Fixing a floor Jack

Landslide said:
Every jack I rebuilt leaked down with a load on it, some couldn’t hold itself up. All had bad seals in them and was not the valve. Only reason a shutoff valve would be bad is due to someone over tightening the handle thinking that’s where the leak is. They end up fawking the valve seat assembly up. It can be repaired tho.
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If it leaked down from the seals, would it leak into the resivour? There definitely must be a problem with the vent on the resivour, right? It didn’t leak a drop in a week sitting there. The minute I Jack up the truck, it starts leaking out the side.
 
WaterH said:
If it leaked down from the seals, would it leak into the resivour? There definitely must be a problem with the vent on the resivour, right? It didn’t leak a drop in a week sitting there. The minute I Jack up the truck, it starts leaking out the side.
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Is the jack over full of fluid?

If the jack is leaking it can only be out of the shaft seal (chrome shaft that extends as the jack is raised or pumped up) or leaks from where the jack body barrel or reservoir.

The vent should be in an upright position or the jack body reservoir highest area. If it’s leaking, it almost has to be over full. With the piston or jack chrome shaft in its retracted position is when the majority of the jack fluid will be returned to the jack reservoir.

Maybe the jack is leaking elsewhere and getting fluid on the vent area making it look like the vent is leaking?!?

Jacks I’m not familiar with are two stage ones. Typically on large floor jacks lifting heavy weight. I had one years ago that bled off. Dropped it off to get it repaired. Hydraulic repair place had it for a year. Finally after me getting upset with them (didn’t really need it just bought it crazy cheap at a swap meet and wanted it working) they worked on it. But, I got it back home and I could tell they worked on it but it still leaked down. I ended up selling it at a swap meet.

From that point forward, I decided to start doing my own floor jacks once I found out I could by rebuild kits for them.
 
It doesn’t leak from the vent. It leaks from the crack on the bottom. But it only leaks from that crack when the Jack is holding something up and it goes down. What I’m thinking is fluid goes out of the resivour into the cylinder when I Jack it up. Then it leaks back into the resivour from the cylinder as it goes down. But instead of just filling it back up, it gets pressurized because the vent is clogged. The pressure than causes it to leak from the crack.
 
So I’m trying to remove this nut. I don’t have a socket or wrench that will fit it. I have giant adjustable wrench, but it still won’t go big enough. The only thing I could get on it was a big pipe wrench. I tried with it, but it ain’t budging. I tried heat with a propane torch. Maybe 150 degrees. Still no go.

IMG_3060.jpeg


Next idea?

Edit, at least I don’t have to worry about the vent. I broke it off setting this on the bench.
 
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WaterH said:
So I’m trying to remove this nut. I don’t have a socket or wrench that will fit it. I have giant adjustable wrench, but it still won’t go big enough. The only thing I could get on it was a big pipe wrench. I tried with it, but it ain’t budging. I tried heat with a propane torch. Maybe 150 degrees. Still no go.

Next idea?

Edit, at least I don’t have to worry about the vent. I broke it off setting this on the bench.
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I found when I put Hydroboost on my Bronco that some square tube stock I had laying around fit the big nut. Maybe you’ll get lucky like me.
 
WaterH said:
So I’m trying to remove this nut. I don’t have a socket or wrench that will fit it. I have giant adjustable wrench, but it still won’t go big enough. The only thing I could get on it was a big pipe wrench. I tried with it, but it ain’t budging. I tried heat with a propane torch. Maybe 150 degrees. Still no go.

IMG_3060.jpeg


Next idea?

Edit, at least I don’t have to worry about the vent. I broke it off setting this on the bench.
Click to expand...
Build a socket. Weld flat plates together, or cut a wrench out of flat plate.

Probably should also find a better way to hold it, like chain it to something sturdy, or at least support that ram on something so it’s not trying to twist out the vise while you’re pulling on the wrench.
 
Muckin_Slusher said:
Build a socket. Weld flat plates together, or cut a wrench out of flat plate.

Probably should also find a better way to hold it, like chain it to something sturdy, or at least support that ram on something so it’s not trying to twist out the vise while you’re pulling on the wrench.
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The nut is cast. So it’s like 2 1/2” at the edge, but 2 5/8” at the base. So real hard to grip it. It’s only about 3/8” thick. Not much to turn something so tight. I’m thinking I could grind the flats more flat so it’s all 2 1/2”.

Yea, the vise doesn’t really go wide enough to get a good grip.
 
A 2x4 vertically down to the floor from the nose of that thing will keep it from moving, as long as you're pushing straight down.

I pulled apart a 30t jack a while back. It took a 36" pipe wrench with a 4' cheater on it.

Get it braced and the wrench under tension and give it a little sledge hammer, for some impact action.

1773810633221.jpeg
 
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I still have a bog ass socket floating around the shop that I made for the dozer years back

some scrap, and an old blown out socket welded to it so you can get an impact on it
I keep my old broken sockets specifically for these times
 
WaterH said:
The nut is cast. So it’s like 2 1/2” at the edge, but 2 5/8” at the base. So real hard to grip it. It’s only about 3/8” thick. Not much to turn something so tight. I’m thinking I could grind the flats more flat so it’s all 2 1/2”.

Yea, the vise doesn’t really go wide enough to get a good grip.
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you can always weld it to your bench is your vice isn' working, just weld in a spot that you can get at it later with the grinder to get it off
 
Big Dog Boogie said:
Man, I'm sorry to hear that. Cool old jack.
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You and me both. I really hope someone comes get it. I guess I’m going to get one at HF. I know it won’t be as good.

As a secondary offer, anyone that fixes this Jack I will pay $400. You’re welcome to use my tools.
 
WaterH said:
The nut is cast. So it’s like 2 1/2” at the edge, but 2 5/8” at the base. So real hard to grip it. It’s only about 3/8” thick. Not much to turn something so tight. I’m thinking I could grind the flats more flat so it’s all 2 1/2”.

Yea, the vise doesn’t really go wide enough to get a good grip.
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I have a 3' pipe wrench that has never failed me, and if that's not enough a 5' piece of 2" sch 80 steel as a cheater solves everything :laughing:
 
Stingray said:
I have a 3' pipe wrench that has never failed me, and if that's not enough a 5' piece of 2" sch 80 steel as a cheater solves everything :laughing:
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At this point, I’ve invested too much time in it. I found some place that fixes them in south Florida. I think they charge around $400 which I don’t mind. But unless I deliver/pickup, the shipping would be scary. HF is looking pretty good.
 
WaterH said:
At this point, I’ve invested too much time in it. I found some place that fixes them in south Florida. I think they charge around $400 which I don’t mind. But unless I deliver/pickup, the shipping would be scary. HF is looking pretty good.
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I have two Pittsburg HF jacks I'm looking a rebuild kits for now, I bought them being skeptical, but they have worked ok.
 
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