How To Fix A Hydraulic Floor Jack Reservoir

Step 2 remove plug on cylinder.

How to fix a hydraulic floor jack reservoir.

Anytime you are going to be working on or maintaining your hydraulic floor jack it must be clean before starting. Fill the chamber with hydraulic fluid. They are easy to repair and it can save you 150 200. If the level is higher than the recommended level then you will need to drain some of it.

Open the reservoir cap and fill it with hydraulic oil until it is about 1 4 inch below the level of the hole when the jack is on its side. Hydraulic jack how it works animation a hydraulic jack uses a liquid which is incompressible that is forced into a cylinder by a pump plunger. When this occurs the air starts to accumulate in the unit preventing it to lift. If the level of oil in the floor jack is lesser than the recommended level then you can refill it.

Step 2 remove any excess air from the jack by opening the release valve and vigorously pumping the handle. For detailed instructions on how to change hydraulic oil for both floor and bottle jacks please refer to this video. A substitute for hydraulic fluid is 5w 30 motor oil. Wipe off excess oil then test it.

Another possible reason why the floor jack s ram won t lift is due to lack of enough oil in the reservoir. Use the funnel to guide the fluid into the cylinder. Use shop rags to wipe down the cylinders thoroughly before you open any. In this video i show you how to fix a few common problems with your hydraulic floor jack.

Be sure to check the levels of the hydraulic fluid regularly. Depending on the make and model of the jack some can hold up to a pint of fluid. If any type of debris or dirt gets into the hydraulic fluid it can do a lot of damage to the inside of the cylinders. Hydraulic fluid would be best but oil can be used temporarily.