floor jack wont lift

[jeephick85]

hello all. the other day i noticed my floor jack wasnt lifting to full capacity so i decided to add some oil.. well now she dont jack no more.. i can lift it up by hand and tighten the handle and it will stay at half rise no matter how much weight. i suspect that i got air in it. how do i remove it properly.... thx jay

 

[dyna]

Same thing my harbor freight special was doing. trash it before you get crushed and get a good one.

 

[jeephick85]

Dammit!

 

[dyna]

Was it a harbor freight special?? save the recipt and return it every 6 mo and get a newbie. Kinda like an insurance policy.

 

[LouisianaZJ]

i had a sears 2.5 ton do that to me.

i junked it and picked up a big HD floor jack from sams club.

 

[XJ Dreamin']

Oh, y'all are gonna like this one.

My dad and I were working on a car (approximately 90% of our quality time together was spent working on his Mopar fleet - the other 10% was spent waterskiing on the Mississippi). I start jacking up the front but the floor jack won't go high enough. Put some more oil in it, he says. So, I start turning what I took to be the resevoir plug. He goes to get some transmission fluid. We're both on or knees bent over the floor jack when I make the last turn on the plug. In one instant, the plug shot out like an express round, we both were instantly drenched in tranny fluid, the car dropped to the floor with a crash, and something small was ricochetting arond the shop. After 4 or 5 pings and dings around the shop it hit me in the chest and fell to the floor in front of us. It was the check-valve BB from the jack's pump. We both turned our heads to look up behind us. The very peak of the shop's gable-end was drenched in tranny fluid: 15' up. We looked at each other and my dad said, "Two things. That's not the reservoir plug, and never fill the jack with a load on it." I said, "Yes, sir."

Ahh, the good ol' days.

 

[XJ Dreamin']

Was it a harbor freight special?? save the receipt and return it every 6 mo and get a newbie. Kinda like an insurance policy.

Kinda like Russian roulette.

 

[XJ Dreamin']

i had a sears 2.5 ton do that to me.

i junked it and picked up a big HD floor jack from sams club.

How long ago and how much?

 

[LouisianaZJ]

it was last christmas

3.5 ton michelin truck + SUV jack (blue color) 22" lift i think
about $70, it is well worth the $70

only downside is it is very heavy 80lbs? maybe

 

[Dirt]

True story..... I have a buddy that gave me his floor jack said it didn't work for whatever reason. I got to looking at it tried to jack it up and sure 'nuff nothing happened. So me being a mechanical genius and all turned the valve to the right and don't you know the jack started working.






I still remind him of what a dumbass he is every chance I get.

 

[JoeShmo]

it was last christmas

3.5 ton michelin truck + SUV jack (blue color) 22" lift i think
about $70, it is well worth the $70

only downside is it is very heavy 80lbs? maybe

I have the same one, heavy as balls but does the job well. Sams didnt have it for a while around here but got it back recently, they were trying to push the $200 aluminum 1.5ton jacks and finally realized they were not selling. I belive it was $69.99 When i got it.

 

[jeephick85]

well see as i tired to fill the bastard up i told my buddy to lift slowly and id fill er up, all was going well, put the cylinder plug back in told him to release slowly and he did as told then "wham" he slams his foot on it and "pop" the cylinder seals comes out and there i am blind for about half an hour... see the worst thing was i knew it would do that if he forced, and since he was doing as told intially i avoided to tell him not to slam it..... so my quick lesson to myself is do what you can on your own or buy a new one. I refuse to let this badboy jack go as it was my old mans and he just passed away, all the other cars worked on were on it, now why cant i fix mine?.. Thx for the stories guys. i would love to post my pics of my once all rusty shit box and the now pics. i would like to get a newer model but im attached to this thing, its all stupid sentiimental crap but it gets the best of me. thx Jay

 

[Jeffro600]

A jack is for lifting a vehicle....not holding it up while your underneith it.

Get some freakin jackstands!!! You probably trapped some air in when you filled it up....there is a procedure to bleeding it out. Contact your jacks manufacturer to get details. Had that happen to mine before...blead it and it works fine.

 

[XJ Dreamin']

well see as i tired to fill the bastard up i told my buddy to lift slowly and id fill er up, all was going well, put the cylinder plug back in told him to release slowly and he did as told then "wham" he slams his foot on it and "pop" the cylinder seals comes out and there i am blind for about half an hour... see the worst thing was i knew it would do that if he forced, and since he was doing as told intially i avoided to tell him not to slam it..... so my quick lesson to myself is do what you can on your own or buy a new one. I refuse to let this bad boy jack go as it was my old mans and he just passed away, all the other cars worked on were on it, now why cant i fix mine?.. Thx for the stories guys. i would love to post my pics of my once all rusty shit box and the now pics. i would like to get a newer model but im attached to this thing, its all stupid sentiimental crap but it gets the best of me. thx Jay

I gotcha. Yeah, there should be a procedure to bleed it, or the piston seals are leaking so you're just cycling fluid without creating any pressure, or the pump check valve isn't sealing (that BB that shot of my dad's jack). If it's the piston seals I have no idea what it would take to open the thing up. Put it on a shelf with a plaque and some pics of some the rigs you guys worked on and get yourself a jack you can trust. I'm serious: you can retire it without throwing it away.

OK. A dumba$$ buddy story. I've got the front up and I'm about to put some stands under the lower ball joints (some old Mopar junk) when my buddy shows up. "Whatcha doin'," he says. "I was just about to put these stands under here. When I holler, give that handle a turn." "Gotcha."

I put one stand under the passenger side, run around and put the other stand under the driver's side and give him a holler.

WHAM!

The car crashes down onto the stands.

"Holy Crap! Don't you know what a floor jack is?" "We never had one." I shake my head - heart thundering. "When somebody tells you to turn that handle, you turn it real sloooooow." "Gotcha."

The Sam's Club jack sounds like a deal. Can't wait for my Christmas money.

 

[XJ Dreamin']

it was last christmas

3.5 ton michelin truck + SUV jack (blue color) 22" lift i think
about $70, it is well worth the $70

only downside is it is very heavy 80lbs? maybe

Thanks. I'll check out the Conroe Sams.

 

[jeephick85]

i get cha boys, the sum bi**h worked till i messed with her ill try and bleed her and if it dont work its going on to another life, Dont WORRy i got 5 jack stands, hell i dont know why i got an odd number of stands but it so happens to be... im officially depressed tonite though.... ijust backup and to notice "BANG" a whole tree branch through the rear window. HOW AMAZING. Dammit,THX jay