Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-14-2013, 12:05 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
Question Bleeding Air out of Hydaulic Slideout System

Does anyone know how to bleed the air out of a hydraulic slide-out system? Changed the seals/gaskets in Dewald pump & now the slide-out will not go in or out. Motor is running. I have a 1995 Aluma-Lite Holiday Rambler 5th Wheel. Trailer is kept inside when not in use. Changed seals due to the drifting of the slide-out. Dewald has sold out to PowerGear & their info has been helpful except they state to extract & retract room to purge air. The room does not budge. Thanks for any help.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 12:39 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: iowa
Posts: 285
check your fluid level is it low or kind of milky looking if it is the fluid is full of air bubbles . if it is just let it set for an hour or two then fill the tank and try again. it will work out on its own by running the slide in and out but if the fluid has to much to much air in it the pump cant produce enough pressure to move the slide.
lbrunning is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 12:48 PM   #3
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
Thanks for your reply. I have checked the fluid & it is not milky. After I changed the seals & reinstalled the pump, the slideout moved just a few inches, I checked the oil level, adding just to the fill level. Now the slide out will not go in or out, so the air does not bleed out.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 01:01 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: iowa
Posts: 285
i assume that the only thing this runs is a single slide. how far apart did you have the pump
lbrunning is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 01:19 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
Yes, all this runs is a single slide. Didn't quite catch that last question/comment.... Thanks.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 01:26 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: iowa
Posts: 285
when you said you changed seals in dewald pump did you mean in the hyd cylinder or in the actual hyd pump that is located in the in the fluid tank attached to the dc motor
lbrunning is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 01:30 PM   #7
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
Seals in the pump assembly.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 01:47 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: iowa
Posts: 285
looking on line for break down of hyd pump dont know if you have done this yet but if you Google dewald hydraulic pump you will get the parts and service manual. sounds like you lost all pressure right away. i would start by making sure a o rig or seal was not cut when you reassembled it. if not follow the diagnostic procedure in the service manual
lbrunning is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 06:15 PM   #9
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
Thanks....
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 07:52 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: West St. Paul, Manitoba
Posts: 886
A quick way, if you can get at the hydraulic line attached to the hydraulic cylinder, loosen the nut on the line attached to the hydraulic cylinder, DO NOT REMOVE, just loosen a little bit turn on pump, if there is air in the line it will escape and be replaced with hydraulic fluid, if there is no air or no fluid your pump is not working. Now you have to do this at both the retract and extend end of the cylinders. The retract end is the fitting near the piston end of the cylinder. good luck
__________________
Of all the things I've lost in my life the thing I miss the most is my mind!
prairiecamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 08:26 PM   #11
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
That idea has crossed my mind, however, to get to the cylinder, I will have to cut open the bottom of the trailer. I did take off one of the hoses at the pump & had my friend press the button to the slide - red oil shot out of the hose. Not sure if that is a good sign, but I hope it means the pump is working.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 08:44 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
VinceU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunGuy View Post
That idea has crossed my mind, however, to get to the cylinder, I will have to cut open the bottom of the trailer. I did take off one of the hoses at the pump & had my friend press the button to the slide - red oil shot out of the hose. Not sure if that is a good sign, but I hope it means the pump is working.
Here ya go, found this in another forum I read awhile back. This fellows answer and a total Hyd. pump overhaul. Lots of cooling time between cycles. 12 volt DC motor creates lots of heat.

"I had to run mine 6 – 8 times for 20 seconds, each time, to get the slides to start moving. I was concerned after about the fourth time and no movement, but I kept at it and once the pump got primed all was normal. Run it once for 20 seconds, wait 2 minutes to cool, the run it for another 20 seconds. Now wait 15 minutes for cool down and repeat above. "
VinceU is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 09:08 PM   #13
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
VinceU, I will try that approach first thing in the morning! Worth a try! Thanks for sharing.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 09:11 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: West St. Paul, Manitoba
Posts: 886
Quote:
That idea has crossed my mind, however, to get to the cylinder, I will have to cut open the bottom of the trailer.
That seems a little extreme, what would one do if a cylinder had to be replaced? Are there no removeable panels underneath? It seems your pump is working? Then again it also requires pressure along with flow? However if the fluid leaked out from the cylinders while the pump was being rebuilt the air can only be removed by loosening the nut at the cylinder! Are you sure there is no mechanical interference preventing the slide from moving?
__________________
Of all the things I've lost in my life the thing I miss the most is my mind!
prairiecamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2013, 09:26 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
VinceU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
The only way (clean unmessy way) to remove the air is to drive it with oil back to the reservoir tank with cylinder movements. Since the pump was open the air is somewhat more difficult to move until it primes. Positive Displacement pumps are self priming, just takes longer than when flooded as when a cylinder is replaced.
VinceU is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-16-2013, 08:27 PM   #16
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
Update: Pulled Pump/Motor Assembly back out & detached reservoir. Took a clear, clean tube & attached to both the retract & extract pump lines. Then using the manual hand pump, I primed the pump. The clear tube made it easy to see any air bubbles. Reattached reservoir (filling it back up with ATF), & connected to electrical & hydraulic lines. Slide-out now goes in & out as it should. Thanks for all of the help.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-16-2013, 09:03 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
VinceU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunGuy View Post
Update: Pulled Pump/Motor Assembly back out & detached reservoir. Took a clear, clean tube & attached to both the retract & extract pump lines. Then using the manual hand pump, I primed the pump. The clear tube made it easy to see any air bubbles. Reattached reservoir (filling it back up with ATF), & connected to electrical & hydraulic lines. Slide-out now goes in & out as it should. Thanks for all of the help.
Good shortcut!
VinceU is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2018, 07:28 PM   #18
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 1
I know this post is a few years old. I found it while trying to resolve a hydraulic slide issue i am having on my Fifth wheel. How exactly did you hook these lines up and pump through them?
mattjreynolds is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2018, 08:08 PM   #19
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Carlyss, Louisiana
Posts: 9
Well, that was a long time ago. Tomorrow I will go out my trailer & look at the pump. I just can't remember how I hooked it up. Hope you can wait till then. Regards.
CajunGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-19-2018, 06:55 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
VinceU's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
Hydraulic systems using an open tank are self venting. The few times I did it simply start the system and reverse the slides or jacks multiple strokes until smooth. All devices should be purged. Most important is do not exceed pump/motor duty cycle of maybe 30 seconds with cool down periods in between each.
Most effective means to purge. Oil is pushed and pulled down each line while drained to tank.
VinceU is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:35 AM.