I'm a rookie at running the control end of a pump with very little training, more of here you go figure it out.  Having already had 1 very nice boom party due to rock packing the boom and deck pipes. Now for the questions I have run a couple of small pours through it since the party some buildup in the last foot or so and in first 90 into the turret, will it scour it self clean or do I need to tear it apart and chip it out? Any ideas will be helpful thanks,

Are you saying its leftover build up from boom party or it started building up afterwards?

and I'd clean it out if you have the time.. Like he said, it might flake off and plug you or it could stay there for a long time

also, describe how you suck a ball back.. I'm only asking because you said you were a newbie and maybe your suckin it back too fast

One question, If you have build up in only one small area, Are your clamp gaskets ok???

If a gasket is worn, damaged or dirty during normal wear and tear, or from a Boom Party, leaking will cause buildup.

I would look for the cause, and YES chip it out.

Like the other guys are saying it will break loose at the WORST time

If u have it off chip it out I don't get why u would take the elbow off and put it back on with concrete in it

Priming seems pretty smooth, clean out for me is stuffing the ball in and standing the boom almost vertical and pulling back slowly. Was told going vertical helps in pulling back in these below freezing temps here in Michigan. As for not cleaning out the elbow I didn't have it off I pulled the 45 on to the deck and first deck pipe off. Was just looking for different options on the matter.  That's not much room inside the turret for a guy that's 6-4, if that's what I have to do I have no problems doing it

You don't listen to your ball go back? 

That's why I pulled the parts I did, it sounded different coming back

You can start with sucking back 2 bals with some water in between. Not to much.. just one bucket.. That will make your pipes much cleaner..

Mattcanic..... Are you listening with with your ear at the tip section? Or are you just listening to it shoot threw the pipes when you got your boom stuck in the air??.. Yea 2 balls .. Everytime I've done that either the second one doesn't come all the way back or the first one gets chopped -$25

personally.. If my hose is 4.5" at least I'll suck a bucket of water, drop the bucket, shove soapy 5" ball in

or I'll take the hose off if it's smaller and pour it in the 90... A framed, listen to it get up to the 2-3 elbow then shut it off or use my volume to stop it because it's still gonna suck it back a bit then turn her back on til I hear that thump

that way I'm not shooting it threw 1 and 2 at 90 mph!

I also never used to suck more than 1 even on a 52m. But change of country and different colleages made me change my routine.

Cutting ball is not good no. New pumps have of course this pin that stop the balls from getting cut.

If you don't have the pin there is 2 things you can do:

1 Only put water and then 1 ball. Beter than no water at all.. Nice thing is that you will see the water come up in the hopper when the ball comes. Also makes your mix nice and wet before wash out or driving.

2 suck a ball, open back end and get the ball out, water in endhose, suck one more ball untill the water comes up in the hopper..

Its the same for me what you do. I sucked just 1 ball for 4 years. Had pluggs on prime out some times.. Last 6 years I suck 2 bals and water and can't remember last time I plugged on prime out. Might be coincidence.. Might be that I have more experiance. I don't know. I just like to do it this way and I get payed by the hour so why stress  

I've never seen a new pump with that pin to retain the ball, funny I've always thought about welding a single stick of rebar inside the ass end to keep the ball out of the rock valve/s tube but didn't know how long it would stay there and what if a barrel fin got caught up on it and clogged you

For a long time they used to make primeport locks with a pinn welded on them. Putz PUMI still has it I think. But lately they came up with a new system with a pinn that you can take up when you pump and down when you suck the ball.. We once welded a pinn on a lock ourselves but not sure if I would recomend that.

I always pull back 2 sponges and very rarely chop the first one.  Started on my 61 and now use it on any pump. Get the first one moving slowly, keep the pump in reverse hold the second one to hose or tip 90 with the water nozzle beside it. Get some water in there and let it go. Let it go one more reverse stroke after you see the big blast of water in the hopper. I never put water before first sponge, big risk of rock packing. 

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So many ways to get the same results. For me, 1 sponge and always water in front of the sponge. Never had an issue with not getting the sponge back because of the water I had introduced prior the sponge. One thing I would recommend is, learn more than one option of pulling your sponge or sponges back, cause standing boom straight up in the air only works for the perfect set up conditions. JMO

I am also not afraid for rock pack when I just do water+ball. Normaly I hate puting water in pipes full of concrete. But in this case i'm pretty sure its safe.. But I'm only talking about just a bit water and have the sections eighter down or up.. Not horizontal..

There are indeed many roads that lead to Rome  Specialy in concretepumping  

I also look at how stiff the concrete is.. Very stiff: more water. Very wet: no water..

I always suck two balls with water in between and almost never cut one.  If you suck back slowly the balls usually stay in the 90 off the back end.  

Putzmeisters usually have that clean out port but Con Forms is now making them for the Schwings as well.  When the time comes to replace that 7-6 it may be a good time to buy one.  Otherwise it's probably cheaper to just keep getting clean out experience chopping up $25 balls.

Would like to say thanks for the help and tips. I cleaned everything out so ive got nice clean pipes again.  I think I have my problems figured out to being several different things that you guys have brought up, the biggest being that the transition/ swing elbow wedge was loosening up during the job and then sucking to much air when trying to pull back the ball.