Engine hoist wont go up all the way?

[Kevin]

ok so my 3-ton engine hoist mysteriously stopped going upp all the way?

i didnt have anything on it so i jack up my 100lb punching bag with it.
i forgot about it and left it up. few days later (when i actually noticed) the hoist was fully down..

but no one touched it..

i checked the bleeder screw thing and it was still super tight.

so i loosened it, then tightened it again.. i tried jacking it up and now it would barely reach half way..

i also notice a bit of fluid around the piston.

i guess im not supposed to leave loads on it? idk
what should i do? i dont wanna buy a new one and throw it away..
you guys think its missing some kind of fluid or something?

idk anything about these things lol

 

[mkiiSupraMan18]

"Can't get it up" would have been a better thread title.

I'm in for the answer, because I've got a jack that does the same thing.

 

[4U2QUIK]

sounds like a bad piston seal.

 

[Kevin]

"Can't get it up" would have been a better thread title.

I'm in for the answer, because I've got a jack that does the same thing.

but it does go up.. just not all the way. goes up enough for the arm to be pretty parallel to the ground and does hold weight.

sounds like a bad piston seal.

so the jack is garbage?

Edit: btw at first i thought it was the extremely cold temp. of the garage but idk i thought it would go back to normal when it got a little warmer.. but didn;t
idk anything about these lol so im just throw w.e out there

 

[nick88]

The seal around the piston that is attached to the handle, had one go out on me while putting 7m back in after a clutch job, was slowly going down but would go up so we had to line it up right the first time. lol

 

[Kevin]

The seal around the piston that is attached to the handle, had one go out on me while putting 7m back in after a clutch job, was slowly going down but would go up so we had to line it up right the first time. lol

LOL so u never fixed it?

 

[nick88]

LOL so u never fixed it?

Yeah, it was like a ten dollar seal, but I had to drive around town looking for the right one.

 

[GrimJack]

The seals on the cheap jacks / hoists aren't designed to keep pressure in forever. If you leave them up with weight on them, hydraulic fluid will leak past the seal slowly. Thus the rule about NEVER getting under a car on a jack, always use jackstands.

Just put some more fluid in the thing, it should start working properly again. Most auto supply stores will carry jack fluid.

 

[supraman72]

Yeah, it was like a ten dollar seal, but I had to drive around town looking for the right one.

Add oil into the resivore, that happened to an engine lift on me one time. I could only get it up half way lol but i added some power steering fluid and wala i got it up and down just fine

 

[Kevin]

where do i add the fluid??

 

[GrimJack]

Look for a plug that you can unscrew. Some of them unscrew the part that you loosen to lower the jack. I've never seen one that was at all difficult to figure out.

 

[Kevin]

Look for a plug that you can unscrew. Some of them unscrew the part that you loosen to lower the jack. I've never seen one that was at all difficult to figure out.

the only plug/screw is the one to lower the jack. so that would be where i add the fluid?
do i make sure its all the way down?

 

[Poodles]

Some are sealed, but it's usually a little plug on the side of the body.

 

[supraman72]

Mine was a little ruber niple and i just added fluid as i lifted the engine till it was high enough to clear the bumper. I didnt know how much to add so i did it little at a time

 

[Kevin]

ok so i got some fluid.. i took it off the frame and i couldnt find ANY screws other then the one that lowers the jack when loosened and a small check screw which i am not supposed to touch. so i figured it was just the screw that lowers the jack. well i tried adding fluid to it.. i added maybe like 2 tiny drops and it was already over flowing? what am i supposed to do lol. and it still wont jack all the way to the top

 

[Poodles]

It will be in the side. Usually it's a rubber plug that's painted over so it looks like a rivet when it's not.

 

[Kevin]

It will be in the side. Usually it's a rubber plug that's painted over so it looks like a rivet when it's not.

LOL i feel soo stupid. i figured this out moments after posting the last post.. your right.. i really thought it was some kind if rivet that shouldnt be fucked with lol. because i read that nothing else should be touched like check valves or w.e// like i said. i have no idea of how this stuff is. anyway.. now my jack goes all the way up to the sky!!