Floor jack lifting performance

[brooktre]

My floor jack is not lifting properly. It is an older 2 ton craftsman (20 plus years). I've seached but haven't found issues that sound like what I'm experiencing.

When lifting a load, the jack works well for the first few strokes, but won't lift to its full height. As the jack height increases, the travel distance of the small piston driven by the jack handle gets smaller and smaller and the lift of each stroke gets less and less until it won't lift anymore. The last time I used it it lifted to about 1/3 of full height. I put stands under the load and then with a block of wood on the jack lifted the load another 6". So it seems as if the jack can lift a load, but struggles when the extension of the ram increases. I didn't notice any bleed down when the load was on the jack as I rotated the tires.

The fluid level was checked and it was a little low. I added fluid, but the performace didn't change. Does anyone know if this is repairable or is it time to retire the old jack?

 

[raiderhillbilly]

Go to Homedepot and buy this jack for 55 dollars.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-Ton-Garage-Jack-Kit-HD00101/204337248

 

[Hiball]

My floor jack is not lifting properly. It is an older 2 ton craftsman (20 plus years). I've seached but haven't found issues that sound like what I'm experiencing.

When lifting a load, the jack works well for the first few strokes, but won't lift to its full height. As the jack height increases, the travel distance of the small piston driven by the jack handle gets smaller and smaller and the lift of each stroke gets less and less until it won't lift anymore. The last time I used it it lifted to about 1/3 of full height. I put stands under the load and then with a block of wood on the jack lifted the load another 6". So it seems as if the jack can lift a load, but struggles when the extension of the ram increases. I didn't notice any bleed down when the load was on the jack as I rotated the tires.

The fluid level was checked and it was a little low. I added fluid, but the performace didn't change. Does anyone know if this is repairable or is it time to retire the old jack?

You can try pulling the fill plug and operating the Jack to see if performance changes, this will determine if the pump seals are worn to a point where they simply can't overcome any vaccum created by oil leaving the reservoir. Obviously you are referencing a 20 year old Jack, has any seal service ever been done? If Not.. It's time.

 

[brooktre]

Go to Homedepot and buy this jack for 55 dollars.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-Ton-Garage-Jack-Kit-HD00101/204337248

I did buy the husky set last weekend!

 

[brooktre]

You can try pulling the fill plug and operating the Jack to see if performance changes, this will determine if the pump seals are worn to a point where they simply can't overcome any vaccum created by oil leaving the reservoir. Obviously you are referencing a 20 year old Jack, has any seal service ever been done? If Not.. It's time.

Ok -thanks hiball
This jack has never been serviced. I just use it for personal needs so it hasn't seen a lot of use. I'll try it with the fill plug out and see what happens. If it lifts with the plug out I assume that it would need a total rebuild and would probably not be worth it. Is that a correct assumption?

 

[Hiball]

Ok -thanks hiball
This jack has never been serviced. I just use it for personal needs so it hasn't seen a lot of use. I'll try it with the fill plug out and see what happens. If it lifts with the plug out I assume that it would need a total rebuild and would probably not be worth it. Is that a correct assumption?

It's hard to say, the imports from 20+ years ago where generally much better built versus today's nickel and dime models. Based off the info given, I would recommend a full re-seal if your going to do anything, at this point it would be a bandaid to simply replace pump seals only. Literally if the pump seals are that weak, I would suspect they would be showing some excessive seepage externally, but after 20 years... You have to expect that.

 

[brooktre]

It's hard to say, the imports from 20+ years ago where generally much better built versus today's nickel and dime models. Based off the info given, I would recommend a full re-seal if your going to do anything, at this point it would be a bandaid to simply replace pump seals only. Literally if the pump seals are that weak, I would suspect they would be showing some excessive seepage externally, but after 20 years... You have to expect that.

I'll report back this weekend after I check it out. I'll also look at the owners manual and figure out the age of the jack.

 

[brooktre]

Ok - I loosened the fill plug and this definitely improved performance. Each stroke with the jack handle delivered an equal lift of the jack height. The lift handle also seemed to spring up after the down stroke.

The jack is a 2-ton Sears (not Craftsman) Model 124-124700 made in Taiwan. I am the original owner and no seals were ever replaced. Does this jack need a full rebuild or are there other adjustments than can be done?

 

[Hiball]

Ok - I loosened the fill plug and this definitely improved performance. Each stroke with the jack handle delivered an equal lift of the jack height. The lift handle also seemed to spring up after the down stroke.

The jack is a 2-ton Sears (not Craftsman) Model 124-124700 made in Taiwan. I am the original owner and no seals were ever replaced. Does this jack need a full rebuild or are there other adjustments than can be done?

Well obviously you can continue to operate the jack with the "fill plug loosened" if it improves performance, A lot of your higher end jacks are fitted with breathers or specific instructions to loosen the fill plug during operation. Unfortunately outside of that there really isn't any adjustments, like most Hydraulic applications, there comes a time when maintenance is required for the product to operate correctly, Effieciently and safely. One thing to keep in mind, overly full reservoirs can create increased vacuum that can imply weak seals, but with 20 years of service on the clock its a no brainer. If your desire is to keep the jack, I would be looking at re-sealing in the near future.

 

[brooktre]

OK thanks Hiball. I'll verify the fliud level and probably do a rebuild if a seal kit is reasonable.

Do you have an opinion on the quality of jacks built in Taiwan about 20-30 years ago? I'm not sure of the exact age and searches by model number did not come up with anything. It has a date code stamped on the info plate, but it is not readable.