Is it worth fixing?

[topher5150]

I have a Pittsburg floor jack that I've had for about seven or eight years now. I used it about a month ago with no issues, Saturday I went to jack up my wife's car and it had just enough to lift the arm up. I know it's only a Harbor Freight jack but if it's a two-dollar fix, or just needs to be topped off I'd rather do that than buy something new.

 

[seber]

I have one with a broken cup seal. Fixing is not an issue. Getting parts seems to be impossible.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Google it, I remember seeing reseal kites available, and they were cheap.

 

[SeisMec]

Have you checked HF's parts replacement parts list?

https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/parts/In_Stock_Replacement_Parts.pdf

 

[RTM]

Might try posting here, the big jack repair thread.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51105

 

[whateg01]

I have one with a broken cup seal. Fixing is not an issue. Getting parts seems to be impossible.

A hydraulics shop should be able to match it based on dimensions. I've repaired many hydraulic things that parts aren't available for by going to a place that sells that kind of part

 

[Showkey]

Often jacks are just low on oil. Top off per instructions and test before going down the repair Rabbit hole.

Taking a $100 jack to a repair shop is not likely going to work with parts and labor $$$..........then there’s the issue the ram is nicked, rusty or pitted.....so no seal repair will be long lasting.

Yes, DIY repair maybe if you can find the kit.

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[redmondjp]

I'd just wait for the next sale at HF for the Daytona floor jack. 'Tis the times we live in.

 

[whateg01]

Sure ***** that we are in such a throw-away society. Low on oil? How do you suppose it got that way? Reminds me of a conversation I had with somebody some years back about his car's AC. He wanted me to top it off and I suggested that we fix the leak. He insisted that it wasn't leaking, it was just low. Ok, then. SMH

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I was going to fix an old jack to keep in mom’s pole barn but it was like $60 for a repair kit and the cylinder was gouged so it went in for scrap. Think I will probably get a hf jack to leave over there. Maybe a new daytona jack for me and the old one can go to moms. Those daytona jacks are nice

 

[topher5150]

So I think I figured it out. I left the jack out, under the car with the handle down, for a while. There's two spring loaded caps at the bottom of the handle and one of them got buggered up. So I can still use the jack but I have to put the handle almost all the way down to use it

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

For $100 bucks just go and get a nice shiny yellow one..

 

[theoldwizard1]

So I think I figured it out. I left the jack out, under the car with the handle down, for a while. There's two spring loaded caps at the bottom of the handle and one of them got buggered up. So I can still use the jack but I have to put the handle almost all the way down to use it

Those are the "safety" valves. If you have two, one is used to "sift gears" from high speed to low speed. If you mess with them, it is next to impossible to re-sent them properly unless you have test loads.

 

[Hiball]

Those are the "safety" valves. If you have two, one is used to "sift gears" from high speed to low speed. If you mess with them, it is next to impossible to re-sent them properly unless you have test loads.

I suspect he is referencing the actual pump pistons.