[NA] Rotary Brake Solenoid valve

[deonb]

My Genie boom lift's brake unit has a solenoid coil and valve that looks approximately like the setup below.

How do I tell if that solenoid valve is working when I have it out on the bench? I ran some current across the coil and I got the valve to make a click-click sound but couldn't see anything visual going on with it.

Is it supposed to rotate/contract/expand on the outside when the magnetic field is applied? Or is everything completely internal to the valve? And in that case - any idea how I can test it?




The part schematic is here:


From:
http://manuals.gogenielift.com/Parts And Service Manuals/data/Parts/Z Booms/IO/139382.pdf

Page 34

 

[Clark1961]

If the end of the coil is open a wooden dowel/pencil/plastic stir stick/etc (non-conducting). can be used to check motion. The noise it's making is most likely the valve shaft shifting since there is nothing else in there to make noise.

Hydraulic control valves like this are incredibly simple. Renew the o-rings with the correct size (don't just swag the size) and material. Visually inspect the valve body for contamination and/or physical damage. Re-assemble and it'll be good to go as long as the valve shaft is moving.

 

[Hiperbiper]

Electric part of solenoid is an electro magnet...
Put the shaft in the hole. Without power it should fall out.
Put power to the coil and the resulting magnetic field should pull the shaft up into the solenoid.

Chris

I

 

[BigBadLou]

You can try to blow through the valve with power applied and without. It should flow in only one of the scenarios.
If you don't want to put your lips on the metal piece, put some silicone or rubber tubing over the first o-ring and cover the hole then blow into the tubing and feel with your finger whether air is coming out the other hole.
These small simple valves often are not serviceable internally so you might not be able to disassemble it to clean and inspect.