Floor jacks are although tiny tools yet they are magical wands with which you can repair your car with minimal difficulty. It has the capacity to bear a heavy load when you need it to lift your motorcycle or car. In Most cases, Floor jack repair can be done within 5 to 10 minutes but we tend to replace them. The reason is that we have no knowledge
It often happens that the floor jack may break out and cease to work. Well, the situation can be handled on your own with little skill and knowledge. Here we have gathered some tips and tricks to know your floor jack better and mend it when it gets damaged.
What Constitutes Floor Jack Repair?
Before moving to mend your jack, it’s necessary to know about it to have a deeper insight. The floor jack or hydraulic jack consists of 6-basic parts;
- Reservoir: It constitutes the hydraulic fluid.
- Pump: It serves to suck to fluid and creates pressure I return on application of up and down stroke respectively.
- Check Valve: It enables the fluid to flow to the master cylinder and restrain it to move back by turning off return port.
- Master Cylinder: It receives hydraulic fluid.
- Piston: It allows the room by moving up when master cylinder receives hydraulic fluid.
- Release Valve: It completes the circle and restarts the process by opening up. The piston moves back to its original position and fluid flows back to the reservoir.
Common Issues
It is much necessary to have a look into the type of problem that you may come across when your jack is not working. These are not all but these minor issues are often the leading causes of major havoc.
- Oil refilling problems (overfill or under fill)
- Oil leakage
- Debris collected in joints
- Rusted pistons
- Overloading the Jack
- Trapped Air in Rubber Tube
- Handy Steps to Repair
What Will You Need?
There is a number of tools and gadgets which will be required to repair a floor jack. Let’s have a look over them:
- Piece of old cloth
- Plastic container
- Funnel
- Screw driver
- Hydraulic Fluid
- Compressed air container
- Replacement plug
Repairing the Jack
You have equipped yourself with enough knowledge. Here we go.
Cleaning Before Starting
It is imperative to free the tool to be repaired of all the dirt, debris, oil, and grease to prevent contamination to the fluid running inside it. Any exotic particle mixed with the fluid can do a lot of damage. Use a piece of old cloth to clean it thoroughly before opening any container.
2. Clean Rubber Plug
Once you’re done cleaning, the next step is to check the rubber plug for any possible defect in it. Dirt clogging inside the rubber tube can be a cause of failure. Use a screwdriver to pick it ut of the top cylinder and replace it if needed.
3. Evacuate Hydraulic Fluid
Next, turn the knob of the hydraulic floor jack and collect the pouring fluid in a plastic container. Empty the container and look for any underlying debris in the fluid holder. Use a compressed air container to clean it.
4. Fill in New Fluid
The hydraulic fluid container needs to be entirely cleaned before pouring in new fluid. Use a funnel tube to add in some fresh fluid in the container. Refer to the floor jack manual to determine the fluid quantity, it can hold. Fill it up to the brim. If the fluid is not available, 5W-30 motor oil serves as a substitute to fill the container temporarily.
5. Put Back the Rubber Plug
Replace the opening of the valve with a rubber plug. Make it sure that it is free of any dirt and is in a healthy state. Fix it upon the hole by pressing it down. The rubber tube should be fixed firmly to prevent air leaks.
6. Analyzing the Repaired Jack
Once you are done with the above steps then next comes testing. You should be sure of perfect working conditions before putting any heavy strain upon it. You can test it by turning its handle up and down multiple times to let it function smoothly.
If the handle of the jack is not responding smoothly, inspect the release valve. Check for any pressure changes and adjust it. Often pressure change inculcates the problem.
Still, if it does not resolves then try doing a thorough checkup. Probe out leaky corners, rusted spare parts, and worn-out welds. Examine the ram in both extended and retracted positions. Look for the quality of piston in function. Contact the mechanic if the problem is severe.
Quick Tips to keep Hydraulic Jack sturdy
- Machines require timely lubrication to let it function smoothly. If enough lubrication is not provided, then the parts rub against each other and can lead to faster wear and tear. Lubricating the spare parts and joints like wheel and hinges with premium lubricating oil can serve the purpose. It will keep your machine healthy for longer terms.
- Store the jack by releasing all weight from it. It will keep the jack in fresh working conditions for longer time. Try keeping it in upright position to keep all the spare parts straight and to avoid any possible leakage.