Click on the video for a demonstration of installing seals in the Stepper cylinders.  

Part 2 below is a demonstration of replacing the oil and removing the air from the cylinders.

Part 2 is about replacing the oil and removing the air from the cylinders.

Below you will find the written instructions for the entire process. 

Tools Needed

To replace the rod seals you will need the following tools:

• Stepper Seals Kit with funnel Click here to order!
• Allen wrench (either 1/4” or 3/8”)
• Adjustable wrench or 7/16” open end or box wrench

¼” bolt 5”-6” long or steel rod

• Rags and paper towels
• Sharp ice pick or similar tool
• Automatic transmission fluid
• Large plastic drop cloth
• 4 blocks of 2"x4" approximately 6" long 

• Begin by spreading the plastic drop cloth on the floor.

• Turn the stepper machine on its side on the plastic drop cloth with the fill hole on the reservoir facing up.

• The collar of the top cylinder needs to be loosened. Using the ¼” hard steel rod or bolt, place in one of the three holes in the cylinder collar. Turn clockwise (turn counter-clockwise if looking down from the top). If the cylinder is really tight, tap the rod or bolt at the base with a hammer in the clockwise direction while putting preassure on the rod or bolt. Loosen the collar BEFORE you take off the bolts mounting the cylinder. Once the collar is quite loose, use the wrench to unscrew the bolt holding the top cylinder to the step. Remove the bolt and push the step away. Leave the bolt attaching the bottom cylinder to the frame in place – there is no need to take the cylinder completely off of the machine.    

Note: The next step will cause oil to spill when the shaft assembly is removed – be sure to have plenty of paper towels, rags and it is helpful to place a small aluminum foil pan under the cylinder to catch the oil.

• Unscrew the collar and remove the shaft assembly.

• On the bottom of the shaft assembly there is a ¼” bolt that holds the retaining washer. Using the 7/16” wrench, remove the bolt and washer from the end of the shaft. If the bolt is really tight and shaft turns, place a screw driver in the mounting hole at the other end of the shaft to keep it from turning. You may need a helper to help hold the screwdriver. Set the bolt and washer aside.

  • Stand the shaft on the floor and separate the collar from the shaft by pushing the collar down and pulling the shaft out of the collar. It may be helpful to have a helper hold the shaft.

• Look inside the collar and you will see a wide rubber seal. This needs to be removed. Being very careful not to scratch the metal housing around the seal, use the pick, a small screwdriver or something else that is sharp to pry out the seal. It can be difficult to get a good grip on the seal. Have a helper hold the collar - using the sharp tool, pierce the seal from the top and pry out. It may be helpful to have a second tool to wedge in between the seal and the collar. Once you have a tool behind the seal it will sort of pop out of the collar – discard the seal. Be very careful not to scratch the metal housing holding the seal.    

• Run your finger around the metal housing – if you find a spot that has been scratched, use emery paper to sand out the scratch – if the scratch is allowed to remain, the rod seal will leak oil!
• Thoroughly clean the collar making sure that the seal grooves are free from nicks and burrs.
• Check the seal to make sure it is in good condition. Coat the new seal and the groove in the collar with clean transmission oil prior to installing seal. Avoid using a screwdriver or other sharp object when installing seals as this can result in damage to the seal. Improper installation is the number one cause of seal failure! In addition to making the installation both easier and less potentially damaging to the seal, lubrication also helps protect the sealing element during the initial break-in period. 

• As obvious as it may sound, care must be taken to install the new seal in the right direction. Notice that there is a top and bottom to the seal. The top is smooth and the bottom (shown here) has a grove. Make sure you install the seal with the smooth side up towards the wide part of the collar.    

• The new seal is pretty stiff and it may be helpful to have an assistant with strong fingers and hands. The seal can be placed in boiling water or use a hair dryer to heat the seal to make it more pliable. If the seal has been heated, it must be re-lubricated.

• The seal is now ready to be placed into the collar. Place the thumb of one hand up from the bottom of the collar. Squeeze the seal together with the other hand and place one end down into the groove. Hold it in place with the thumb. It may be helpful to twist the seal into a Figure 8 to push further into the groove – you might hear a little snap when it's in place. Going slow and a little bit at a time, push on the edge of the seal toward the center of the hole and then down - the edge of the seal will slip into place – hold with the thumb of the other hand.

• Work with your fingers from the bottom and the top. Once you get the first part of the seal into the groove then work in each direction pushing from the top and bottom a little at a time until the entire seal is seated in the groove. Sometimes it helps to use the rounded shaft of a small screwdriver to help push the last part of the seal over the edge. Then use your fingers to push the seal down into the groove. Push all around the top and bottom making sure the seal is seated around the entire circumference.    

•  Once the seal has been seated, you are ready to re-install the shaft. Lubricate the inside of the collar, the new seal and the end of the shaft with clean transmission oil. Place the collar on the floor or table with the widest part of the collar standing upright. Insert the shaft into the collar using a turning motion while pushing down. Only push down until the shaft bottoms out on the table or floor. DO NOT pull the collar up the shaft. If you pull the collar up its very easy for it to slip all the way to the top of the shaft and bind. If this happens the seal will be destroyed getting the collar back down the shaft.

• Once the shaft is re-inserted in the collar, the retaining washer and bolt must be screwed back on the bottom of the shaft. Tighten with a wrench.    

• The black O ring must be replaced. If your collar looks like the one on the left, remove the black O ring on the collar with a small screwdriver and replace with a new O ring.

•  If your collar looks like the one on the one here, then remove the small O right from the top edge of the cylinder and replace with a new one.

• Now you are ready to install the collar and shaft assembly back into the cylinder. Lubricate the O ring with clean transmission oil and place the collar into the cylinder. Screw in and tighten with the bolt. Repeat the above procedure for the second cylinder. 

• Now prepare to refill the system with oil.

• Use two chunks of 2x4 wood or other types of blocks and place under the machine to block it up - the bottom of the cylinders (where the hose goes in) must be higher than the top of the cylinder. This is done to let the air trapped in the system rise to the hose hole.

• Remove the bolt (on the bottom of the cylinder) at the end where it connects to the base - rotate the cylinder 180 degrees so the hose is facing up (like the cylinder on the bottom). Slip the mounting bolts back in to hold the cylinder on the peddle- you don't need to re-tighten the bolt. You will rotate this cylinder back 180 degrees after the system is filled with oil. See the picture and note the hoses are both turned up.

• Push both stepper peddles all the way down. If there is oil in system push the top one down.

• Remove the plug in the reservoir and place the tight fitting small funnel into oil fill hole.

• A helper will be useful at this point. The person holding the funnel needs to keep it full of oil and the other person will move the peddle up and down – this action will pull the oil into the reservoir.

• Hold the funnel tight into the hole and fill the funnel with clean transmission oil almost to the top.

• Slowly raise the bottom peddle up (the one nearest the floor).

• Watch the oil in the funnel. It should be going down as the peddle is raised. You will have to add more oil as it is suctioned into the reservoir. Make sure the funnel does not lose all the oil or else air will get into the system.

• Once the peddle is raised all the way up, you may have to wait a few moments while the vacuum pulls oil into the bottom cylinder.

• Now slowly push the bottom peddle all the way back down. You will see air bubbles rising up in the remaining oil in the funnel and some oil may spill out.

• Once the peddle is all the way down, slowly pull the peddle back up.

• Make sure the oil is going down in the funnel – you may have to add a bit more oil to the funnel but eventually no more will be needed.

• Slowly raise and lower the bottom peddle several times until you no longer see any air bubbles in the funnel.

• Stop with the bottom peddle raised all the way up

• Now it's time to do the same procedure to the top peddle.

• Make sure the top cylinder is rotated 180 degrees. You want the hose to be at the highest point so the air will rise. See picture above.

• Hold the funnel tight into the hole and fill the funnel with clean transmission oil almost to the top.

• Slowly raise the top peddle up.

• Watch the oil in the funnel. It should be going down as the peddle is raised. You will have to add more oil as it is suctioned into the reservoir. Make sure the funnel does not lose all the oil or else air will get into the system.

• Once the peddle is raised all the way up, you may have to wait a few moments while the vacuum pulls oil into the top cylinder.

• Now slowly push the top peddle all the way back down. You will see air bubbles rising in the remaining oil in the funnel and some oil may spill out.

• Once the peddle is all the way down, slowly pull the peddle back up.

• Make sure the oil is going down in the funnel – you may have to add more oil to the funnel but eventually no more will be needed.

• Slowly raise and lower the top peddle several times until you no longer see any air bubbles in the funnel.

• Stop pumping with the top peddle all the way down.

• Now with the bottom peddle all the way up and the top peddle all the way down, remove the funnel and put the plug back in the reservoir. Oil should be full up to the top of the hole.

• Test the system by moving the peddles up and down - mimicking the exercise motion – check to be sure that each peddle goes all the way down until the rubber pad touches

• Check the free play. When one peddle is all the way down, pull up on the other peddle. There should be about 1” of free play in the peddle that is being pulled up – there must be some free play. If there is not enough free play then the system is over full of oil. The problem with being over full of oil is that when the machine is operating, the oil will get hot and will expand back though the seals and the system will begin to leak.

• If there is not enough free play, remove the reservoir plug and push one peddle down about ¾” – 1”. This will cause some of the oil to spill out. Replace the plug in the reservoir and test again. This should solve the problem.

• Now the top cylinder must be rotated 180 degrees back to its original position. Remove the loose bolt on the top cylinder - rotate the cylinder so the hose is facing the hose on the bottom cylinder. Tighten the bolt.

• Turn the machine upright.

• Now you have a stepper machine that is operating correctly.

Technical Support / Assistance is available by telephone         512-858-0133   or   800-398-5693   or   Cell 512-632-4728

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