Advice needed on my vintage car lift and hydraulic setup.

[Krmnnghia]

Hi Folks. Could use some help from the Garage lift experts. I picked up an old school Rotary PAL5E lift last year. Absolutely love this thing. Typically I lift a 1700lb 62 Volkswagen which is nothing for the lift but I have taken it to its limit at around 5800lbs. When I do this it leaks near the pump unit so I have some seal issues and also the old hydraulic lines are looking rough. I would like to replace all the lines so that its not leaking all over my garage and also for you know...safety .

It uses an old Baldor pump/motor unit that I know nothing about and it looks like the setup is rigged up by a previous owner. Here are a couple pics:





You can see the strange valve setup to allow fluid back in and lower the lift. I am not sure why its like this and I can't find this setup online anywhere but it works flawlessly.

1. If I want to replace all the lines and seals, what is the best way to go about disconnecting everything?
a.) I am guessing with the lift down, the fluid is not pressurized so
disconnecting will just leak out a bit onto the floor?

2. Is it even worth replacing the lines or should I just buy a new unit on amazon and just one line going to the lift ?

Appreciate any help you guys can provide. And because we're all car guys here, here is my other baby