HWH repair / locating parts

[Ryan Wright]

It's me again,

They found my hydraulic problem. They claim the "right front jack and
actuator assembly" is leaking and needs to be replaced and that the
jack and actuator are "clamped together" or otherwise one unit. They
can't find part numbers. Does this diagnosis sound accurate? Can I
simply buy this from HWH or order from Blue Bird, or does anyone else
have a lead on where I can find this part? I'm going to let them
install it.

Thanks!

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92
Tri-Cities, WA

[Curt Sprenger]

Ryan,

Call HWH. They will send you an actuator. You'll need your credit card,
$178.04. I returned the bad one and HWH gave me about a 50% credit,
$85.68. This was in February 2006.

You can change the actuator. It's about a 15 minute job. I didn't get
the actuator aligned correctly the first time so I had oil squirting
out, about 15 feet. Realigned it to the jack and all is still good. Put
a rag around the actuator/jack before activating...keeps oil from going
all over the place if misaligned.

Two people are better than one to do this job. Pull down the jack, it's
easier than it looks, R&R the actuator.

Good luck..

Curt Sprenger
1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
Anaheim Hills, Calif.



Ryan Wright wrote:

> It's me again,
>
> They found my hydraulic problem. They claim the "right front jack and
> actuator assembly" is leaking and needs to be replaced and that the
> jack and actuator are "clamped together" or otherwise one unit. They
> can't find part numbers. Does this diagnosis sound accurate? Can I
> simply buy this from HWH or order from Blue Bird, or does anyone else
> have a lead on where I can find this part? I'm going to let them
> install it.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Ryan
> '86 PT-40 8V92
> Tri-Cities, WA
>
>

[erniecarpet@...]

One other thing about replacing the actuator on your jack. The clamp that
holds that on the jack has very little slack. We got a large worm drive clamp
and tightened that down first- then installed the original clamp

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Livingston, Mt




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Pete Masterson]

Call HWH -- they're very helpful. You may be able to get a rebuilt
assembly.

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
El Sobrante CA
aeonix1@...



On Jul 11, 2007, at 8:33 PM, Ryan Wright wrote:

> It's me again,
>
> They found my hydraulic problem. They claim the "right front jack and
> actuator assembly" is leaking and needs to be replaced and that the
> jack and actuator are "clamped together" or otherwise one unit. They
> can't find part numbers. Does this diagnosis sound accurate? Can I
> simply buy this from HWH or order from Blue Bird, or does anyone else
> have a lead on where I can find this part? I'm going to let them
> install it.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[krminyl@...]

Just a little addendum to Curt's suggestion....the kick-down actuator is
attached to the main piston with 2 big hose clamp-type screw clamps. When you
take them off, there are two little spacer button thingys that set the
kick-down actuator piston apart from the main leveling piston. The two spacers
are
different, and there is a small spring inside this spacers. Make a mental
(or written) note, which spacer goes on the top, and which one goes on the
bottom. They are not interchangeable. Do not lose the little spring that's
inside the spacer button thingy.

It took Curt 15 minutes....it took me two days because I couldn't get the
darn button spacer (for the lack of a better term) to seat and seal properly.
Holding onto a slippery piston actuator (coated with trans fluid), while
upside down on your back, and getting the hose clamp things on was a bear for
me....but I did get the job done, and it's worked perfectly since. I too
ordered the new actuator from HWH, and got about 50% back when I sent them my
old
one. Again, if you get a new actuator from HWH, the spacers are taped in the
correct spots...don't mix them up.

You can download the HWH parts list and assembly diagram from their website.

Good luck...If I can do it, anybody can.

Kevin McKeown
Yorba Linda, CA
1986 38' PT (for sale)





************************************** Get a sneak peak of the all-new AOL at
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Ryan Wright]

Thanks all for the advice on the HWH system. I'll call HWH and order a
new actuator assembly.

I appreciate all of your help!!

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92
Tri-Cities, WA

[mbulriss]

> Kevin McKeown
> Yorba Linda, CA
> 1986 38' PT (for sale)
>
Kevin,

Just noticed that signature. Got your eye set on for a replacement?

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, krminyl@... wrote:
>
> Just a little addendum to Curt's suggestion....the kick-down
actuator is
> attached to the main piston with 2 big hose clamp-type screw clamps.
When you
> take them off, there are two little spacer button thingys that set the
> kick-down actuator piston apart from the main leveling piston. The
two spacers are
> different, and there is a small spring inside this spacers. Make a
mental
> (or written) note, which spacer goes on the top, and which one goes
on the
> bottom. They are not interchangeable. Do not lose the little
spring that's
> inside the spacer button thingy.
>
> It took Curt 15 minutes....it took me two days because I couldn't
get the
> darn button spacer (for the lack of a better term) to seat and seal
properly.
> Holding onto a slippery piston actuator (coated with trans fluid),
while
> upside down on your back, and getting the hose clamp things on was
a bear for
> me....but I did get the job done, and it's worked perfectly since.
I too
> ordered the new actuator from HWH, and got about 50% back when I
sent them my old
> one. Again, if you get a new actuator from HWH, the spacers are
taped in the
> correct spots...don't mix them up.
>
> You can download the HWH parts list and assembly diagram from their
website.
>
> Good luck...If I can do it, anybody can.
>
> Kevin McKeown
> Yorba Linda, CA
> 1986 38' PT (for sale)
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** Get a sneak peak of the
all-new AOL at
> http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Ryan Wright]

Folks,

Appreciate all of the replies on this. I'll be ordering a new actuator
from HWH and may attempt to do the job myself.

Question: How do I refill & bleed (?) the hydraulic system? I believe
the fluid drained out of the lines but for some reason the system is
not pulling fluid from the reservoir, as it is still full. I want to
perform a full bleed & fill of the system before I buy the actuator,
just to verify the diagnosis (I want to see fluid squirting from the
actuator myself).

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92
Tri-Cities, WA

On 7/12/07, krminyl@... wrote:
>
> Just a little addendum to Curt's suggestion....the kick-down actuator is
> attached to the main piston with 2 big hose clamp-type screw clamps. When
you
> take them off, there are two little spacer button thingys that set the
> kick-down actuator piston apart from the main leveling piston. The two
spacers are
> different, and there is a small spring inside this spacers. Make a mental
> (or written) note, which spacer goes on the top, and which one goes on the
> bottom. They are not interchangeable. Do not lose the little spring that's
> inside the spacer button thingy.
>
> It took Curt 15 minutes....it took me two days because I couldn't get the
> darn button spacer (for the lack of a better term) to seat and seal
properly.
> Holding onto a slippery piston actuator (coated with trans fluid), while
> upside down on your back, and getting the hose clamp things on was a bear
for
> me....but I did get the job done, and it's worked perfectly since. I too
> ordered the new actuator from HWH, and got about 50% back when I sent them
my old
> one. Again, if you get a new actuator from HWH, the spacers are taped in
the
> correct spots...don't mix them up.
>
> You can download the HWH parts list and assembly diagram from their website.
>
> Good luck...If I can do it, anybody can.
>
> Kevin McKeown
> Yorba Linda, CA
> 1986 38' PT (for sale)
>

[mbulriss]

Ryan,

The HWH fluid reservoir is under the middle front step on a PT.
There is a trap door to access the fill spout. You just need a small
funnel to add Dexron ATF (at least that's what's supposed to be in
there). As far as I was told there is no need to bleed the system,
just cycle the thing a couple of times. At least that is what worked
on the hydraulic genset ram on my 83 PT40, which ran off the same
system as the jacks.

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
wrote:
>
> Folks,
>
> Appreciate all of the replies on this. I'll be ordering a new actuator
> from HWH and may attempt to do the job myself.
>
> Question: How do I refill & bleed (?) the hydraulic system? I believe
> the fluid drained out of the lines but for some reason the system is
> not pulling fluid from the reservoir, as it is still full. I want to
> perform a full bleed & fill of the system before I buy the actuator,
> just to verify the diagnosis (I want to see fluid squirting from the
> actuator myself).
>
> -Ryan
> '86 PT-40 8V92
> Tri-Cities, WA
>
> On 7/12/07, krminyl@... wrote:
> >
> > Just a little addendum to Curt's suggestion....the kick-down
actuator is
> > attached to the main piston with 2 big hose clamp-type screw
clamps. When you
> > take them off, there are two little spacer button thingys that
set the
> > kick-down actuator piston apart from the main leveling piston.
The two spacers are
> > different, and there is a small spring inside this spacers.
Make a mental
> > (or written) note, which spacer goes on the top, and which one
goes on the
> > bottom. They are not interchangeable. Do not lose the little
spring that's
> > inside the spacer button thingy.
> >
> > It took Curt 15 minutes....it took me two days because I couldn't
get the
> > darn button spacer (for the lack of a better term) to seat and
seal properly.
> > Holding onto a slippery piston actuator (coated with trans
fluid), while
> > upside down on your back, and getting the hose clamp things on
was a bear for
> > me....but I did get the job done, and it's worked perfectly
since. I too
> > ordered the new actuator from HWH, and got about 50% back when I
sent them my old
> > one. Again, if you get a new actuator from HWH, the spacers are
taped in the
> > correct spots...don't mix them up.
> >
> > You can download the HWH parts list and assembly diagram from
their website.
> >
> > Good luck...If I can do it, anybody can.
> >
> > Kevin McKeown
> > Yorba Linda, CA
> > 1986 38' PT (for sale)
> >
>

[Ryan Wright]

Thanks Mike & Curt. This isn't making a lot of sense to me, then - if
no bleeding is required, I wonder why my reservoir is full and yet the
system is not working? The pump is clearly attempting to pump, I can
hear it running same as before. Wouldn't you think it would take fluid
from the reservoir and pump it right out where the leak is? A full
reservoir and non-working hydraulics is confusing, unless the pump
isn't actually pumping, but I'd think it would sound different if that
were the case.

I'm going to fiddle with it some more when I get home tonight...

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92
Tri-Cities, WA


On 7/18/07, Curt Sprenger wrote:
> Ryan,
> Our coach is the '87 PT. The HWH jack/leveling system does not require
> bleeding.
>
> --
> Curt Sprenger
> 1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
> Anaheim Hills, CA

On 7/18/07, mbulriss <mbulriss@...> wrote:
>
> Ryan,
>
> The HWH fluid reservoir is under the middle front step on a PT.
> There is a trap door to access the fill spout. You just need a small
> funnel to add Dexron ATF (at least that's what's supposed to be in
> there). As far as I was told there is no need to bleed the system,
> just cycle the thing a couple of times. At least that is what worked
> on the hydraulic genset ram on my 83 PT40, which ran off the same
> system as the jacks.
>
> Mike Bulriss
> 1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
> San Antonio, TX