jschultzbass
New member
I bought two 6085s last month for my 180 gallon reef and one always starts in reverse after my feed cycle. Is there anything that can be done about that?
6085 starts in reverse
- Thread starter jschultzbass
- Start date
There are a possible causes and all are mechanical and simply repaired. Unlike impellers, propellers only work in one direction so a mechanical stop is used on synchronous, non controllable prop pumps.
First, be sure the pump is not used on a wavemaker, cycling on and off more than once every 15 minutes (longer is preferred) will cause a broken propeller or front housing and such damage is not covered by warranty.
1) The propeller assembly is bound to the shaft by calcium or debris, it should freely spin and slide up and down on the shaft. This is critical as correcting a backwards spin involves the prop hitting the front cover, stopping and falling back spinning the right way. A backwards spin is normal on start up, it is the past of least resistance but should correct within 2 seconds.
2) The propeller is broken, if the ends of the prop are damaged it can clear the front stops and keep spinning backwards. The prop should come to a smooth taper and both blades should be the same length.
3) The front housing is damaged, the cross hatch in the front has 4 stop tabs on the back, assuming the front housing has not been modified or replaced with a wider housing, the tabs may be broken by wavemaker use. The prop can then clear the stop tabs.
4) The voltage may be too low but this is very unusual in the continental US. If for example though the furnace and MH lights kicked on at the same time, it could be a possibility, voltage below 105V can be a cause.
5) The propeller assembly may have been improperly assembled or the disk 6065.792 lost during a previous disassembly.
First, be sure the pump is not used on a wavemaker, cycling on and off more than once every 15 minutes (longer is preferred) will cause a broken propeller or front housing and such damage is not covered by warranty.
1) The propeller assembly is bound to the shaft by calcium or debris, it should freely spin and slide up and down on the shaft. This is critical as correcting a backwards spin involves the prop hitting the front cover, stopping and falling back spinning the right way. A backwards spin is normal on start up, it is the past of least resistance but should correct within 2 seconds.
2) The propeller is broken, if the ends of the prop are damaged it can clear the front stops and keep spinning backwards. The prop should come to a smooth taper and both blades should be the same length.
3) The front housing is damaged, the cross hatch in the front has 4 stop tabs on the back, assuming the front housing has not been modified or replaced with a wider housing, the tabs may be broken by wavemaker use. The prop can then clear the stop tabs.
4) The voltage may be too low but this is very unusual in the continental US. If for example though the furnace and MH lights kicked on at the same time, it could be a possibility, voltage below 105V can be a cause.
5) The propeller assembly may have been improperly assembled or the disk 6065.792 lost during a previous disassembly.
jschultzbass
New member
I do not have the pump on a wavemaker, only gets shut off a couple times a day for feeding.
1) It has done this since I put it in the tank so I wouldn't think it would be build up.
2) Will check when I get home from work
3) I will check the tabs but the pump has never been on a wavemaker or modified in any way.
4) It starts in reverse about 50% of the time so I wouldn't think this is it.
5) I will compare to my other pump to see what the difference is between the two since the other never starts in reverse and if it tries I hear the loud clicking of it hitting the stops, something I don't here at all in the one that starts in reverse.
1) It has done this since I put it in the tank so I wouldn't think it would be build up.
2) Will check when I get home from work
3) I will check the tabs but the pump has never been on a wavemaker or modified in any way.
4) It starts in reverse about 50% of the time so I wouldn't think this is it.
5) I will compare to my other pump to see what the difference is between the two since the other never starts in reverse and if it tries I hear the loud clicking of it hitting the stops, something I don't here at all in the one that starts in reverse.
1) Sometimes a new pump will have a very tight fit on the shaft, try sliding it up and down, check that no fine grit is present (sand between the shaft and drive unit can cause this. If it is tight a quick fix is to ream it with a drill bit just barely bigger than the present hole in the drive unit.
Try the drive unit from the other pump as well after checking everything.
Try the drive unit from the other pump as well after checking everything.
jschultzbass
New member
I took the pump apart and the propellers have broken tips. Also the propeller assembly does slide easily on the shaft for the most part unless you turn it just right and it sticks a little, like the shaft is slightly bent or something.
jschultzbass
New member
I took the pump out of the box, put it in the aquarium and started it up. How do you suppose it broke?
Are the propellers black or blue? Black was a more brittle composite we used until early 2011 on 6065 and 6085. Blue is the current prop and this plastic has more give and bends. Were the protective grids installed to keep snails/ etc out? Is the shaft the fixed type or the removable type? On 6065 and 6085 the shafts were removable until about May 2012, these have a blue bushing on either end, later ones the shaft is fixed at the base and not removable.
jschultzbass
New member
The pump with the broken impeller has the black impeller and the removable shaft and was ordered from Aquacave.com on 10/31/12. The pump that is working well has the blue impeller and was ordered from Marine Depot on 9/17/12. Aquacave must have some really old stock they are getting rid of if you went away with the black impellers back in early 2011.
Just PM me your address and we will send a newer style drive unit for the 6065, it will have the removable shaft as that cannot be changed, but it will have the blue propeller. It is possible we had some stock of black propellers through early summer 2011 and it is even possible one slipped in later from something the factory had found in a wrong bin. AquaCave does order a fair amount of stock and have order 6065's several times this year so it is hard to say what exactly is the culprit.
jschultzbass
New member
Thanks for all your help! I sent a PM. I need the drive unit for the 6085 though, not 6065.
