Does my 7 year old HF jack need new seals?

[btdobie]

Right, but:
1) you need to jack up the car before you can use a jack stand. And if your floor jack is unreliable, then you may never get a chance to place the jack stand.
2) After getting a jack stand(s) to support the vehicle weight, I always use my floor jack as a "fail-safe" device. I position my floor jack a 1/4" under a load point in case the jack stand fails. You need a reliable floor jack.

for #2. I always leave the jack in place after lowering the vehicle onto the jack stand just in case. I also wouldn't call a jack disposable just because it was cheap. The HF jacks in my experience are good jacks for the average home user and totally worth fixing if minor leak down is the only issue.

As for OP's issue, I have to agree that a jack stand is the appropriate fix here. A jack that takes 5-10 minutes to leak down under the weight of a car is still totally usable the way a jack is meant to be used.


Side note:
I can't believe they want $40 for a couple of orings and washers.

 

[Jacobson]

Looks like people don't fix their jacks anymore.
This was a wildly popular jack and there is little info on fixing it.
I would need a step by step guide.

Also, $40 for o-rings is a joke.
I'd rather buy a new jack for $100

Will probably never do this, but the sag is annoying every time I change my wheels

 

[paulsomlo]

Looks like people don't fix their jacks anymore.
This was a wildly popular jack and there is little info on fixing it.
I would need a step by step guide.

Also, $40 for o-rings is a joke.
I'd rather buy a new jack for $100

Will probably never do this, but the sag is annoying every time I change my wheels

And that's why most people don't rebuild them - because you can replace it for $100. It's also why Pittsburgh doesn't provide a drawing for the hydraulics - they never meant for it to be rebuilt. The link that I provided to the Hein Werner Winner does have a parts diagram, and that should be enough to get you started. The jack is fairly basic - you have all the resources here at GJ to get you through it. Here's the drawing that's probably representative: https://www.hcrcnow.com/uploads/drawings/Hein-Werner_Winner_68040_Floor_Jack_2_Ton.pdf

Yep, $40 for that kit is a bit steep, probably less than $10 in parts there.

Here's your step by step:
Remove the hydraulic unit
Remove the tank nut
Remove the ram
Inspect the ram cup
If worn and not disintegrated, replace and reassemble.
If disintegrated, complete teardown will likely be necessary.

Once you get it apart, you'll want a caliper to measure that ram cup, then you can go to a hydraulic supply with dimensions.

 

[Jacobson]

Reading words doesn't work for me.
I have no idea what a hydraulic unit is, or now to remove it.

I'll just keep using the jack as is.
Besides the slow bleed (no leak), the jack is an absolute tank.
Here's to another 30 years.

 

[bob15]

Reading words doesn't work for me.
I have no idea what a hydraulic unit is, or now to remove it.

I'll just keep using the jack as is.
Besides the slow bleed (no leak), the jack is an absolute tank.
Here's to another 30 years.

Junk the jack and get a new one. Sure it was a slow leak today, tomorrow it could completely fail and if not tomorrow, maybe next week.

Why chance it? Just replace it.

 

[dogdog]

Might not be the seal, there are check balls inside those valves the seats might get dirty and not seating properly... It's not that difficult to take it apart. just watch out for falling balls and popping springs.

 

[yamaha0343]

Reading words doesn't work for me.
I have no idea what a hydraulic unit is, or now to remove it.

All the more reason you shouldn’t be trusting your safety to Chinese import floor jack that you attempted a rebuild on.

 

[dogdog]

All the more reason you shouldn’t be trusting your safety to Chinese import floor jack that you attempted a rebuild on.

you think the HW doesn't exhibit these type of behavior ? As if they never wear out or something. Taking things apart is not for everyone. It's not COO.

 

[byoungblood]

Looks like people don't fix their jacks anymore.
This was a wildly popular jack and there is little info on fixing it.
I would need a step by step guide.

Also, $40 for o-rings is a joke.
I'd rather buy a new jack for $100

Will probably never do this, but the sag is annoying every time I change my wheels

Try piecing together the seals and o-rings yourself. Sometimes you pay a hefty premium for the convenience of the kit. But it would be worth a look inside first to see if you actually need to replace anything or you're dealing with some trash left behind in there.

 

[bpjr]

I have the HF 2-1/2 ton low profile jack and it's been fine...it's 2010 vintage. I always use a jack stand combined with the jack or two stands at each lift point. The owners manual has isometric diagrams of this jack (and two others) but the hydraulics are shown as one unit. They show 1-800-444-3353 for missing or broken parts. Technical support: [email protected]

They discontinued mine but I'd buy another in a heartbeat and take this one apart just to see what it looks like inside.