I started a bench test of the entire system on Saturday afternoon and all went well for a minute. The deck lid cylinder rod extended; I pressed the upper micro switch and the folding top cylinder rods extended. Then I noticed the first major problem (probably first of many); ATF was leaking out the drain hole in the bottom of the upper solenoid valve case. I reversed the process by pushing the top micro switch on the folding top switch assembly and the rods began to retract as they should, but ATF starting leaking out the bottom of the lower solenoid valve case. That was the end of the test.
I had custom seals made at a hydraulic shop. They are made as large as would fit inside the upper cover. They are made of Viton, a synthetic rubber that is not real soft, but stiff. The way the seal cutter worked, it created a bevel so that one diameter is slightly larger than the other diameter; probably 1,000th of an inch. i reversed the seals and seems to fit a little tighter, but the leak could be coming from around the hole in the center of the seal. Natural rubber might have been a better choice.
Anyone have experience with the power top solenoid valves?
Source for rubber seals?
Neither the 1961 car shop manual, not the ST-12 shows any details on the solenoids. Google searches have not found anything.
I hate to pay $450 to get them rebuilt which includes cleaning, honing, and rewinding the 4 coils. The solenoid valves function just fine when energized and I honed the valve bore and valve body. Both solenoid valves work, they just leak. I can't move forward until I get the leaks stopped.
I had custom seals made at a hydraulic shop. They are made as large as would fit inside the upper cover. They are made of Viton, a synthetic rubber that is not real soft, but stiff. The way the seal cutter worked, it created a bevel so that one diameter is slightly larger than the other diameter; probably 1,000th of an inch. i reversed the seals and seems to fit a little tighter, but the leak could be coming from around the hole in the center of the seal. Natural rubber might have been a better choice.
Anyone have experience with the power top solenoid valves?
Source for rubber seals?
Neither the 1961 car shop manual, not the ST-12 shows any details on the solenoids. Google searches have not found anything.
I hate to pay $450 to get them rebuilt which includes cleaning, honing, and rewinding the 4 coils. The solenoid valves function just fine when energized and I honed the valve bore and valve body. Both solenoid valves work, they just leak. I can't move forward until I get the leaks stopped.