HWH jack leaking - did I ruin it?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

rgnprof

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Posts
179
I am attaching a PDF - my right rear jack (HWH AP7164, 6000lb kick down jack) has been leaking for a while and got much worse this weekend.  I isolated the leak to what looked like a hex screw on top of the actuator - the hex head bolt is actually facing the rear of the coach.  Put a 5/8" wrench on it and starting trying to tighten it down some - evidently not a bolt like that!  In not one my brighter moments I broke the head of this bolt right off and fluid spewed everywhere...

In the PDF, it's part #3 on the right hand pic.  I have tried calling HWH, but they only call you back and I haven't heard from them.  I'm not sure what my options are from this point...

ryan
 

Attachments

  • mr242200.pdf
    16.3 KB · Views: 79
Last time I called HWH they said it would be 3 weeks for a callback  :mad:  You might have better luck at a hydraulic shop
 
Yea, they're up to 4 weeks now!  I got a call back from a helpful parts lady and she did what she could to help get me sorted out.  As it turns out, that bolt is a special bolt with a hole through for fluid to flow through and it SHOULD have threaded right out - mine just broke off!  You can buy the hex bolt kit for about $17 at HWH and she talked with a tech who assured me that I should just be able to replace the bolt.  Well, I just got home and moved the actuator away and sure enough, the rest of the broken bolt threaded right out of the jack.  I'm hoping this was also the source of my leak as there are 2 rubber 0-ring washers that fit on this bolt. 

I'll report back when I get the kit installed...

ryan
 
PJ Stough said:
Call this guy.  He works for HWH and does troubleshooting.  Have your HWH system number handy when you call him.
Paul Maddox
1-602-549-3638 [email protected]

^^^^^^ Good advice ^^^^^^^
Be sure and leave a msg/call back number though.  Paul gets a ton of robo calls and if there is no msg, he deletes it.  He's a busy guy, but he always returns calls if you leave a msg and a number.

Good luck with the fix.    ed s
 
Thanks for the lead...I'll call him after I get the new bolt kit if I need to then.  Maybe I'm mistaken in thinking this will fix my leak, but it sure looks like the system could leak right at this bolt with the 2 0-rings...
 
New bolt kit - with 2 new o-rings) came in yesterday - took me about 10 minutes to get things back together and so far everything seems to be working fine.  No leaks and jacks have been down for more than a day.

 
Well, it's been a year and a half and this same bolt on the same jack is leaking again.  I have cleaned the jack up and fluid is clearly leaking down between the actuator and the jack from this same hex bolt at the top.  Called HWH and they're sending me another bolt kit free, which is very nice. 

But, what gives?  Can you tighten this thing too much?  Not enough?  It's a weird bolt with a hole drilled through it (assuming this is to allow movement of the hydraulic fluid) and it has 2 o-rings.  Can you just replace the o-rings - maybe?

ryan
 
Everyone I have seen has a torque spec included,, you's must have one..  AND you always need to rub down the "O" rind with oil or grease when installing.>>>Dan (I like to use Dow Corning #4 ) ( Also check where the "O" ring seats, there may be debris or a bur.)
 
I do not remember this bolt coming with a torque recommendation...could have.  I'm thinking Orings as well - I guess.  May try and remove the bolt and see if I can source orings locally.  It seems to me that this bolt needs to be installed with the through holes in a certain position for the fluid to flow. 

Yes, I have added fluid - with jacks up and making sure I'm not overfilling.

 
Many times when filling,, you put the jacks up,,, BUT,, you have to look closely to insure that ALL jacks are at the very end of the stroke and at the top,, or you will inadvertently overfill and that creates too much pressure at the top of the jacks..>>>D
Good luck,,  ( Another question,, Why are you adding unless you have a leak somewhere.??)  There are only three reasons to add..#1 A leak...#2 A jack is not fully in the up position.. #3  You are draining and refilling..  Evaporation is not an option...
 
Well, I'm filling because I have a leak - thought that was pretty clear.  I put the jacks out and over the course of several days the right rear jack leaks down due to an external fluid leak.  This has happened a couple of times within the past month.  Normally I don't park it with the jacks extended but we're heading out this week so I wanted to check. 

I have tried to make sure the jacks are all the way up, but maybe not??

But, why would the leak be consistently from the same jack - right rear?  Dating back to the start of this topic in 2018>

 
That's kinda why I was alluding to the possibility that there might be a machining error either on the jack or the bolt,, you have changed the bolt so that should not be the problem.. I also don't think the bolt has to be in a certain position to flow,, it's not normally engineered that way,, probably a banjo type opening machined into it to line up with the bolt position but not necessarily the bolt hole.It depends on the purpose of the bolt..>>>Dan ( 33 year aviation hydraulics tech. )
 
This is an older system - 90s...I've had the coach for the last 10 years and it just started leaking the first time in the fall of 2018 (first post in this thread).  The new bolt came straight from HWH, so I don't know.  And, I think you're right about the banjo type bolt and its installation.  I'm thinking o-rings, but just because I have no where else to go...

Thanks for your replies!

 
Are the "O" rings flat section or round,, and are they both the same size?  I am trying to visualize why there are two.. Are there two places on the bolt for them to be?.>>>D  Also you can source them at any NAPA store and even buy a set of most of the popular sizes..>>>D
 
Here is a pic of the bolt with the orings...I don't remember for sure now how I installed them...

 

Attachments

  • HWHHexBolt7072.jpg
    HWHHexBolt7072.jpg
    15.2 KB · Views: 30

Forum statistics

Threads
131,753
Posts
1,384,358
Members
137,524
Latest member
freetoroam
Back
Top Bottom