The Challenger 6-1398 power unit is the direct replacement for the Challenger lift it came off of. This is the genuine Challenger part — same fit and same working specification as the one already on your lift. Ordering the Challenger power unit from us gets you the OEM piece that matches the lift, not an aftermarket knock-off that is close but not the same.
Specifications
- Part number: 6-1398
- Brand: Challenger
- Type: Genuine OEM power unit
A hydraulic lift that won't hold height is telling you something before it fails outright. Drift-down, a spongy feel, milky fluid — these are early warnings, and the cheap fix is now. Ignore them and a weeping seal becomes a scored barrel becomes a whole cylinder; a tired pump becomes a burned-up motor. Worse, a lift that sags under load is a safety problem, not just a maintenance one.
Seals and hoses age on two clocks at once: cycles and years. A cylinder seal wears from the miles the rod travels; a hose gets brittle just sitting in shop heat and cold. Run dirty fluid and you speed both up, because grit scores the barrel and the rod and shreds seals from the inside. Most lifts that pump every day start weeping a seal somewhere in the eight-to-fifteen year range.
Replacing your power unit
Most hydraulic repairs share the same discipline: relieve pressure, keep the system clean, replace the part, then bleed the air and verify the lift holds under load. Contaminated fluid or trapped air will undo an otherwise good job. Because these parts keep a vehicle safely in the air, the full procedure is worth following start to finish. Full step-by-step: how to replace a car lift power unit.
Find the right part for your lift
Landed here but not 100% sure it is your part? Grab the model and serial from the data plate and open our Challenger parts lookup for the visual breakdown — the manufacturer-style drawing with every item numbered so you can match yours exactly. Plate missing? our guide to finding your model number helps, and we identify lifts from photos every week if you would rather ask.
Signs of a hydraulic problem
Look under and around the whole loop for evidence, not just the obvious drip. Trace a puddle back uphill — fluid runs, so the leak is above where it pools. Check fittings, the reservoir seam, the pump-to-reservoir gasket, and the base of the cylinder. A weep that only shows under full pressure won't appear until you take the lift to max height and hold it.
Parts commonly replaced at the same time
A hydraulic repair is the right moment to handle the parts that fail alongside this one — seals, o-rings, the hose that feeds it, and fresh oil for the refill. Opening the system twice for parts you could have done together is wasted labor. We will build the seal-and-hose kit for your lift so the repair is complete in one go.
Hydraulic fluid
When you refill, use the right oil: ISO-32 hydraulic fluid on most lifts, or Dexron ATF on some older designs — never a blend of the two. Your installation manual lists the correct capacity for your specific lift, so fill to that spec and re-check the level after you have cycled and bled the system.
Safety notes
Hydraulic parts hold a vehicle in the air on pressure and a column of oil — respect both. Relieve system pressure before you crack any fitting, cap every open port so grit stays out, and bleed the system fully before the lift carries a load. Air in the lines is what causes a lift to drift or drop unexpectedly.
Before you order
Have the data plate in front of you when you order — model, serial, and voltage if it is a power unit. Match hose length and fitting type against the old part, and remember the job includes fresh oil and a full bleed. Not sure whether you need the part or just seals? Call and we will sort it.
Not sure this fits? Here's how to check
Pull the number off your lift's model plate first — model and serial both. Manufacturers run mid-cycle revisions that keep the model name but change hardware, so two lifts with the same name on the column can take different parts. The serial is what removes the guesswork.
Second check: compare the old part against this listing before you order. Length, mounting pattern, and thread sizes tell most of the story. If anything doesn't line up, or if the old part is too worn or broken to measure, call us with photos — we work on these lifts every week and can usually confirm fit from a picture and the lift's serial faster than you can dig through a parts diagram.
Why buy your Challenger power unit from Auto Lift Services
We install, inspect, and repair Challenger lifts every week — the 6-1398 is a part we handle in the shop, not a random SKU we drop-ship. The phone answers if you have a question mid-install — call 800-674-9302 — and every part ships genuine, no aftermarket substitution unless you ask for it.
About this challenger 1398 power unit
The challenger 1398 power unit is a direct-fit replacement engineered to restore original manufacturer performance on the lift model it services. Every piece we ship carries the exact dimensional and material specifications the OEM published for that application. Fitment on this component is critical: it interfaces with adjacent hardware in ways that any deviation from spec can drive premature wear on nearby parts or trigger the lift's mechanical safety systems into an unexpected condition. Shops that source this from us instead of a generic aftermarket substitute consistently report zero fitment issues on first-time installation.
Technical specification & installation notes
Cycle life on this piece depends heavily on operating conditions. In a typical commercial repair shop running 6-10 lifts per day, the challenger 1398 power unit should deliver five to eight years of service before showing measurable wear against the OEM inspection specification. In a high-volume tire or alignment shop running 20+ lifts per day per bay, expect service every three to five years. It is designed to be a serviceable component; when it does wear it wears within safe operating margins that trigger visible symptoms — drift, uneven wear, minor leakage — well before failure becomes a safety issue.
Shipping & ordering
Freight covers the continental United States on all standard orders. We ship UPS or FedEx ground for parts under 30 lb; heavier assemblies quote at published carrier rates. International orders on the challenger 1398 power unit require a freight quote — email dimensions, weight, and destination country to [email protected] and we return a rate within one business day. Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories quote at published rates and typically take five to ten business days depending on carrier and destination.
Warranty coverage
Every challenger 1398 power unit sold through Automotive Lift Services carries a one-year manufacturer-defect warranty. If it fails within that window due to a defect in material or workmanship, we replace it at no charge. Damage from improper installation, use outside the lift's rated capacity, side-loading, or modifications to the parent lift are not covered. The warranty is documented on your original order receipt — retain that record for the coverage period. To submit a warranty claim, contact us with the order number and a photo of the failure at [email protected].
Cross-reference & fitment
Cross-reference on the challenger 1398 power unit is straightforward: match the OEM part number from the lift's parts breakdown against the number on your original invoice. If the numbers match, the component fits. If your lift's parts breakdown lists a superseded or alternate number, we accept the superseded value on the phone as confirmation of fit. When a manufacturer has issued a running change during production, we track the change in our catalog so ordering by the older number automatically pulls the current-spec replacement.
Questions about the challenger 1398 power unit? Call our parts desk at 800-674-9302 or email [email protected]. We ship nationwide from our Iowa warehouse and answer fitment questions within one business day.
Challenger 6-1398 Power Unit,230V 1Ph 50/60Hz
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