HWH jack

Topic: HWH jack (Read 2056 times) previous topic - next topic

HWH jack

August 04, 2012, 08:49:48 am

One of my jacks is leaking fluid. Hopefully it stays functional while on vacation (in Chatanooga today). Does this system have its own tank and where is it?

Re: HWH jack

Reply #1 – August 04, 2012, 09:42:47 am

Same problem on my coach, and headed out this morning to pull the jack for a rebuild. On my coach there is a pump and storage tank behind the front grill, left of center.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #2 – August 04, 2012, 09:50:36 am

On the U240 it is mounted in the same location. Much easier to see and access the reservoir and dipstick if you remove the right (passenger side) front grill. ATF is the fluid unless you have HWH jack fluid-- they are interchangeable.

Brett

Re: HWH jack

Reply #3 – August 04, 2012, 11:04:34 am

Quote from: wolfe10 – August 04, 2012, 09:50:36 am

On the U240 it is mounted in the same location. Much easier to see and access the reservoir and dipstick if you remove the right (passenger side) front grill. ATF is the fluid unless you have HWH jack fluid-- they are interchangeable.

Brett

There are two kinds of ATF. Can't remember which one was correct?

Re: HWH jack

Reply #4 – August 04, 2012, 11:58:55 am

Dexron.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #5 – August 05, 2012, 10:52:00 am

It is the right rear jack and seems to be leaking from the higher inboard (harder to get to) fitting as it exists the jack rather than hose connection though I was able to get it a nudge tighter. The tank is on driver's side of center behind A/C evaporator. Only access is from above and the cap has no dipstick and is small so I'm going to have to find something to use to ascertain the fluid level. Brett, thanks, I have ATF but no Dextron so I'll get some.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #6 – August 05, 2012, 05:29:30 pm

Hope you can tighten the fitting. I found my leak is at the main seal. I pulled it off and will see about a repair or re-build.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #7 – August 06, 2012, 03:22:23 pm

Gauged the tank with a screwdriver (which wasn't long enough to reach the bottom) but based on the level I'd say the tank is 2/3 full. The jack pad was covered in ATF and the gravel surrounding it was discolored about the size of a pie plate so perhaps a cup of ATF at most leaked out while lowering the jack. Does anyone know the capacity of this tank? Is it likely that this will continue leaking similar amount or is it likely that after a few uses it will gush out all the fluid rendering my leveling system useless? Basically, I'm looking for a description of what typically occurs when one of these jacks fail.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #8 – August 06, 2012, 03:41:50 pm

I am surprised that you did not have a dipstick attached to the reservoir cap. It is marked with FULL and ADD. Check with all jacks retracted.

Brett

Re: HWH jack

Reply #9 – August 06, 2012, 06:16:52 pm

Just a small plastic knob about 2.5 inches in diameter with a threaded 1/2 inch piece that screws into the very small opening at top with no dipstick. Could be laying in the bottom if broken off I suppose. Definitely red ATF on screwdriver.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #10 – August 06, 2012, 08:14:50 pm

I had called HWH with my jack model #, and got a quote for repair/re-build @ $495 plus shipping (2 week turn around), or a new unit, in stock, for $702 plus shipping.

I took the unit to a hydraulic repair place this morning. And they offered to rebuild both the kick down and the main ram seals, one week, and for about $300. They were very helpful to describe what they can do, how it is mostly labor costs. I chose to go with a local rebuild, save the shipping, and hopefully a week or more of time. I did read and heard people tell that these jacks could be one of three types. Some come apart for rebuild, others are a pain, and some require cutting off the top of the cylinder and then re-welding.

Got my fingers crossed.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #11 – August 06, 2012, 09:09:22 pm

Oh wow. I hoping that the little tightening will solve the problem but I'm not optimistic. It wasn't leaking before. I did just have the axles, brakes, differential checked and rear tires replaced. Maybe someone grabbed the hose or something.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #12 – August 07, 2012, 05:15:44 pm

Oh well...still leaking. I watched it this time and not much appears to come out (though it looks like it on the ground).

Re: HWH jack

Reply #13 – August 12, 2012, 08:22:51 pm

Really putting out some fluid by the time we got home. There is an elbow shaped fitting that one of the hoses hooks up to and it looks to be leaking from where that elbow joins the body of the cylinder. Dave, what is involved in taking one off? I think your rig still has the swing up jack too. Those springs look like fun. Can anyone give me a play by play on removing one of these jacks?

Re: HWH jack

Reply #14 – August 12, 2012, 09:16:48 pm

If it is the fitting leaking you might be able to pull the jack down and then install a block to hold the jack in the down position and screw out the fitting and install a new fitting.The springs are easiest to remove when the jack is in the up retracted position. You have to be careful taking them off.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #15 – August 13, 2012, 11:39:01 pm

I just used a lever/wrecking bar to pry the spring over the guiding curved steel part. Not very easy, and hope that I can just pry them back on. As I got one off the other side fell off. I first tried to stack washers into the springs while they were stretched, and then planned to let it swing up and the washer would have kept the spring long.

It did not work as I had hoped, or like it works on a motorcycle side-stand spring. I have stacked pennies into the open spaces of the spring when the stand is down, and then swung the stand up and the spring usually falls off the keeper. Then you can clean, re-build, or replace with longer or shorter kick stand, and then re-hook the longer spring with all the pennies still jammed inside.

Talked to the re-builder, he admitted he had not looked at it yet, that was Friday. I hope he will do the re-build, this week. We are wanting to depart for cooler weather in the mountains of NM.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #16 – August 14, 2012, 10:18:42 am

Good morning Dave, I had my rear jacks rebuilt at HWH last September. I made this spring expanding tool then and posted the pictures on this forum, here they are again. It worked for me.

Thanks, Mitch Sayer

Re: HWH jack

Reply #17 – August 14, 2012, 10:23:31 am

Sorry, lets try again.

Thanks, Mitch

Re: HWH jack

Reply #18 – August 14, 2012, 11:54:06 am

Dave and Dolly.
Your coach looks and sounds like my old 93 GV with the 610 kick down jacks and my cylinders were welded so could not be rebuilt easily as I had looked at doing it. I finished up getting HWH to ship one and sent my old back for core chg. The brass fittings are a std part from hyraulic parts place. One suggestion on replacing make sure the ground wire is good and has a good contact as they are the the signal sending wires for system.
JohnH

Re: HWH jack

Reply #19 – August 14, 2012, 02:12:33 pm

I think mine are the 510 series. I talked to a guy who works on the other brand of these and he said you should be able to remove the whole jack with the springs still connected by disconnecting the hydraulic lines and removing the four bolts and the whole thing comes out as a unit. Is this not so?

Re: HWH jack

Reply #20 – August 14, 2012, 03:03:53 pm

Found a manual online. I think it is leaking from the bottom of the actuator rather than from the fitting, which would indicate seals (I think). The manual shows an actuator kit so that component must be repairable or replaceable. I have a call in to HWH tech support. The actuator is the small cylinder connected to the jack on the left in the photo.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #21 – August 14, 2012, 04:23:56 pm

yes you can take it all off just take bolts off that hold it to frame. The actuator is easy to service just put it all back as it was.
John H

Re: HWH jack

Reply #22 – August 14, 2012, 10:46:04 pm

Thanks for the help on spring extender tool. Now to get one built, it sure would make re-installation a snap.

I am hoping the rebuild can be done, as I have now lost a week with it sitting in the shop, HWH was two week turn around, and that was part of the reason I was trying a local source.

Re: HWH jack

Reply #23 – August 15, 2012, 11:23:36 am

Can someone with the hydraulic levelers tell me about how long the dipstick is and at what points it is marked full and add so that I can get an idea what level I should be keeping in the tank until I can get this jack rebuilt? I need to use the coach this weekend and I don't want to blindly add ATF. Or perhaps could someone give me an idea with the jacks up, how much ATF should be in the tank? Half? Three-Quarters?

Re: HWH jack

Reply #24 – August 15, 2012, 11:49:00 am

my last GV had hyd jacks and I would think with all jacks up the tank level should be within 3/4" of bottom of neck.
John H

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