PA 1000 lb motorcycle lift adjustments | GTAMotorcycle.com

PA 1000 lb motorcycle lift adjustments

basmn

basmn

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Ok so I'm sure many of you have this lift.its a princess auto 1000 lb air over Hydraulic motorcycle lift ( the yellow one,,) Here's the issue. When I push the release lever the table does not go down smoothly (under load) it kind a jerks down unless I put the release lever down to the max but the rate of decent is quite fast. Second..the table slowly comes down on its own with no load on it. So there is 3 plugs on the cylinder base with adjusting screws under them but nothing in the instructions on which one does what. I called PA customer support and the guy on the phone was great but he also did not have any info on the 3 adjusting screw functions. I need to slow the rate of decent ( under load) and 2 - stop the table from drifting down.
Has anyone had these issues and corrected them ?
 
Coming down faster with no load may not be an option. You need something to push the fluid through. Many aluminum floor jacks won't lower unless you put weight on them.

One of the screws will be the relief valve to prevent over-pressurization and catastrophic failure. It probably feels like it has a spring behind it. Don't adjust that one. If you put lift all the way to the top and keep pumping, you may be able to feel/hear where that valve is.

One may be a fill port. Nothing to adjust there.

Third may be a restrictor for lowering speed. Tightening that will make it come down slower when loaded but may mean you have to stand on it when lightly loaded to get it to move.

I think @Mad Mike had a drifting table that he fixed. I suspect that will be more related to seals than an adjustment screw.

Ultimately, this is a simple hydraulic pump/cylinder. If you wanted to completely strip and rebuild it wouldn't be that hard. No idea on seal availability/cost. Also benchmark relief valve setting somehow before you start so you can get it close (how much weight on foot pedal to make it open or how much air pressure to so the same thing). I don't know if there is a test port (or if you have a guage) to set relief pressure properly.

I never trust cylinders to keep loads up. If it was me, I would figure out a leg/lock mechanism to hold the platform at height. Cylinder would just be used when changing heights. Even if I'm not inside the scissor getting ruined if it drops, handlebars in the back of the head wouldn't feel good.
 
Rate of decent with no load is not an issue ghost its smooth. I just want to slow it down some so it doesn't jerk when under load.( I would rather it slow and smooth) And yes of the 3 adjusting screws I'm sure one is relief...but which one lol... when I have a bike on it I don't remember it creaping down...I guess I'll try one screw at a time and see what the do noteing there position of coarse . I ALWAYS use the safety bar when working on the table, load or not. Hoping someone can chime in on the 3 screw settings
 
I have the same lift, still working well, so no clue as to how to adjust it.

Only thing I can think of would be to cruise the net and look for similar hydraulic cylinders and / lifts. I'm going to assume here that while a part may be manufactured by another company that the location of adjustment screws and how to adjust probably very similar.

See April 12, 2021 post.

www.m109riders.com

Bike lift drops too fast

www.m109riders.com www.m109riders.com

Other recommendation is to use a heavier weight hydraulic fluid
 
Ok. So I loaded the lift with 300 lbs. In the picture are 3 adjusting screw caps. Under the caps are adjusting screws. I removed the 2 outer covers ( bright ones) and turned them 1/2 turn CW. Before turning them in my decent was 7.4 sec. After adjustment time went to 7.9 sec and it's been an hr with no drop. The hex cap screw in the center also has an adjustable screw....I believe it to be the relief....fingers crossed this works but I'll celebrate after I have it fully loaded with the quad ( 800 lbs)
 

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If there's no fluid leaking and it's dropping on its own, there's probably an air bubble that needs to be bled out. Pump it up to he max, then keep pumping a bunch more times. Then see if it helped.
 
As for the adjusters, you manual should explain it. You can download it from PA web site.

EDIT: You may need to read between the lines - look at the parts diagram, not the text.

EDIT 2: I see the instructions supplied with the 1000 lb lift currently available isn't the same as the one I have. Mine had instructions for adjusting the lowering speed. The one currently for sale says not to adjust at all. Then again, you said you have the yellow one, which came out before my black one, so you should be able to adjust it. I'll have to figure out where I stashed those instructions for safe keeping...
 
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The more I think about it, the more I'm pretty sure my latest lift actually has a label on the adjuster (I've been through a few, so it's hard to keep track). This video shows a few different rams, maybe it will help you:

 
Relax said:
If there's no fluid leaking and it's dropping on its own, there's probably an air bubble that needs to be bled out. Pump it up to he max, then keep pumping a bunch more times. Then see if it helped.
Click to expand...
I have 2 pa lifts, both will slowly leak down after a few days. Use the locking bar.

One of the lifts lost the slow release, it will crash to the ground when the release pedal is hit. Happened after transporting the lift. PA could not fix the problem, and they could not get a replacement cylinder.

They did offer a replacement if I could produce the original receipt. Couldn’t, the lift was bought in 2015.
 
Mad Mike said:
I have 2 pa lifts, both will slowly leak down after a few days. Use the locking bar.

One of the lifts lost the slow release, it will crash to the ground when the release pedal is hit. Happened after transporting the lift. PA could not fix the problem, and they could not get a replacement cylinder.

They did offer a replacement if I could produce the original receipt. Couldn’t, the lift was bought in 2015.
Click to expand...

Damn, I used to lower the platform onto the locking bar with no hydraulic pressure until I noticed it was bending. So now I put it in as a safety stop, and leave the lift fully pressurized. Mine hasn't lowered by itself at all in the years I've owned it. I can't imagine pressing the release pedal and having the the bike come crashing down to the floor! Will have to be prepared for that but hope it never does.
 
Relax said:
Damn, I used to lower the platform onto the locking bar with no hydraulic pressure until I noticed it was bending. So now I put it in as a safety stop, and leave the lift fully pressurized. Mine hasn't lowered by itself at all in the years I've owned it. I can't imagine pressing the release pedal and having the the bike come crashing down to the floor! Will have to be prepared for that but hope it never does.
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I sold the lift to @mimico_polak not knowing the problem. It was only used once by a colleague, than sat 3 years.
 
Yes, as @Mad Mike says the lift came here and would slam down with no load when lowering. I’d say that’s too dangerous for my liking and no adjusting of the screws fixed it.

In the end he was kind enough to take it back but I def wasn’t able to get it working properly.

I would press the release and the lift would speed up and slam at the bottom hard enough to jump the whole lift up a little off the ground. Probably not a good idea to have a bike on it.
 
Relax said:
As for the adjusters, you manual should explain it. You can download it from PA web site.

EDIT: You may need to read between the lines - look at the parts diagram, not the text.

EDIT 2: I see the instructions supplied with the 1000 lb lift currently available isn't the same as the one I have. Mine had instructions for adjusting the lowering speed. The one currently for sale says not to adjust at all. Then again, you said you have the yellow one, which came out before my black one, so you should be able to adjust it. I'll have to figure out where I stashed those instructions for safe keeping...
Click to expand...
Instructions are clear as mud ...✌️
 
Ok, so here is where we are now. As per the mannual I bled the system. ( hold down the lowering pedal while pumping the manual raise pedal ) the lift now stays in the fully raised position (5 days now) no drop. As far as the lowering speed I turned the center adjusting screw in 2 turns but have not tested it with a full load.
 
Relax said:
Note that this is a little shorter and narrower than the pneumatic/hydraulic version of the same capacity, in case you intend to use a rear stand and/or separate wheel chock with it. I had to return the 800lb version because my Pitbull rear stand was too wide.

Platform Size (in.) 81-1/8L x 21-5/8W
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I have the black hyd/pnu version -- I think I'd prefer the simpler hydraulic only. The black one is 5" longer (irrelevant - I had a stupidly long Honda Stateline on mine with room to spare) and 5" wider which IMHO is a negative as you have to lean further and the pneumatic hose is always in the way, and really of no benefit as you can raise a 100lb bike with the hydraulic foot pump faster than connecting an airline and pumping with air.
 
Mad Mike said:
I have the black hyd/pnu version -- I think I'd prefer the simpler hydraulic only. The black one is 5" longer (irrelevant - I had a stupidly long Honda Stateline on mine with room to spare) and 5" wider which IMHO is a negative as you have to lean further and the pneumatic hose is always in the way, and really of no benefit as you can raise a 100lb bike with the hydraulic foot pump faster than connecting an airline and pumping with air.
Click to expand...

Measure twice, buy once, as they say. Just trying to save others from the fiasco that I went though. I rented a UHaul trailer to tow this 800lb version home only to find it was useless, then had to rent another one to return it. My SXV barely fit as you can see, and my single-sided rear stand wouldn't fit at all.


1708458409199.png
 
Relax said:
Measure twice, buy once, as they say. Just trying to save others from the fiasco that I went though. I rented a UHaul trailer to tow this 800lb version home only to find it was useless, then had to rent another one to return it. My SXV barely fit as you can see, and my single-sided rear stand wouldn't fit at all.


View attachment 66167
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I think you have a chock problem, those are made for the ground, not for a bike lift. The front chock should be 12” forward, that lift is plenty for that bike.

If you have ADV or sport bikes, the 800lb lift is suitable. If you have a full size cruiser, I’d step up to the hydraulic (blue) 1000 lb lift.
 
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