so i have gx390 with 4.0 and a k7 unloader. I was discharging the unloader into the street but obviously it should go to a tank and the washer should draw from that. Since I don’t have a higher gpm i figured my little 35 gallon tank will work but it draws from below the pump like most. I don’t think a bigger tank with or an elevated tank would help the situation or would it ? I works but you can see the spray and flow is different. its def starving some. I was thinking of puting a small pump in so i can mimic house pressure. ideas?.. and do high gpm pumps have a better primer pump or something ?
What kind of pump is it? Direct drive, gear or belt?
If it’s direct drive, stop trying to draw from a tank. It’ll mess up the pump, ask me how I know.
yes direct drive
what is the bare min i need or what do i need for it to draw properly
It’s gravity fed so you have to have the water above the pump. Even then it’s hit or miss for people.
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so what set up do you need for it to work right
Gear drive or belt drive.
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Fixed 
how does a belt drive draw because it spins slower?
I’m not real familiar with cat pumps except they are noticeable when you see them b/c of their unique color. Are they in a category by themselves since they don’t appear to be gear or belt?
No, not at all. They have direct, gear and belt. Can you upload a picture of the one you saw that was weird? Is it like this one?
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Yeah, that light blue to me screams out “cat pump” whenever I see it. But I’ve never seen one with a belt or gear so I just assumed direct drive or in a category of its own.
Definitely never seen the belt one before. And I don’t even think I’ve seen the gear drive. Usually I see them on nicer homeowner machines so I’ve probably been seeing the direct drive.
Trying to remember if @PPWofLexSC runs a cat pump.
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@qons Cat pumps are HUGE in the car wash industry!!! I’ve been in numerous car wash coin bay pump rooms and have seen pump rack after pump rack and its Cat after Cat. Their tag line is “the pump with 9 lives” and it’s the truth. They also have some really sweet INDUSTRIAL offerings 40-50gpm. They don’t mess around, they need to just leave the direct drive market alone lol
Notice all those pumps have lifting eyes lol
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I see people on youtube like powerful improvements using an 8gpm direct drive drawing from (2) 275 gallon tanks. He doesn’t have any problems
Joe has a gear drive…it allows him to pull water.
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