Laycock Pillar lift... HELP!!!

[Bayside]

White box take it apart, clean it and if needed wind bolt in to increase pressure.

Ok will give it a go.

[Webbo]

Ok will give it a go.

While you are at it, I would take apart all of those parts on the pressure side of the pump, check and clean them, replace any o rings, seals that look to be damaged. Good luck.

[Bayside]

If its dry Ill try to get up there tommorrow morning.

Was searching the web for parts including the O rings etc - they charge a fortune as soon as you mention its for specialist kit like a pillar lift... I think Ill strip it and replace them locally at a local hardware / hydraulic parts supplier (there a couple not far from me) to try and bring the cost down.

[Albannach]

if needed wind bolt in to increase pressure.

I wouldn't do that.

[Albannach]

they charge a fortune as soon as you mention its for specialist kit like a pillar lift... I think Ill strip it and replace them locally at a local hardware / hydraulic parts supplier (there a couple not far from me) to try and bring the cost down.

They are, generally, more expensive because they are safety critical parts and will be specifically made for each application. They won't be standard sizes or materials to avoid the possibility of someone retrofitting crap seals.

[Bayside]

Ok so I went to the yard yesterday and had another tinker with the lift with the following result....

I left the motor running and had a look at the ram to see if there was any issues there. I gave the ram cover tube (the big metal tube that sits over it and goes up and down with the lift) a twist and it appeared to free it up however the lift only raised approximately 2 inches off the floor - admittedly 2 inches is better than no inches but the lift stopped there. Switch the motor off and the ramp dropped back down. Repeated attempts gave the same result.

I noticed that there was some hydraulic fluid leaking down the ram from inside where it is covered with the pipe - not a good sign. Its not a lot but its enough to run down the whole of the visible part of the ram when operated.

I cracked all the unions to release any air locks the may have been there - still no more than 2 inches.

I gave the lift a hand in case it needed priming by leaving the motor running and jacking up the legs from the centre at the frame adjacent to the ram this allowed us to get the ramp approx 3 feet into the air the jacks did not appear to be taking much weight so releasing these and keeping the motor running the ramp stayed up. Switch motor off and ramp drops. I need to get more oil for it as when we had it raised a fair ammount had gone from the tank but thats something Ill try and collect today.

I had a good look over the system and how it works and discovered the following:

There are no electrically operated solenoids or valves the only powered part of the system is the motor.

The ramp works by using the pressure generated by the motor to lift the ramp to one of three pre-determined heights once the ramp is just above these a manual brake (a lever that engages a lock onto one of three blocks at the different heights on the frame) is engaged and the motor switched off so that the ramp rests on the stop with no pressure at the motor or hydraulic circuit the ramp literally sits as if it were chocked.

To release / lower the ramp the motor is engaged to raise it slightly at which point the lever and brake sitting on the frame stop is released holding this open and turning the motor off the system depressurises under the weight of the arms or the item on it and gravity drops it to the floor where if required the process is repeated etc etc.

I had a good look at the hydraulic system and it is indeed very simple. It appears to have a pump driven by the motor that runs fluid through a pressure valve that controls the pressure that is sent further along the system (the long silver bolt with the rectangular box at the top. This valve has a spring release inside and two holes in its body that should it over pressure fluid can be released from. There is no fluid coming from these vent holes.

The pressurised fluid then travels to the three way manifold with the Black large nut thing above it (which has the return feed) I can only assume that either the three way manifold or the black thing act as a one way valve so that under pressure one closes to send fluid to the ram and preventing it from going through the return back to the tank and when the pressure is released by switching the motor off the pressure of fluid coming back from the ram is greater than that going to it and the valve opens the other way sending fluid up through the black item and through the return into the tank.

My thoughts are that the three way is the valve? although on having a closer look at it there appear to be no moving parts? I did notice that looking inside the centre outlet of the manifold there was fluid sitting in it at the bottom as if the valve were closed (no fluid leaking out the bottom) if this had no valve inside I would have thought that it would have just emptied and I would see that the inside of the three way was open at top and bottom. The top path was clear. As was the centre as I was looking through it into the part.

Any ideas?

[Bayside]

Oh the system appears to still be locked open as there is a constant flow from the return as before.

[Bayside]

We had another go at it last night and after stripping the valves in which water was sitting and causing an ammount of corrosion to start. Flushing through the ram to get rid of water by giving it a hand with jacks and letting the system fill and clear repeatedly and have a generally proper look around it we came up with a theory..... its fooked.

The second theory involved the ram leaking or getting air in the system somewhere - The seals are def on the way out on the ram given the fluid creeping down the ram body from under the outer tube but should not stop it lifting without weight.

The pump having worn so that again either air is getting in causing spome of the cavitation weve been seeing or its just not putting enough pressure into the system.

The black box thing above the two way valve body (T piece) is more complicated than it looks and is the reason behind the flow from the return not stopping under pressure from the motor.

Three of us had a long chat last night and decided that it may be expensive to get it all fixed and running properley and there may be other options that would suit given that I only want the body (an empty shell as it stands) seperated from the chassis for painting then put back..... A one lift one drop affair.

First method - chain block lift the arms on the driven side from the main carrier and cable mount (will lift both sides) to the rest stop mid way up, lock the unit off on the safety and consider a couple of supports such as acro's to act as a double fail safe if the cables fail only the other side will drop as the one locked off cannot. By doing this the bottom of the body will be at waist height high enough for me to either work under it if deemed safe which one of the guys being an industrial lift tester assures me it will be or to pull the chassis out to work on it before putting it back under later on.

Second method we bin the pillar lift idea completely and use the large rottiserie that one of the guys has to work on the body chassis combo.

The moral of this story is at the moment......... PILLAR LIFTS DO NOT BELONG OUTDOORS!!

[Webbo]

Looks to me now as it is the Ram, I assume its a single acting unit ? ie powered up and returning down by its own weight. The external leak would be the piston seal letting by. I would take the ram off and strip it, if it is only the piston seal and the cylinder bore is ok ish its worth a go and would be fairly cheap to do. If you struggle getting seals I could help you out with them quite possibly. Need any help with stripping the cylinder post some pictures up I may be able to point you in the right direction.

[Bayside]

Its a gravity return so only pump activated on the way up. I think that is why there are three heights that the ramp locks into as the second the motor shuts off the ram wants to return to earth. It does not appear that the ram locks under fluid pressure awaiting it to pump out as there are no solenoids or physical shut off valves to allow it to retain pressure so its one of the three heights locked or back to earth you go - hopefully without being under it

The instruction on the side does confirm that it has to go up a fraction to take the strain - release lock via lever - and shut down motor ensuring lever open to drop down.

I found a ram seal kit for 25.00 on the net which isnt a bad price but the effort at this point if there is another way around it is something I dont really want to put in just yet....

I may pick up the enthusiasm to sort it in a while just frustrated with it at the moment. trying to get some small wins on other stuff under my belt to get me going again.

Thanks for the help so far though mate.