I hope you got your issues sorted out. I can give you my experience with the mechanical releaser that I have been using. It came to me second hand, and it needed a rebuild. I chased down lots of leaks, replaced the nylon plates and i still had leaks and some issues with switching between barrels of the releaser. To address the switching between barrels on the releaser I had to build a frame and make sure I got all the stress off the slip joint where the vacuum attaches to the top of the releaser....I mean ANY added friction can cause it to bind and fail to fully actuate. My unit didn't' come with the elbow so i made one out of some pvc parts and cut 2 grooves for 'o' rings it slips in just right, I believe the food grade lubricant that I have is called molykote, you can get it in a spray or in a tube or tub. I've been known to use a dab on the nylon plates, but not too much. Also check to make sure the tension isn't too much on your pivot bolts. The last place where i know i'm leaking is the seal inside the actuator piston. I may have to bite the bullet and buy a replacement if i want to tighten it up any more. OH I also have to install some pins in the float guides on the top of the barrels to keep them from popping down into the barrels when the plastic would shrink and expand due to temperature.
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons