Soft Top hydraulic leak

[Jim1826]

I just replaced the hydraulic pump motor for the top and relocated it to the trunk while doing so. It opened and closed great a dozen times but now I’ve got hydraulic fluid leaking from the drain on the right side. Does anyone know or have had experience rebuilding the hydraulic actuator on the hinge lifter? Do you have a source for the rebuild kits or a reasonably priced dealer for replacement parts. I intend to do both sides as my experiemce with hydraulic systems tells me if one side fails, the other side will be right behind it.

I’m sure this has been addressed elsewhere in the forum but I’m unable to locate it.

Thanks

 

[enuff_zed]

I just replaced the hydraulic pump motor for the top and relocated it to the trunk while doing so. It opened and closed great a dozen times but now I’ve got hydraulic fluid leaking from the drain on the right side. Does anyone know or have had experience rebuilding the hydraulic actuator on the hinge lifter? Do you have a source for the rebuild kits or a reasonably priced dealer for replacement parts. I intend to do both sides as my experiemce with hydraulic systems tells me if one side fails, the other side will be right behind it.

I’m sure this has been addressed elsewhere in the forum but I’m unable to locate it.

Thanks

99 times out of 100 it's not the ram at all. Much more likely to be pipe 14. The last part of it is a solid metal section bent through 90 degrees. It gradually corrodes to the point where it gets a pinhole in the bend and empties the reservoir very quickly.
If, during the relocation, you moved the roof by hand and had to push against hydraulic pressure then that is possibly when the pipe failed.
Get hold of a replacement pipe, lift that side of the roof and thread the new pipe into place.
Only issue is that sometimes the tiny screw clamping it into place is corroded too and can easily round off.

 

[BumpyZ4]

You might want to follow this thread he started taking his hinge apart. I had mine rebuilt at Top Hydraulics in Oregon.
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=148166
https://tophydraulics.com/