additives protect pump components from wear, oxidation, rust and corrosion, even in demanding environments like car washes and professional pressure washer units.

Aside from the obvious performance and lifespan benefits, it's also important to consider that using off-brand oil may void any warranties on your pump. Guarantees against early failure and replacement offers from CAT or pump sellers are almost always offered with the caveat that genuine oil MUST be used when servicing your pump.

How Much Oil Should You Add?

The proper amount of oil to put in your pump depends on the crankcase capacity of the pump, which is typically measured in fluid ounces. You can find this information listed with other specifications for your pump in the data sheets that CAT offers for every line of pumps they manufacturer. These are by far the most trusted source for pump information. You can either visit the CAT brand website and find your pump and associated data sheet, or search for your pump on Kleen-Rite and look under the "Manuals" section on the product page to find the data sheet. If you can’t find the sheet you need, don’t hesitate to call Kleen-Rite’s toll-free line at 1-800-233-3873 to get some help.

Draining the Crankcase and Checking Oil Level

Your pump has a drain plug located near the bottom back side of the blue crankcase. Simply remove the plug to drain the old oil, making sure to direct it to safe receptacle that you have ready as soon as the plug is removed.

Oil level verification should always be done with your pump on a level, flat surface. For safety and accuracy, your pump should never be turning and pumping water while checking levels. Most CAT pumps have a built-in bubble gauge, with the red dot being the minimum fill level. In some cases, your pump will have a dipstick to check the oil. Take note that overfilling may result in oil spillage from the fill cap. Conversely, if you don’t reach the minimum oil level can cause drive-end failure due to inadequate lubrication.

CAT Pump Oil Accessories

Along with buying oil, CAT also offers helpful accessories to make monitoring and oil changes easier. Pick up a crankcase oil indicator to easily monitor the oil level in your pump. They mount to the rear cover drain port and offer a way to keep track of the level with a simple glance. Oil drain kits allow you to quickly get old oil out of the pump before adding new. Not only do drain kits make the process faster; they also make the task cleaner by guiding the oil directly to a pan.

Why is Oil Shooting Out of the Cap?

While there is no pressure forced into the fill cap, it does vent to get rid of any normal pressure that builds up when the temperature of the pump changes. Oil may be shooting from the cap from the following:

• Overfilling of the crankcase
• Frothing caused by using the wrong oil or contaminated oil
• Your pump is running at RPM beyond its rating
• The oil cap is loose
• The O-ring on your cap is damaged or worn
• Your pump is mounted on an unlevel surface
• The cap is damaged or warped from excessively high temperatures

Can You Use 10W30 in a CAT Pump?

No, 10W30 is not the recommended oil for CAT Pumps units. CAT's ISO 68 oil is equivalent to SAE 20W (20 weight) oil. As such, you should not be using SAE 10W30 oil with your pump.