Many steppers lose their step - the foot peddles don’t raise up as high as they used to or when its really bad the foot peddles are flat on the floor.  A call to the manufacture and all you hear is spend $400 to purchase a new cylinder assembly - They don’t even offer a trade in credit for the old cylinder assemble.  

The following is a “self help” method to put the step back in your stepper.

I have made a short 5 minute video of adding oil to the stepper posted on youtube.com at this link

Click here to view YouTube video of Stepper Repair

Testing cylinders - Step on one peddle and hold it down.  Then grab the end of the other peddle and try and raise it up.  Notice in this picture the one peddle is not high enough.  To test the proper height push one peddle all the way down to the floor and then grab the end of the other peddle and attempt to raise it straight up.  There should be about 1 inch or so of free movement up until it stops.  If there are several inches of vertical movement then the fluid is low in your stepper.   The more free vertical movement the lower the fluid level is in the stepper. 

The stepper is a fairly simple machine and not too much can go wrong.  The machine does not use plastic bushings so the hinge pins never need maintenance.  

However, there are several things to be aware of.  If you have a squeak it is either the mounting bolts or a dry seal on the cylinder.  When you have a squeak the first thing is to loosen the mounting bolts at the top and bottom of the cylinder.  I think the manufacture has a team of weight lifters that tighten the bolts.  When the bolts are too tight it compresses the spacer washers and eventually they start to squeak.  The bolts need to be snug but not "weight lifter" tight.  

The cylinder seal can also squeak.  After loosening the bolts and there is still a squeak them have someone operate the machine while you spray WD40 on the silver plunger moving in and out of each cylinder.  You usually have to operate and spray for several minutes to work the WD40 down into the seals.  

The major problem unfortunately is that the cylinders are prone to leaking.  Leaking is due to bad seals between the silver plunger shaft and the cylinder body.  There are two procedures used to repair the stepper.  One is to just add oil and the other is to replace the seals and add oil.  Symptoms and needed tools etc are:  

The peddles are lower than they should be but they work.  

* There is no visible oil leaking out around the top of the cylinder.  

In this case all that is needed is to add some oil to the cylinder assembly.  First gather up the following items:

• Plastic drop cloth (you will spill oil and don’t want it to get on the carpets)
• Allen wrench set
• Small funnel VERY IMPORTANT - must fit between the reservoir and the machine frame
• One quart cheap automatic transmission oil - buy at any Walmart or auto parts place. 
• Large screwdriver
• Hammer

The peddles are flat on the floor

• * Visible oil leaking from top of cylinder
• * Puddle of oil on the floor

In this case the seals inside of the cylinders will need to be replaced and then add oil.  You will need all of the above materials plus the following:

• Wrenches to remove the cylinders
• Bolt that is 1/4 inch by 5 inches
• Ice pick
• Cloth rags
• Old clean towel that is used to lay parts on while repairing

See detailed instructions in the seal install section in this document. 

Procedure for adding oil
The first thing is to try and tighten the top screw on ring to make sure that isn’t the cause of the slow leak.  Notice the small round hole on the side of the cylinder.  Get a large screw driver and hammer.  Put the tip of the screw driver in to round hole at an angle.  Then tap the screw driver and try and drive the hole in the clockwise direction.  This tightens the top ring.  Usually not more than a 1/4 turn or so is all that you will be able to tighten.  Its pretty obvious when its all the way tight as the tapping will hit a solid stop.  Do this to both cylinders.  

How to Add Oil

Tip the machine over on its side.  Make sure you put a good size plastic drop cloth down under the machine because  when adding fluid you will spill some.  Make sure that the peddle on the same side as the re-fill plug is pushed all the way down.  The other peddle, closest to the floor, will be up some distance depending on how much fluid is in the reservoir.  The re-fill plug must be up when the machine is on its side.  

Now remove the re-fill plug with an allen wrench.  These machines use a couple of different size allen wenches so use one that fits properly.  When you get the plug out make sure you do not lose the rubber “O” ring that seals the plug.  

You will need a small funnel that fits under the machine pipe.  The funnel must fit tightly in the re-fill hole.  It can not be canted at an angle.  Usually in the kitchen section of local stores you can find small funnels.  

Fill the funnel about 3/4 full from the bottle of cheap automatic transmission fluid.  You might have to hold the funnel down in the hole so it doesn’t run out.  Slowly pull the peddle that is closest to the floor up.  Add fluid and pull in a coordinated manner.  Try and keep the funnel ½ to 3/4 full at all times so that you suck in oil and not air.  Make sure oil is going in as indicated by it going down in the funnel.  Go slow.  If you try and go too fast it is easy to suck in air.  When the peddle gets to the top of the range of motion it will stop.  Take out the funnel.  You will spill oil so use your rags to catch as much as you can.  

All the way up on the peddle you were pulling is too far.  Grab the peddle that you were pulling up on and push it back down about 1 inch.  Make sure fluid comes out of the re-fill hole.  Now making sure the fluid is all the way to the top of the hole, put the plug back in. 

Clean up the spilled fluid and put the machine back in the upright position.  All should work properly again.  If the peddles feel soft and spongy there is air in the system.  If the peddles do not go all the way up you did not add enough oil.  You will need to do the procedure over again.  

How to remove air: If you are not careful to keep the funnel ½ to 3/4 full of oil its is easy to suck in air.  To remove the air lay the machine on its side with the re-fill plug towards the floor.  Now operate the peddle a good 10-12 cycles When you stop operating make sure the peddle close to the floor and on the same side as the refill plug is all the way down.  Flip the machine over so the refill plug is on the top.  Remove the plug and push the peddle close to the floor all the way down and expel the oil and air.  Now go through the procedure to refill the oil.  Be careful not to suck air by making sure the funnel stays ½ to 3/4 full and move the peddle slowly.  

Watch the top of the cylinders for future leaks. If it starts to leak badly you will need to replace the cylinder seals.  You can do this yourself or take the cylinders to a hydraulics repair shop and have them install new seals.  Either way its a lot less expensive than replacing the entire assembly.  

Google "hydraulic repair" to get a list of local shops.

Call around.  Tell them you needs seals in two small single action cylinders.  One owner told me it cost her $5.  Another told me it was $98 and they came to her club and installed the cylinders.  Your milage may vary depending on how nice your local shops are.  

Follow the above process to refill with oil after new seals are installed. 

I now stock stepper cylinder seals.  $20 per pair.   Purchase online here

http://store.driftwoodsolutions.com/catalog/category/5059755/seals-for-stepper-pair

Or call (800-398-5693) and you can order over the phone.  

Click here to go to the Stepper Seal Install page for instructions