Bull's Blackhawk S-4 Jack
- Thread starter Bull
- Start date
That's a negative, John. No ramps.
Next challenge is to figure out how to get a beastly old Bolens snowblower into and then out of the truck!
Next challenge is to figure out how to get a beastly old Bolens snowblower into and then out of the truck!
You don't have any extendable ramps?
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
They're not that much. The ramps (and the truck) in the picture are my neighbor's, but last spring I found the same ramps on CL for $25 for the pair. Even new, they're right around $100. Northern Tools should have them. I've used those suckers to move some heavy stuff! 
Hey Bull, I ran across this on ebay, I don't know if they have parts for your model.
http://shop.ebay.com/arlynssurplus/...=nc&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=2
http://shop.ebay.com/arlynssurplus/...=nc&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=2
Nah.. All his Jack stuff is more recent Late 70's-80's. He is a good seller though, I bought alot of his Hard parts. I would recommend staying away from his Kits, they are Very Old and the Few that i bought had unusable Seals. The Leather stuff was fine but ALL the Poly Seals had hardened and turned Yellow, I knew that going into the deal as i could tell by the pics but the Price for what i was getting Made up for it.
hey bull don't feel bad about your using ramps to unload that jack. i picked up a long frame jack a few months ago and even being carful and dropping one end at a time i STILL tweaked my back. they are heavy buggers and i should have waited til i had help.
at some point in the future i'll have a rebuild thread and Hiball purchase but for now no time.
later jim
at some point in the future i'll have a rebuild thread and Hiball purchase but for now no time.
later jim
hoopty388
Well-known member
you and hiball are really going to battle.
my ad post will soon have that very jack ad on it
lol
very nice by the way
my ad post will soon have that very jack ad on it
lol
very nice by the way
JC23
Well-known member
Wow, Bull! That thing is so eff'n kewl, even I would want to see it restored instead of hot rodded. That is, factory paint instead of Crazy Paint.
Great addition - best of fun and luck with it - both restoring and using.
Great addition - best of fun and luck with it - both restoring and using.
mrchuck
Banned
Before hydraulic tail gates, I moved many a heavy full barrel using wood skids like you did.
Actually safe, and NO hydraulic fluid to leak!
I used a big jack just like yours when working at a Texaco Station in 1956.
The head light was wonderful to find the rear diff or a spring shackle when doing tire jobs after dark, and there were many.
This post of yours brought back a veritable flood of memories to me.
Thanks Bull for getting this, and I will keep up with your renovation of this old war-horse of a jack.
Actually safe, and NO hydraulic fluid to leak!
I used a big jack just like yours when working at a Texaco Station in 1956.
The head light was wonderful to find the rear diff or a spring shackle when doing tire jobs after dark, and there were many.
This post of yours brought back a veritable flood of memories to me.
Thanks Bull for getting this, and I will keep up with your renovation of this old war-horse of a jack.
Thank for posting.
I've always wanted to know if the light was actually useful or just a sales gimmick.My poor jack was brutalized at some point. Well, the handle was at least. After studying my exploded parts diagram from my repair parts catalog, while having the jack next to me, I realize that I am missing the rods inside the handle for the quick release as well as some of the linkage pieces. What is the likelihood of this stuff turning up?
Seems to be the stubs of two rods in there. I'm not sure exactly how the design worked.
Seems to be the stubs of two rods in there. I'm not sure exactly how the design worked.
Neohio
Well-known member
Bull,
you might get lucky and be able to get a similar handle of a 20 ton air truck jack.
you might get lucky and be able to get a similar handle of a 20 ton air truck jack.
Willy-C
Well-known member
Bull,
Gonna be hard to find these accidently.......best to copy the originals....
You'll be in need of a lathe/milling machine to duplicate the release universal that's missing and the control rods that are wacked.....these parts can be copied with good samples....
IIRC, one rod inside the handle tube was for twisting the release stem , and the other will pull back the quadrant lock for jack positioning (trigger under handle coss)
Th universals were always the weak link in this setup and a few years ago there was a company in California that made replacement parts for old jacks, some of the things they made was old BH parts.....S-4 universals, saddle brackets, packing nuts, reservoir covers, pump pistons ect.....
Unfortunately they sadly went out of business a few years back.....I'll inquire in my circles to see if any left over parts are available ........
Gonna be hard to find these accidently.......best to copy the originals....
You'll be in need of a lathe/milling machine to duplicate the release universal that's missing and the control rods that are wacked.....these parts can be copied with good samples....
IIRC, one rod inside the handle tube was for twisting the release stem , and the other will pull back the quadrant lock for jack positioning (trigger under handle coss)
Th universals were always the weak link in this setup and a few years ago there was a company in California that made replacement parts for old jacks, some of the things they made was old BH parts.....S-4 universals, saddle brackets, packing nuts, reservoir covers, pump pistons ect.....
Unfortunately they sadly went out of business a few years back.....I'll inquire in my circles to see if any left over parts are available ........
Willy-C
Well-known member
Are you talking about a PJ-21..??
A big thanks for helping me by giving advice, looking for parts, and talking with contacts. I don't have any machining equipment or ability, so this is going to be a tough one. Thank goodness I only paid what I did for the jack, because with the missing parts, it is not exactly ready to use.
I curse my little goofy foreign jack every time I need to lift a car, and look longingly at the Blackhawk sitting in the middle of the garage....
I curse my little goofy foreign jack every time I need to lift a car, and look longingly at the Blackhawk sitting in the middle of the garage....
Bull,
Gonna be hard to find these accidently.......best to copy the originals....
You'll be in need of a lathe/milling machine to duplicate the release universal that's missing and the control rods that are wacked.....these parts can be copied with good samples....
IIRC, one rod inside the handle tube was for twisting the release stem , and the other will pull back the quadrant lock for jack positioning (trigger under handle coss)
Th universals were always the weak link in this setup and a few years ago there was a company in California that made replacement parts for old jacks, some of the things they made was old BH parts.....S-4 universals, saddle brackets, packing nuts, reservoir covers, pump pistons ect.....
Unfortunately they sadly went out of business a few years back.....I'll inquire in my circles to see if any left over parts are available ........
Willy-C
Well-known member
I still have one S-4 missing the handle assy (power unit found on a shelf with junk on it)....if I come up with the handle assy it shouldn't be too much trouble to open it up (cuz it'll be off the jack).....
Ideally, copying would be the best fix.....I have the tools and equipment, just need the window of downtime to do it.....
Here's a sample of an obsolete part machine custom machine on a CNC Lathe......
Ideally, copying would be the best fix.....I have the tools and equipment, just need the window of downtime to do it.....
Here's a sample of an obsolete part machine custom machine on a CNC Lathe......
Attachments
Willy-C
Well-known member
Here's a sample of the lathe making a hyd rod.....
http://videos.tractorbynet.com/video/944/3-Minute-Hydraulic-Rod
http://videos.tractorbynet.com/video/944/3-Minute-Hydraulic-Rod
Here's a sample of the lathe making a hyd rod.....
http://videos.tractorbynet.com/video/944/3-Minute-Hydraulic-Rod
Amazing. You might as well be Merlin as far as I am concerned. If I could go back in time, I'd tell little me to give up on the History and the English studies, and learn how to engineer and produce stuff. Too cool.
I just bought some control rods, a hydraulic cover with no headlight, an earlier-style handle, and a key from CRTDI. I am also going to order a few missing linkage pieces and some press-pins to attach them, and then I should be able to get this thing jacking like there is no tomorrow. Hopefully, that 1987 hydraulic rebuild is still sound. I already am going to have way more into this thing than I wanted. But, every time I need to jack a car and have to pull out the Charlie Chan jack, with the sticky quick release that can't be finessed, I dream of having the Blackhawk up and running.
I'll keep you posted.
I'll keep you posted.
Lump
Well-known member
Awesome! I, for one, will keep watching this thread. So cool.
texasgladiator57
Member
Bill:
its been a while since this thread was active but im sure you will revisit eventually. I am guessing you still have the S4 although i 100% appreciate the dilemma of finding quality original parts vs fabbing them vs tossing the jack. This is the story of my day to day life. It does get hella tiring always chasing parts that are by now in deep storage or deep in a landfill or as seems to happen to me constantly - the very parts i need are the exact ones that went from being worth nothing to being ultra collectible and getting ridiculously expensive.
Its worth it though.
The S4 is a sick brutish workhorse that separates the players from the rest of the herd. The light is beyond cool - i dont think there was ever another with that feature - and really most ive seen (S4s w lights) are ridiculously intact and functionable. And its friggin beautiful.
To buy a jack like that today - call Weaver and price out there 4-10 tonners. The S4s are pretty common - ive found probably 5 in a reasonable distance from me over the past year. The local scrap yard gets vintage jacks in weekly and they will hold them aside if you dont yank their chains.
I was also very lucky to have found a source for nos and used parts in Tallahassee FL - i need to get the name - unfortunately the nos stuff is dwindling (i spent some coin on what i thought would break 60 yrs from now). Then these cats here are amazing in knowledge and sourcing parts. So just wanted to keep you steered on the right course. I am doing mine right now so soon ill have one in service as well.
let us know.
its been a while since this thread was active but im sure you will revisit eventually. I am guessing you still have the S4 although i 100% appreciate the dilemma of finding quality original parts vs fabbing them vs tossing the jack. This is the story of my day to day life. It does get hella tiring always chasing parts that are by now in deep storage or deep in a landfill or as seems to happen to me constantly - the very parts i need are the exact ones that went from being worth nothing to being ultra collectible and getting ridiculously expensive.
Its worth it though.
The S4 is a sick brutish workhorse that separates the players from the rest of the herd. The light is beyond cool - i dont think there was ever another with that feature - and really most ive seen (S4s w lights) are ridiculously intact and functionable. And its friggin beautiful.
To buy a jack like that today - call Weaver and price out there 4-10 tonners. The S4s are pretty common - ive found probably 5 in a reasonable distance from me over the past year. The local scrap yard gets vintage jacks in weekly and they will hold them aside if you dont yank their chains.
I was also very lucky to have found a source for nos and used parts in Tallahassee FL - i need to get the name - unfortunately the nos stuff is dwindling (i spent some coin on what i thought would break 60 yrs from now). Then these cats here are amazing in knowledge and sourcing parts. So just wanted to keep you steered on the right course. I am doing mine right now so soon ill have one in service as well.
let us know.
Hey Bull
Did you ever get this jack going? I just acquired one and I'm having some problems with it. It seems like the overflow valve is bypassing all the high pressure pressure. It works fine in rapid mode when no load is on it, but add a load and all the fluid comes out the square hole next to the over flow valve. Anybody got any helpful ideas before I strip this thing all the way down?
I did pull the valve out of the casting and all looks good, needle is clean and smooth though I didn't get to the seat yet and it could be knackered.
lg
no neat sig line
Jarhead0408
Well-known member
My lens is still intact, but I haven't even begun to restore the jack yet.
My lens is still intact, but I haven't even begun to restore the jack yet.
Care to post some pics of just the lens? I'd like to make one
The High pressure side is supposed to bypass @Load, check your overload components and setting.
This thing is not able to lift a couple hundred pounds. It will raise the arm empty just fine but it will not lift any load before bypassing. As I understand this jack has a fast rise then a second stage to lift and it seems the fast rise works but the second stage sends the fluid out the overflow valve.
https://archive.org/stream/Hyraulic...ydraulic_jack_repair_manual#page/n20/mode/1up
In the above link I am referring to the overflow valve part number 33/34. The safety valve parts 28-32 is not showing any signs of by passing. Is there a theory of operation or manual that shows the plumbing paths on this jack?
lg
no neat sig line
Again.. The High side is supposed to bypass under Load, the power side takes over to do the heavy lifting. If your not getting any bypass at the weep hole on overload you need to verify valve components, and lastly power side seals.
OK I think I understand, the bypassing under load is normal and I need to dig into the power side. Are seal kits still available for this jack? Thanks for your help.
lg
no neat sig line
Yes, S4 kits are still available, I would definitely evaluate internal/external condition of the Jack to make sure it's a suitable Rebuildable unit. The kits are fairly pricey, there is a number in my signature to a very reputable shop, might not hurt to google and price check with Lazzars/Blackhawkparts etc.. A S4 will require some specialty tools and some patience/general know how to properly install the seals without damaging them.