Dionex ICS-3000 - Cleaning the Piston; Removing the Main Piston Seal

ICS-3000 Ion Chromatography System
268 Doc. 065031-04 1/08
9.5.2 Cleaning the Piston
1. Place the piston in a beaker containing ASTM Type I
(18 megohm-cm) filtered and deionized water or methanol and
sonicate for several minutes.
2. After cleaning, rinse the piston thoroughly with ASTM Type I
(18 megohm-cm) filtered and deionized water and dry it with a lint-
free paper towel.
3. Inspect the piston for signs of damage. If the piston is scratched or
scored, replace it (see Section 9.6
).
9.5.3 Removing the Main Piston Seal
1. If this is the primary pump head, insert a 10-32 fitting plug
(P/N 042772) into the 10-32 outlet hole of the check valve nut.
2. If this is the secondary pump head, insert a 10-32 fitting plug
(P/N 042772) into both the 10-32 inlet and outlet holes.
3. Using a 10 cc syringe (P/N 054578), inject a few drops of ASTM
Type I (18 megohm-cm) filtered and deionized water through the
main piston seal (P/N 064946) and into the piston cavity.
4. Reinsert the piston (P/N 062082) approximately 3 mm (0.125 in) into
the piston seal and press gently. The seal should pop out of the head
and onto the piston.
5. If the piston seal was not removed in Step 4
, follow these steps:
a. Verify that the 10-32 fitting plugs in the inlet and outlet holes are
tightened enough to prevent any leaks from the pump head.
b. Fill the piston cavity with water and check for bubbles.
c. If there are no bubbles, repeat Step 4
.
Even minute scratches or particles of dust, dirt, etc. on the check
valves or piston can contaminate the inside of the pump head and
result in poor pump performance.
Do not use a sharp tool (such as tweezers) to remove the piston seal.
This will scratch the inside of the pump housing; these scratches will
prevent a proper seal and cause leakage.