I am a new owner to a 10' non cabover Alaskan, and I am almost certain I have air in my hydraulic system. The pump on the jack is really soft until the last 1/2 inch or so and only then does it raise the rams at all. I have looked for bleeder fittings but I can't find any. Does anyone know of the proper or any way to bleed these systems of air?
Bleeding the hydraulic system on an Alaskan
- Thread starter mrmtbaldy
- Start date
Tennmogger
Explorer
I also have a 10' NCO Alaskan from about 1970. The pump and cylinders are easy to rebuild. I'd suggest calling Alaskan Campers and get the kits for the cylinders (to have available if/when they start leaking) and for the pump. The kits are just little envelopes with o-rings. They will need the build year because the pump displacement and cylinder diameter changed some time.
It has been several years since I rebuilt the pump on mine so I can't give a step-by-step to do it. But I do recall it only took a short time to replace the o-rings by removing the t-handle valve stem, and the packing around the pump piston.
If you need to replace the o-rings in the cylinders, raise the top up to normal position, put the safety pins in, release pressure at the pump, then cut a board to wedge between the top and the upper edge of the lower part of the camper as you remove one cylinder at a time. Leave the lower half of the cylinder in place. Remove the bolts in the brackets that hold the top of the rod while the board holds the top up. lift the rod out of the cylinder, replace the o-ring, reinsert. I think I poured the cylinder full of jack oil to avoid having air in them. There was all sorts of black goop from years of deteriorating o-rings so a cleanup and fresh hydraulic jack oil is needed.
A friend of mine has a fiberglass-type Alaskan and apparently the cylinders are much harder to get to on that model. Mine is the old (and new) style wooden camper.
Bob
It has been several years since I rebuilt the pump on mine so I can't give a step-by-step to do it. But I do recall it only took a short time to replace the o-rings by removing the t-handle valve stem, and the packing around the pump piston.
If you need to replace the o-rings in the cylinders, raise the top up to normal position, put the safety pins in, release pressure at the pump, then cut a board to wedge between the top and the upper edge of the lower part of the camper as you remove one cylinder at a time. Leave the lower half of the cylinder in place. Remove the bolts in the brackets that hold the top of the rod while the board holds the top up. lift the rod out of the cylinder, replace the o-ring, reinsert. I think I poured the cylinder full of jack oil to avoid having air in them. There was all sorts of black goop from years of deteriorating o-rings so a cleanup and fresh hydraulic jack oil is needed.
A friend of mine has a fiberglass-type Alaskan and apparently the cylinders are much harder to get to on that model. Mine is the old (and new) style wooden camper.
Bob
Got it, I don't imagine those O-Rings for the pump are too hard to find. I have replaced one on a ram when I first got it, a bit messy but not too difficult. When you guys are raising the top, do you get full a solid stroke out of your pumps, or does it take a bit of compression for the pump to start working (moving the rams)?
Some of the o rings do not work well with hydraulic fluid. I replaced mine two years ago and this spring they were leaking so bad that it wouldn't lift the roof. It also ruined the cab over mattress. When I removed them they were hard as a rock. I just went to NAPA and bought some automotive o rings. Wish I could remember what the other ones were.