After rebuilding my rotary height control valves this spring, I was initially disappointed that my air springs were still leaking down. When I pulled
the valves out of the dash and soap tested them, they had a slow leak around the newly installed housing seals.
I torqued down the Allen screws and was delighted to see an airtight result. I had not cranked on the Allen bolts too hard previously because they
seem somewhat delicate and the instructions warned about overtorqueing. The result was great!! The air springs have kept the coach up all summer.
First time in 30 yrs of coach ownership that this has happened.
However, today while driving, there was a loud pop that came from the passenger side rotary air valve and a loud whine of air leaking. I made it home
before the suspension flattened out completely.
At home, I discovered that the top piston had been blown out of the bore towards the plastic valve. I though this was no supposed to happen as it is
retained by the rubber O ring on the spring side of the piston. The piston that was displaced out of the bore was inspected under the microscope.
Both rubber O ring seals were in place and not damaged. The housing was inspected from outside and I could see no cracks. I thought I might have
overtorqued the Allen screws and cracked the housing. Will have to disassemble the housing and see if there are internal cracks.
My suspicion however is that the replacement O ring that goes on the spring side of the piston was undersized or not hard enough to prevent the air
pressure from blowing the piston, that it was supposed to retain, out the front of the housing. Has any one else encountered this problem and come up
with a solution?
Bob Gogan
the valves out of the dash and soap tested them, they had a slow leak around the newly installed housing seals.
I torqued down the Allen screws and was delighted to see an airtight result. I had not cranked on the Allen bolts too hard previously because they
seem somewhat delicate and the instructions warned about overtorqueing. The result was great!! The air springs have kept the coach up all summer.
First time in 30 yrs of coach ownership that this has happened.
However, today while driving, there was a loud pop that came from the passenger side rotary air valve and a loud whine of air leaking. I made it home
before the suspension flattened out completely.
At home, I discovered that the top piston had been blown out of the bore towards the plastic valve. I though this was no supposed to happen as it is
retained by the rubber O ring on the spring side of the piston. The piston that was displaced out of the bore was inspected under the microscope.
Both rubber O ring seals were in place and not damaged. The housing was inspected from outside and I could see no cracks. I thought I might have
overtorqued the Allen screws and cracked the housing. Will have to disassemble the housing and see if there are internal cracks.
My suspicion however is that the replacement O ring that goes on the spring side of the piston was undersized or not hard enough to prevent the air
pressure from blowing the piston, that it was supposed to retain, out the front of the housing. Has any one else encountered this problem and come up
with a solution?
Bob Gogan
