Repair And Fix it

The 2000 model year Dodge Neon uses a hydraulic pump to create pressure that assists the driver in steering the vehicle. The hydraulically assisted steering, commonly known as power steering, is especially helpful at lower speeds when the driver must use more effort to steer. Maintenance and removal of power steering components may require removing the hydraulic hoses that flow to and from the power steering pump.

Instructions

Removal

1

Locate the power steering gear near the front left wheel and determine if you can access the hose attachments well enough to remove them.

2

Remove the negative battery cable to ensure all steering components will be disabled.

3




Jack the front of the car and place it on jack stands. Remove the front wheels. Do this step only if you cannot access the hose connections at the power steering gear from the engine compartment or without raising the car.

4

Siphon as much fluid from the power steering pump reservoir as possible to reduce spillage.

5

Remove all hose clamps from the hose you will replace.

6

Loosen the hose nut at the power steering pump if you are removing the pressure hose. The return hose is only secured with a clamp.

7

Position a small bucket or other container underneath the hose as you remove it. Drain as much fluid into the container as possible to minimize hazardous fluid spills from reaching the ground. If you were able to siphon the reservoir, this step may not be necessary.

8

Disconnect the lower end of the hose. Try to contain spillage in a container.

Installation

9

Install the lower end of the new hose. Tighten the hose nut if it is a pressure or the hose clamp for the return hose. Tighten the hose nut to 25 foot-pounds of torque.

10

Route the hose upward along the same path it ran before it was removed. Install the upper part of the hose and tighten the clamp or hose nut. Tighten the hose nut to 25 foot-pounds of torque.

11

Reinstall the front wheels and lower the car if it was raised for access.

12

Reinstall all the hose clamps that were removed.

13

Refill the power steering reservoir with new fluid.

14

Reconnect the negative battery cable.

Hydraulic systems such as a vehicles brake system, are systems that operate, moves or are affected by a fluid. Depending on the system, the fluid may be water-based or oil-based.

Hydraulic Fluid

Hydraulic fluid is a medium that transmits power in a hydraulic system. The viscosity, wear protection, oxidation stability and foaming resistance are typical factors that determines the type of hydraulic fluid. The viscosity of the fluid must match the operating temperature of the hydraulic system.

Transmission Fluid

Transmission fluid is oil that lubricates the moving parts within the transmission. Automatic transmissions also use the fluid as a coolant. Transmission fluid is designed for automatic and manual transmissions. Due to the heat operation of the transmission generates, automatic transmission fluid degrades and breaks down with use.

Comparision

Transmission fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid. The transmission fluid is a medium that transmits power from the engine to the transmission. Other types of hydraulic fluid include mulitgrade engine oil and conventional, antiwear hydraulic oil.

Hydraulic fluid is the lifeblood of a forklift. Forklifts rely on hydraulics for their lifting abilities as well as steering. It is important to maintain the proper level of hydraulic fluid in a forklifts reservoir. An inadequate level of hydraulic fluid will decrease a forklifts lifting and steering abilities. An overabundance of fluid, on the other hand, can lead to other problems, such as leaks and spills. Many manufacturers recommend replacing a forklifts hydraulic oil every 1,000 hours of use.

Instructions

1

Consult the forklift operators manual, if available. It will tell you the specific grade of hydraulic fluid to use as well as what the particular fill level of the hydraulic tank is. If the manufacturers recommendation cannot be found, use a general purpose fluid like ISO 32 hydraulic oil.

2

Park the forklift on level ground. Lower the forks until they touch the ground, set the parking brake, and turn the ignition off.

3

Locate the hydraulic reservoir. It will have a vented fill cap on its top side and a sight glass or fill gauge on its side to indicate the fluid level.

4

Remove the vented fill cap. Insert the oil delivery pumps discharge nozzle into the fill tube and begin pumping fluid into the reservoir.

5

Observe the tanks fluid level by via the sight glass or fill gauge. Once the fluid level reaches the max fill line, stop pumping. Do not overfill the tank.

6

Slowly withdraw the delivery pumps fill nozzle. Use a shop towel to contain or clean up any hydraulic fluid that may have spilled onto the outside of the tank.

7

Finish filling the forklifts hydraulic tank by replacing the vented fill cap.

When your hydraulic jack stops working then its likely a seal has failed. This causes hydraulic fluid to leak out, the pressure to drop, and the jack to stop lifting. Replacing a seal can be a tall order and sometimes the replacement parts can cost more than a new jack. However, if you can isolate the leak to one seal in particular then you should be able to replace that seal for relatively little money.

Instructions

Find the Source of the Leak

1

Open the cap for the oil reservoir. With the bottle on its side, fill the jack until it is about 1/4-inch below the level of the hole. Replace the cap and wipe the outside clean with the cloth.

2

Place the jack under a vehicle and pump it up until there is weight on it. Continue to pump and watch the jack to find out where the fluid is coming from. It is likely to be coming either from around the piston at the top of the jack, around one of the screws in the bottom of the jack or around the piston under the handle.

3

Lower the jack, wipe it down and place it on a bench for further work.

Leakage from the Top

4

Drain the oil from the jack by opening the oil reservoir and letting it into a tray. Stand the jack so the piston extends vertically and youll find it looks like a bottle. At the top of this bottle there is a nut called the tank nut, through which the piston extends. Undo the tank nut using a pipe wrench. You may have to use a clamp or vice to hold the jack in place.

5

Remove the piston from the jack. Once the tank nut is undone the piston will slide out. There are several pieces to the piston, record their positions as you remove them so you can put them back the same way. The positions and order will depend on the jack you are repairing. Examine the seals around these pieces to see whether they are pinched, cracked or broken. Replace any that look worn.

6

Replace the pieces of the piston inside the jack and tighten the tank bolt.

Leakage from the Bottom

7

Drain the oil from the jack by opening the oil reservoir and tipping the oil out.

8

Remove the screw that shows the leak and look carefully into the hole. There will be a ball or a pin if it is the release valve, or two balls and two springs if it is the overload valve. Carefully remove each of these pieces and make a note of the order in which you removed them.

9

Verify all the balls and springs are present and then examine the inside of the hole for the O-rings and washers creating the seal. Examine these for cracks, breaks or pinches. Replace anything in bad shape.

10

Put the balls and springs back in the hole in the order you removed them. Usually it goes small ball then small spring, then large ball and large spring. Depending on the jack, you may also have plates and guides to keep the balls and springs in place.

11

Once the balls and springs are back inside, replace the screw.

Leakage from the Handle

12

Drain the oil from the jack by removing the reservoir plug and letting the oil into a tray.

13

Remove the bolts securing the handle to the piston and to its pivot. There are usually three or four bolts. The number depends on the manufacturer.

14

Place the jack in a vice and pull out the pump piston, which is attached to the handle. It is not bolted in place but it may require a lot of force to remove. Put aside the piston and examine the O-rings and washers for any sign of pinching, cracking or breaking. All the seals are on the inside of the hole, in the body of the jack. Very few jacks have seals on the handle itself. Replace any worn seals.

15

Push the piston back down into the hole and replace the handle assembly, securing it with the same bolts you removed.

Finishing

16

Replace the oil in the reservoir. Open the reservoir cap and fill it with hydraulic oil until it is about 1/4-inch below the level of the hole when the jack is on its side.

17

Remove any excess air from the jack by opening the release valve and vigorously pumping the handle. Close the release valve, then raise and lower the jack as you normally would. If there is still air in the system, the jack will not reach its full range of travel, so repeat the process until you get the full range of travel.

18

Wipe the jack with the cloth to clean the outside and lift the vehicle again. Determine whether there are any other leaks by examining the outside of the jack.

Hydraulic motors utilize fluid pressure in the operation of the mechanical loads. (See Reference 1) Hydraulic motors are unable to function separately from a circuit, pump, valves, filters, hoses, metal tubing and other hydraulic components. There are three major types of hydraulic motors that each operate within this same capacity but are unique in their own respects.

Gear motors

Gear motors come in two types, internal and external. Internal gear motors generally are constructed of an output shaft and an inner-outer gear set. (See Reference 2) The outer gear has an additional tooth compared to the inner gear, and the shape of these teeth makes it so the two gears are constantly in contact with one another. Motor housings for the motors have kidney-shaped inlet and outlet ports. In addition, the center rotations of both gears are separated by a predetermined amount called the eccentricity. In this design, the center of the output shaft and the inner gear are located in the same place. (see Reference 2) In contrast to the internal design, external gear motors are constructed of matched gears contained within a single housing. A similar tooth formation is seen in both gears and propelled by fluid pressure, with one gear connected to an output shaft and the other an idler. The force of the pressure fluid creates the rotation of the gears along the outside of the housing, and the fluid flows at a low pressure from the other side of the motor. (See Reference 2)

Vane motors

Vane motors are constructed of a slotted rotor affixed to the drive shaft, which is then operated through the rotor. (See Reference 2) The vanes move in a radial direction to seal the cam ring. This ring, with dual major and minor sections, is connected by transitional ramps or sections. Grooves and holes in the vanes are used to provide balance to the radial forces throughout the operation of the motor. (See Reference 2)

Piston

There are two types of piston motors, axial and radial piston motors. With the axial piston motor, the cylinders are in a 360-degree circle and are parallel to one another. (See Reference 1) Each individual cylinder contains a piston that "reciprocates with one end of the piston pushing against an eccentric swash-plate located at one end of the bank of cylinders." (See Reference 1) Through this arrangement of cylinders, the plate is connected to an output shaft that is "axially aligned with the cylinders." (See Reference 1) Generally seen in cylindrical hydraulic motors, axial piston motors are largely meant for compact designs. Radial piston motors are defined by the arrangement of the pistons on cams alongside the camshaft that is then attached to the output shaft. Using a reciprocal movement, the pistons create a rotary motion to the variant shafts to create power. Radial piston hydraulic motors are often seen in vehicle and airplane engines but are additionally useful in large equipment such as forklifts.

Hydraulic cylinders can be found in a wide variety of industrial machinery. Cylinders can produce great power and are used in construction equipment, railroad machinery, manufacturing presses and in large public works facilities. The hydraulic system is normally reliable and trouble free, but over time heat and dirt wear away the close tolerances inside the moving components. Hydraulic cylinders can be very expensive and by testing a hydraulic cylinder properly you can save a lot of money in unneeded repairs.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the hydraulic hoses at the cylinder. Cap the cylinder and hoses with the correct size JIC caps and plugs. Remove the hydraulic cylinder from the equipment and place it on a work bench with the service ports facing up.

2

Remove the JIC caps from the cylinder service ports and fill both sides of the cylinder with clean hydraulic fluid. Connect one of the hydraulic pressure gauges to the service port of the blind side of the cylinder using a T-fitting. Connect the T-fitting to one of the outlet ports of the directional valve.

3

Connect a T-fitting to the service port of the piston side of the cylinder. Connect the other side of the T-fitting to the other ball valve and then to the other outlet port of the directional valve. Connect the third side of the T-connector with a short piece of hose to another T-connector. Install the hydraulic pressure gauge to one port of the last T-fitting and the other port to the pressure relief valve.

4

Connect a hydraulic hand pump to the inlet port of the directional valve following the manufacturers instructions. Open both ball valves and stroke the cylinder in each direction to remove all air from both sides of the cylinder. Position the piston rod mid-way and close the ball valve on the blind end of the cylinder.

5

Back out the adjustment on the pressure relief valve all the way. Set the directional valve to divert flow to the rod side of the cylinder. Activate the hydraulic pump and slowly turn in the pressure relief adjustment until the gauge pressure on the rod side of the cylinder equals the rated pressure of the cylinder.

6

Close the ball valve on the rod side of the cylinder and stop the hydraulic pump. Record the readings on both hydraulic gauges over time and observe any changes. Depending on the design of the cylinder, the rod side of the cylinder can be as much as twice the pressure of the blind side of the cylinder. If there are any differential pressure changes over time, then there is a problem with the piston or cylinder tube. Repair or replace the cylinder as required.

Hydraulic jacks are relatively simple machines. If you have one in your workshop that no longer lifts, then you should consider trying to rebuild it. Many jacks are designed to be disposable and thrown out as soon as they break, but high quality hydraulic jacks can be rebuild instead of being replaced and some manufacturers offer rebuild kits. The procedure is the same whether you have a bottle jack or a floor jack. A floor jack has a bottle jack inside, so remove the bottle before starting the procedure. This procedure should not be part of your routine maintenance routine but it may help if the jack is not working correctly.

Instructions

1

Drain the oil from the jack by removing the drain plug. This is usually the uppermost plug if the bottle were standing on its base. Once the oil is drained, clean and replace the drain plug.

2

Remove the handle assembly. This is usually held in place by a few bolts. Once you have it off, pull the pump piston out from underneath the handle. This can be done by hand, though you may want to secure the jack with a vise.

3

Remove the release valve by unscrewing it. There is usually a ball or pin to regulate flow under the cap. Remove this by using the pencil magnet and keep the ball and cap together.

4

Remove the overload valve. This valve is often under a screw and close to the release valve. Remove the screw or bolt holding it in place and then use the pencil magnet to remove the two balls and springs underneath. There may also be some dividers, plates and guides underneath it. As you remove these, make a note of the order they were removed. This will help you when it comes to replacing them.

5

Use the pipe wrench to remove the tank nut from the top of the bottle. Once this is off, the piston will slide out and you will be able to slide all the pieces apart. Make another note of which piece was inside which, so you can put them back together afterward.

6

Examine all the o-rings and seals for pinches, cracks or breaks while everything is apart. Replace the o-rings and washers with new ones. When removing the o-rings do not use the side that creates the seal as leverage as this may damage the surface and prevent the new ring from sealing correctly. You can also soak the new soft o-rings and washers in hydraulic oil to improve their initial seal.

7

Reassemble the piston by referring to the directions you drew up when you removed it. Slide the piston back inside the bottle and tighten the tank nut.

8

Replace the balls and springs in the overload valve. Usually the smallest ball goes first, followed by the smaller spring and then the large ball and large spring. Refer to the directions you wrote when removing them if you have additional parts. Replace the cap on the top of the hole.

9

Replace the ball or pin inside the release valve by dropping it in to place and then replace the release valve screw or bolt.

10

Push the pump piston back into place under the handle and replace the handle assembly using the bolts you removed earlier to secure it in place.

11

Open the oil reservoir cap, refill the jack with oil and bleed any excess air from the system. To bleed the air, open the release valve and pump the handle vigorously several times. Then close the vale, pump the jack to its full height, open the release valve and let it down. Repeat this process until the jack reaches its full height.

12

Wipe the jack all over with the cloth and test it by lifting a vehicle. Carefully examine it following the test for any evidence of leaks.