Oil on driveway

[Regwal]

Today I parked my 99 PA on the drive way to wash it. I did not lower the leveling jacks. After moving the coach back to it's parking spot I noticed two oil spots on drive way where rear jacks were located. I'm guessing this is a seal problem (without looking) because both were leaking, evidently. Is this a big job, something a shop will have to correct or is it something I should be able to perform.

[Dwight]

I would suggest that you slide under your motorhome & determine what is leaking before you ask how to repair it. A hose or loose connection leak is more common. Dwight

[Dunner]

Lower the jacks, spray with silicone seal or WD-40, activate them a couple of times, then wipe them down and spray again. Could be just one tiny grain of dirt in the seal.

[Tha_Rooster]

Kinda strange they leak with no pressure.

[Cat320]

Originally Posted by Dunner

Lower the jacks, spray with silicone seal or WD-40, activate them a couple of times, then wipe them down and spray again. Could be just one tiny grain of dirt in the seal.

WD 40 is not a lubricant...if using it, use it as a cleaner... spray it on, wipe it off, then use the silicone.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Cat320

WD 40 is not a lubricant...

Cat320
What ???

The manufacturer of my leveling jacks states: "WD-40 will serve as a solvent as well as a lubricant".....please read #5, (on page 4), of this pdf: https://www.google.com/#q=lube+RVA+jacks.

I have the RVA "JII Leveling System" and I have used WD-40, (and only WD-40), on my jacks for the 12 years I've owned my coach.

Mel
'96 Safari, 132k miles, (105k mine)

[Walter5555]

I would go along with what Thread #2 had to say.
If you don't know whats broke you can't fix it.
Just a thought.

[Dunner]

Originally Posted by Cat320

WD 40 is not a lubricant...if using it, use it as a cleaner... spray it on, wipe it off, then use the silicone.

Here we go with WD-40 not being a lubricant again. Spray it on a glass surface, let the transfer agent evaporate and tell me what that slippery residue is.

[98FPA]

I have Power Gear levelers that use transmission oil in them, if the oil is red color it is probably the jacks. I also had quite a lot of oil on the jack pad itself. I have a 98 Pace Arrow and as far as removing them, for me anyway it was quite a chore. If you have room for an impact wrench it may be a lot easier. On mine there just wasn't much room because of my propane tank but I finally was able to get it off. I took it to a local hydraulic repair shop and had it completely resealed for around $120.00. After I got it put back into place the other rear started leaking so now I have another opportunity! There really shouldn't be much oil in the cylinder because if the are in the up position the oil should have been pushed back into the reservoir. I would imagine though if you have bad seals some oil would leak past the seals into the lower portion of the cylinder. I'm over 65 so you can determine your capability for handling this job if in fact it is your jacks leaking and they are Power Gear. Good luck.

[hooverbill]

WD stands for Water Displacement, it attracts crud and should not be use in a ''dirty'' enviroment. As a sailboater, we avoid it for that reason and use dry lube.

Here are some "don'ts."

Don't Spray It On:

1. Door hinges. WD-40 will stop the squeaking, but it also attracts dust and dirt. Over time, you'll end up with ugly black streaks on your hinges.

2. Bike chains. WD-40 can cause dirt and dust to stick to a chain. Use bike-specific lubricants, which typically contain Teflon.

3. Paintball guns. WD-40 can melt the seals in the guns.

4. Locks. The spray can prematurely wear down the internal mechanisms, especially in the pin tumbler locks, in door locks and padlocks. Go for graphite powder.

5. iPods and iPads. WD-40 won't repair the Home button on these devices. In fact, the spray can cause the plastic to break down on the cover, and if some gets inside the electronics, it can damage plastic parts inside.

[Dunner]

Won't even light oil attract dust and dirt? I've heard that lithium grease doesn't as much.

[Regwal]

All Christmas festivities have settled down so went out to MH and crawled under to have a look. The two rear leveler jacks have pretty good leaks. I could not find any leaks around fittings but the pads were covered with oil. I looks to me like it is coming from inside the tube(leg), on both jacks. My next step is to remove the legs and see what is going on. Referring to my original question and assumption, is this something a person with average mechanical abilities can do or is better going to a shop? Just looking at it removal should be easy unless there is a weight factor this 75 year old should consider. I haven't found the power unit yet either.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Dunner

Won't even light oil attract dust and dirt? I've heard that lithium grease doesn't as much.

IMO, and experience, dust, sand and dirt will stick to any grease.

About the only kind of lubricants that will stay relatively clean are the dry silicone lubes,
(like these: https://www.google.com/#q=dry+silico...icant&tbm=shop)

However, the best lube to use on leveling jacks is the one the jack manufacturer recommends.

Mel
'96 Safari

[Dunner]

Agreed. I use the zerk fittings on mine to lube them and spray/wipe them down with silicone spray.