Anytime you are going to be working on or maintaining your hydraulic floor jack it must be clean before starting.
How to fix a hydraulic floor jack reservoir.
After which turn the jack s release position and pump it a few times to purge the accumulated air out.
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.
For detailed instructions on how to change hydraulic oil for both floor and bottle jacks please refer to this video.
They are easy to repair and it can save you 150 200.
Fill the chamber with hydraulic fluid.
Use shop rags to wipe down the cylinders thoroughly before you open any.
Wipe off excess oil then test it.
Hydraulic fluid would be best but oil can be used temporarily.
Be sure to check the levels of the hydraulic fluid regularly.
In this video i show you how to fix a few common problems with your hydraulic floor jack.
Step 2 remove plug on cylinder.
If the level of oil in the floor jack is lesser than the recommended level then you can refill it.
When this occurs the air starts to accumulate in the unit preventing it to lift.
If the level is higher than the recommended level then you will need to drain some of it.
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.
Make sure that you use the best hydraulic oil and not some cheaper alternative.
Step 2 remove any excess air from the jack by opening the release valve and vigorously pumping the handle.
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.
Depending on the make and model of the jack some can hold up to a pint of fluid.