aqueous parts washer - electric problem

[TWFAUST at aol.com]

Audi content - trying to clean parts for '82 Coupe
 
I am having parts washer pump problems and have minimal electrical  
knowledge.
 
It started with the pump failing to run for long periods. I thought this  
might have to do with the temperature of the cleaning fluid (undiluted Purple 
 Power). The pump would shut off after the fluid got hot. It then seemed to 
run  after the fluid cooled down. 
 
There is a breaker built into the power cord (110v), and this would open. 
 
Here we are several days later, and the pump seems to not run at all. I  
have lifted out the pump and heater assembly. Then I opened up the  pump  
inlet to check for an obstruction. There does not appear to be any and the (very 
 small) impeller spins freely. With the impeller exposed, I plugged it in 
to see  if it spun. Initially it did not. When I tried resetting the breaker 
it would  run for a second until the breaker clicked off.
 
My limited knowledge suggests a short, a difficult problem because the  
motor is normally submerged and is entirely sealed. I have noticed one thing.  
The pump hangs from a tube which encloses the power cord. The nut 
arrangement at  the top of the tube has unscrewed and the tube is no longer held. It 
appears  that the pump hangs by the power cord, this will take considerable 
disassembly  to fix.
 
Any thoughts, anything I should check? Since the motor is sealed, it seems  
unlikely that undiluted Purple Power was too much solvent.
 
Tom Faust