Guarantor Financial Data (Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 169,437	$ 304,252	$ 172,694	$ 337,356
Accounts receivable, net	1,056,321	1,103,724
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories, net	1,155,773	1,086,663
Other current assets	252,307	245,577
Total current assets	2,633,838	2,740,216
Property, plant and equipment, net	666,422	654,179
Goodwill	1,042,741	1,053,852
Intercompany receivables, noncurrent	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets, net	325,293	362,711
Total assets	4,668,294	4,810,958
Accounts payable	514,067	616,900
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued liabilities	831,886	906,593
Debt due within one year	210,365	59,478
Deferred taxes	6,808	7,654
Total current liabilities	1,563,126	1,590,625
Long-term debt due after one year	859,289	869,116
Intercompany payables	0	0
Retirement obligations and other liabilities	458,119	456,742
Total liabilities	2,880,534	2,916,483
Total Flowserve Corporation shareholders' equity	1,782,327	1,890,219
Noncontrolling interest	5,433	4,256
Total equity	1,787,760	1,894,475
Total liabilities and equity	4,668,294	4,810,958
Parent (Issuer) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,144	2,609	15,306	150,308
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	2,235	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Other current assets	1,860	1,967
Total current assets	5,239	4,576
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables, noncurrent	462,500	462,500
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	2,353,745	2,321,597
Other assets, net	14,093	14,879
Total assets	2,835,577	2,803,552
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payables	212	35
Accrued liabilities	6,523	11,610
Debt due within one year	180,000	25,000
Deferred taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	186,735	36,645
Long-term debt due after one year	858,165	868,124
Intercompany payables	1,143	1,144
Retirement obligations and other liabilities	7,207	7,420
Total liabilities	1,053,250	913,333
Total Flowserve Corporation shareholders' equity	1,782,327	1,890,219
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	1,782,327	1,890,219
Total liabilities and equity	2,835,577	2,803,552
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	262,381	255,164
Intercompany receivables	140,962	157,447
Inventories, net	410,006	382,360
Other current assets	125,202	123,152
Total current assets	938,551	918,123
Property, plant and equipment, net	202,295	204,032
Goodwill	671,858	671,858
Intercompany receivables, noncurrent	9,462	10,363
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	1,634,833	1,604,462
Other assets, net	175,815	175,771
Total assets	3,632,814	3,584,609
Accounts payable	149,120	158,028
Intercompany payables	43,464	42,801
Accrued liabilities	254,946	314,162
Debt due within one year	20	5
Deferred taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	447,550	514,996
Long-term debt due after one year	0	20
Intercompany payables	623,430	546,672
Retirement obligations and other liabilities	208,089	201,324
Total liabilities	1,279,069	1,263,012
Total Flowserve Corporation shareholders' equity	2,353,745	2,321,597
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	2,353,745	2,321,597
Total liabilities and equity	3,632,814	3,584,609
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	168,293	301,643	157,388	187,048
Accounts receivable, net	793,940	848,560
Intercompany receivables	41,441	42,836
Inventories, net	745,767	704,303
Other current assets	125,245	120,458
Total current assets	1,874,686	2,017,800
Property, plant and equipment, net	464,127	450,147
Goodwill	370,883	381,994
Intercompany receivables, noncurrent	162,075	85,316
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets, net	135,385	172,061
Total assets	3,007,156	3,107,318
Accounts payable	364,947	458,872
Intercompany payables	140,962	157,447
Accrued liabilities	570,417	580,821
Debt due within one year	30,345	34,473
Deferred taxes	6,808	7,654
Total current liabilities	1,113,479	1,239,267
Long-term debt due after one year	1,124	972
Intercompany payables	9,464	10,363
Retirement obligations and other liabilities	242,823	247,998
Total liabilities	1,366,890	1,498,600
Total Flowserve Corporation shareholders' equity	1,634,833	1,604,462
Noncontrolling interest	5,433	4,256
Total equity	1,640,266	1,608,718
Total liabilities and equity	3,007,156	3,107,318
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(184,638)	(200,283)
Inventories, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(184,638)	(200,283)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables, noncurrent	(634,037)	(558,179)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(3,988,578)	(3,926,059)
Other assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(4,807,253)	(4,684,521)
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payables	(184,638)	(200,283)
Accrued liabilities	0	0
Debt due within one year	0	0
Deferred taxes	0	0
Total current liabilities	(184,638)	(200,283)
Long-term debt due after one year	0	0
Intercompany payables	(634,037)	(558,179)
Retirement obligations and other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(818,675)	(758,462)
Total Flowserve Corporation shareholders' equity	(3,988,578)	(3,926,059)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	(3,988,578)	(3,926,059)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (4,807,253)	$ (4,684,521)