Learning how to repair a Floor Jack that won’t hold pressure might sound like a daunting task, but it’s pretty straightforward in reality. There are other techniques through which you can repair the floor jack. For instance, one of the tasks that can fix the floor jack involves cleaning any debris or dirt in its oil chamber. Similarly, you can also make the jack bleed to release any trapped air inside. Therefore, in this article, we will guide you on all the dos and don’ts involved in the process. So, keep reading to know more!
Floor Jack: What are it and its types
Before you get into how to repair a Floor Jack that won’t hold pressure, we must understand it. As the name suggests, a floor jack is a tool that helps you in lifting cars and other vehicles. Jacks are most commonly used during tire replacement. They lift the car as per your discretion and allow you to work conveniently. However, how is it different from other jacks?
You can only distinguish between a floor jack and other jacks by knowing the different types of floor jacks. There are mainly two types of floor jacks, i.e., mechanical, and hydraulic. A third type, known as the Pneumatic jack, also exists, but it’s not very well known among the masses.
Mechanical Floor Jack
Mechanical floor jacks have a lifting mechanism composed of premium quality material. The main purpose of a mechanical floor jack is to weight lift without automatic operation rather than manually operating the tool.
Pneumatic Floor Jack
A pneumatic jack produces power and force by utilizing compressed air. Thus, you will have to use a compressor for this floor jack.
Hydraulic Floor Jack
A hydraulic jack uses a liquid known as hydraulic oil. It’s a special kind of liquid, and many people also refer to it as jacking oil. This liquid is very useful in increasing the strength and pressure of the tool’s liquid. An increase in pressure results in increased strength.
How to repair a Floor Jack that won’t hold pressure
Check for overload
The first step in learning how to repair a Floor Jack that won’t hold pressure is checking for overload. It is quite common for fuel jacks to malfunction without having any internal fault but rather due to overload. Check the lifting capacity of your floor jack and see if it can or cannot bear the load. Many floor jacks come with a feature known as safety overload that stops them from functioning when a user tries to overload them.
Thus, it’s important to first check the lifting capacity of your floor jack before jumping to any conclusions. On average, a floor jack with 3 tons can lift light weighted vehicles. In case of overload, their quality reduces, and it might put you at risk too.
Checking the oil levels
Inaccurate oil levels can also cause a floor jack to fail. Oil levels can either be lower or higher than the required levels. Inaccurate oil levels affect the floor jack’s performance.
You need to look inside the chamber to check the oil levels by taking the fill plug off. The appropriate oil level is around 3/16 and more than a quarter of the reservoir. Many floor jacks come with instruction manuals with the recommended levels already mentioned.
In addition, even while refilling, make sure to add premium quality engine oil or motor oil. Furthermore, drain the jack’s oil and bring it to the recommended level in case of higher levels.
Cleaning the floor jack
Check the floor jack frequently for any debris or dust particles in the oil chamber as they can cause the jack to malfunction.
Checking the cylinder
This task is performed specifically on hydraulic floor jacks. It is quite common for the cylinder to malfunction. The cylinder has a domino effect on other parts of the jack and thus causes them to fail. Therefore, it is important to check the cylinder for dirt. You can do so by simply placing the plug on the cylinder’s top with the help of a screwdriver. If the plug shows signs of faults, you will have to replace it completely.
Releasing air bubbles or trapped air
Often air gets trapped inside, which creates an issue in the floor jack. This issue can be easily solved via bleeding. To make a floor jack bleed, the unit valves should be retracted to state anticlockwise from the handle. Then finally, replace the oil fill screw.
Checking the release valve
If you cannot find any problems in the floor jack’s pumping or the saddle placement, check the tightness of the release valve. Then, adjust the release valve and check whether the jack can withhold pressure or not.
Troubleshooting and overall checkup.
Even if you think you’ve fixed all the issues mentioned earlier, many problems in the jack can persist. This is why it’s highly recommended to troubleshoot the valve for further problems. The checkup and troubleshooting involve checking the distorted jack parts, checking for oils leaks, looking for cracks in welds, etc.
In addition, you must also check the ram of the floor jack by flipping it on one side. You can inspect the ram in both the extended and retracted positions.
Maintenance
Maintenance is a crucial aspect of learning how to repair a Floor Jack that won’t hold pressure. Maintaining the floor jack time and again can also mitigate many problems and elevate its efficiency. Basic maintained tasks such as oiling or greasing all the movable parts can do wonders. Greasing points such as wheels and hinges make the floor jack work smoothly without friction.
Conclusion
Learning how to repair a Floor Jack that won’t hold pressure will require you to inspect all the possibilities that could hinder the jack’s function. In case of extreme issues with your jack, it is advisable to consult an expert rather than fidgeting with the jack unsupervised. Lastly, just bear in mind that the most commonly persisting issues that cause jack failure include oil leaks, inaccurate oil levels, and pistons with rust and corrosions. Thus, begin by checking for these issues, and you are highly likely to fix the issue in no time.
