Forum Discussion

53_willys's avatar
53_willys
Explorer
Oct 29, 2016

Hydraulic slide pump

I have a 2005 Americana 5th wheel and the reservoir on the hydraulic pump has leaked off and on for the past 5 years I've tried everything I can to fix the leak but nothing helps. So I'm going to replace the entire pump, my question is have any of you had to replace your pump and who did you buy the pump from? The rest of the trailer is like new but that **** pump drives me crazy , any help would be greatly appreciated....Dan
  • There were lots of threads on pump leaks and how to fix it. It is more than likely a Lippert part. Search the internet for Lippert components and root around their web site for hydraulic pump assemblies.
  • If it's working fine but just has a leak, I'd pull it and take it to a local hydraulic shop.

    Bill
  • If finding the leak doesn't work then there must be a name plate on that pump with the manufacturer's name and part number. Use a search engine to look for that. But my guess is that it's just a leaking seal or joint. Take to a hydraulic shop as suggested.
  • It is a Lippert pump and it leaks between the plastic fluid tank and the body of the pump.I guess from what I've read it's just a poor design.
  • Check the retainer plastic ring that holds the tank onto the pump. Lipart repaired my pump out of warranty because the ring had cracked. The replacement ring was twice the size of the original. the tank is only secured to the pump by the ring. I suspect that the weight of The full tank and road vibration could of caused the leak over time and the ring was not stout enough to withstand the vibration. The other thing I saw posts on was about the O-ring. Any mark on the O-ring will eventually cause a leak. The repair was make 5-6 years ago, no problems since.
  • Wished it was that easy Charlie, but mine has 4 screws holding the tank to the pump and a O-ring type seal . The thing only leaks during the warm weather so it's an expansion problem I'm thinking. The tank is horizontal and it's just a very poor design. I've tried everything to stop the weep/ leak but every time the weather turns warm the darn thing leaks.
  • As someone who just shelled out the money for a Lippert hydraulic pump replacement without it fixing or changing my symptoms, I advise caution and forethought before you do. These hydraulic systems have too many failure points to be properly troubleshot (especially for an older system - think 10 years of valve degradation from weather/temperature changes) which can lead to unnecessary replacements. Unless you are a hydraulics expert, I would recommend getting expert advice and being very thorough about vetting that expertise (anyone who claims that these things are easy to troubleshoot and that they can guarantee that replacing this or that will fix the problem for sure is _not_ an expert - with hydraulics you cannot know for sure if your problem is resolved until the part is replaced).

    Take it from me, nothing is more frustrating than shelling out for the replacement, but being in the exact same situation afterwards with no recourse.