Big Mistake I used WD-40 on my Hyd. Jacks

[Smitty77]

Understand your first concern, as even though everything we read on the internet may not be 100% accurate - once you read something it is hard to get it out of your mind!

Concur they'll be OK.

Now, send me a check for $1M fast - as I have a sure fire...

Best of luck, smooth sailing, and easy jacking ahead,
Smitty

[stuhly]

If it won't move and should - WD40
If it does move and shouldn't - Duct tape.

[Tony Lee]

As in lots of these situations, you will get people going way beyond the intent of the advice and actually causing problems.
For instance, extending the jacks, spraying them liberally with WD40 and then sitting for a week in a dust storm and then retracting them, isn't going to do them any good. Neither is using a heavier oil such as hydraulic fluid because dirt will stick to the rams.

In an ideal world we would all dive underneath with a can of WD40 and a microfibre cloth (never use just an ordinary bit of rag) and polish the rams just before retracting them. In the real world a hydraulic ram on earthmoving equipment operates every 10 seconds surrounded by dust and mud and the seals last for millions of cycles.

[wildtoad]

http://www.hwh.com/ml47149.pdf

[98FPA]

Tony Lee, your statement in your last paragraph should pretty well sum it for everyone. I don't think I've seen anyone shine a hydraulic cylinder rod out in the field.

[Steve N Sal]

Don't know who's jacks you have but if they're HWH there is nothing wrong with using WD40.

[jetdoc]

The only bad thing about wd40 is if it's left on thick and wet dust and dirt will stick to it. I am new to the motor home world but I use a dry silicone lube

[waroland]

Power Gear web site states that WD-40 will deteriorate the seals on their jacks.

[Hikerdogs]

This subject has been discussed to death over the years. Originally HWH advised only the use of a silicone spray with no petroleum products in the mix. They claimed the petroleum base would damage the seals. A couple years later they recommended no lubricant at all just wipe them down with an alcohol soaked rag. A little later on they said use WD-40 as a solvent then wipe it down with a silicone spray. It seems like every couple years or so someone gets a promotion and the new person has a different idea as how to clean and lubricate the jacks.

We had HWH jacks on our last coach and used WD-40 as a solvent to clean the road tar and other debris off the jacks. After I wiped them down I applied a coat of silicone spray. The process worked well for over 12 years and over 100,000 miles. We never lost a seal or had a jack stick once I started the process. The pistons on HWH jacks are made of stainless so there isn't going to be much of a problem with rust or corrosion.

Our new motorhome has Lippert jacks. They don't have stainless pistons so keeping them lubricated while extended is more important. Lippert recommends wiping them down every 7 days if they are left extended for long periods. If you're in an area where salt mist or spray is a possibility they recommend wiping them down every 3 days. Like HWH they recommend a silicone spray. They do however acknowledge the solvent properties of WD-40. They just say after using it to clean the jacks use a silicone spray to protect them. As mentioned the silicone won't hold the dirt like the petroleum base of the WD-40

It always seemed odd to me that some manufacturers have a thing against using petroleum based lubricants to clean and lubricate the cylinders. The fluid used inside almost all jack systems is a petroleum based automatic transmission fluid. Why is it that then that using a petroleum based lubricant on the outside could potentially damage the seal.

[Cat320]

Originally Posted by CoastieSCPO

...there is nothing wrong with cleaning your jacks with WD-40 as long as you wipe them off...

That's how I clean mine.

[fkloster]

Originally Posted by Tony Lee

As in lots of these situations, you will get people going way beyond the intent of the advice and actually causing problems.
For instance, extending the jacks, spraying them liberally with WD40 and then sitting for a week in a dust storm and then retracting them, isn't going to do them any good. Neither is using a heavier oil such as hydraulic fluid because dirt will stick to the rams.

In an ideal world we would all dive underneath with a can of WD40 and a microfibre cloth (never use just an ordinary bit of rag) and polish the rams just before retracting them. In the real world a hydraulic ram on earthmoving equipment operates every 10 seconds surrounded by dust and mud and the seals last for millions of cycles.

AMEN!!! I have 22 year old HWH heavy rams under my Beaver and, granted, i have never parked and stuck them in mud...., but i have NEVER wiped rams down in my life.... and no leaks and no problems. Construction equipment... rams exposed everywhere to far worse conditions.

[Hikerdogs]

Originally Posted by fkloster

AMEN!!! I have 22 year old HWH heavy rams under my Beaver and, granted, i have never parked and stuck them in mud...., but i have NEVER wiped rams down in my life.... and no leaks and no problems. Construction equipment... rams exposed everywhere to far worse conditions.

There's a big difference between the cylinders used on construction equipment and motorhome jacks. Most construction equipment cylinders have at least 2 scraper seals designed to clean the mud and crud off the piston before it gets to the oil seal. Then there is at least 1 wiper and anywhere from 2 to 4 oil seals designed to keep the oil inside the cylinder. Even then they leak from time to time. It's more often from sand or other foreign material scoring the piston while extended than crud getting past the scrapers and ruining the oil seals.

Motorhome jacks are on the low end as far as construction is concerned. They generally have 1 dust shield and 1 oil seal. It's much easier to destroy them by dragging dirt and sand past the seal.

[Snomas1]

I spray w/silicant and wipe down.

[wa8yxm]

Well, soaking the seals in WD-40, which by the way is a cleaner and water displacer, may well damage them but the small amount that remains on the shaft (Almost none since what WD-40 is NOT is a lubricant) will not do any noticeable damage.. Might take a day off the life of the seals if that.

Id simply let it go 2 weeks then use the PROPER spray and to coat it.