Fixing a Stuck Floor Jack Piston | DIY Repair

[@emilaznar526]

Finally, 10 KZbin videos later a video that shows how to work on the pistons. All the others just show how to bleed the jack. Thank you.

[@JuanCMissingGears]

I'm so glad I was able to help. I had the same experience and told myself I should do a video to help out

[@joselozano0528]

I literally wasted time on 5 other videos where the guy just complains about the jack. This is the first one that I have seen that isn't click bait. 👍🏽

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Thank you. My goal is to help out

[@markgoulette5056]

Finally, someone that solved a problem instead of complaining about it!

[@fruitydudexD]

For my people with the rapid pump blue one, you could just remove the little cross piece that prevents the bar from going past vertical, and it will just swing away from the pistons enough for you to pull them out without more disassembly.

[@lennypalumbo7739]

Thanks for the tutorial, my right piston was completely seized. Cleaned all the part and the jack works good again 👍

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Glad it worked out well.

[@robertmaybeth3434]

I'm thinking the factory fill of the hydraulic fluid was old and dirty stuff. And after you used the jack once or twice, the dirt blocked the fluid release valve. Now i'm thinking everybody needs to change the fluid in their new jack before they even use it once.

[@detectornevada1783]

Muy buen trabajo 👍

[@codyrhea4368]

This worked on my 4-ton harbor freight jack as well. Thank you for the video. Extremeley helpful

[@killeralibi66]

Thank you very much! I followed your instructions on a Pittsburgh model and it worked perfectly!

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Glad it helped

[@postalinVT]

I too used to use vise grips on hex head bolts before I knew better.

[@CoreyOBrien-k2e]

Nice work. Thank you for the tips

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Glad it helped

[@davedave2109]

Nice video, helpful.

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Thank you

[@RSPerformance-RS3EVO]

Great video thanks

[@georgepulido3258]

Thanks for the video bro I got one from harbor freight just like yours I only used it maybe six times and the Piston got stuck I'm about to tear it down

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Good luck! Be careful when pulling out the piston

[@NINrod_M]

Alright! This saved me a lot of trouble. Thanks

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Glad it helped out

[@ByronTexas]

Exactly what I was looking for thanks!

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Thank you for watching

[@robertmaybeth3434]

After viewing several posts about the sticking piston problem, I conclude it's caused by inferior, dirty, cheap hydraulic fluid during manufacture. If they used half-way decent hyd fluid for the factory fill the problem would not happen as much. But since they use old dirty cheap stuff, that's why the pistons stick. Probably the best idea is to re-lubricate everything on the jack before you even use it once. Drain and replace the hydraulic oil immediately you bring the jack home!

[@MrM6d]

Replace the O-rings...they swell and jam. Look for chrome or steel shards in the bottom and flush it. The spring top washer is held on with a round wire clip..replace with E clip. The pump cylinders are removable...remove, clean, inspect, reassemble.

[@jamesrand5872]

Right on. Thank you for this video! I thought I was going to have to buy another jack!

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Glad it helped out!. 🤘

[@michaelcipparulo7181]

Thank you for the video and the new steel toe crocs.

[@JuanCMissingGears]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Glad it helped out

[@CUSTOMWORKS7.3PSD]

You want to stop this issue and many more on floor jacks? Empty them out of fluid completely then first add 3 table spoons of motorkote and then fill with w32 hydraulic fluid then burp the air . The motorkote is a lubricant and the w32 is a heavier fluid that won't cavitation under heavy loads causing blown seals and air in the jack

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Yeah. But unfortunately if you are searching for this video. You are late to the game.

[@claudiosantana3320]

Mine bound becuz humidity and or springs are kinda small rated. So ifixed by rrmoving cleaning and lubing

[@JuanCMissingGears]

That could be the reason

[@supercraig2009]

I just purchased one over the weekend. Maybe i should've purchased the 2 year pro tection plan?

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Irs always good to have it but you never know when it will fail

[@supercraig2009]

@@JuanCMissingGears my thoughts exactly . insurance 👍

[@robertmaybeth3434]

I got mine 3-ton jack on Ebay for $150, and turned that rip-off of a protection plan down. Your best protection plan is to spend $5 for new jack oil. Then just suck out or pour out the factory hydraulic fluid and replace it. Because I'm fairly certain that's what is causing the problem: the old, cheap, and dirty hydraulic oil that the factory uses for the factory fill.

[@JuanCMissingGears]

@@robertmaybeth3434 that's a great point. Posible.

[@dfields9511]

Had same thing happen. To me I was able to get it back out. I had to bleed the system and add jack oil

[@diydantex6150]

Thanks

[@garrickwinfield6742]

Did you replace the o rings ? I believe mine is leaking from one of the piston o rings

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Surprisingly my o rings were ok. But Amazon sells them as well

[@shawnm2597]

Wow, there are sooooo many of these jacks posted with the same exact problem... stuck piston. I was searching for a fix and didn't realize how many people have the same problem. Its almost like they made the jack with the right side piston a touch too long and is catching on the seal. It looks like maybe the seal is catching on the inside of the jack cylinder??? Or just rusty??

[@JuanCMissingGears]

I think the issue is not enough lubrication. The piston itself wasn't attached with the gasket when I released it. So no real way to know.

[@SmithJynx]

Hey man I have a 3 ton Pittsburgh I messed up I twisted the u joint release valve and all the oil came out I don’t know how to fix it

[@JuanCMissingGears]

I'm not sure what the u joint release valve is

[@tsl7881]

Nice Daytona jack (albeit stuck), but not even a set of pittsburg wrenches and sockets or cussable/adjustable wrench?

[@bfaIllini1]

What grease do you use? I missed that step on the video. Thank you very much. I wish I saw it before I ran out to buy a new one last night when mine failed halfway through putting on my snow tires 😢

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Hydraulic jack oil. I'm glad it helped.

[@Taras-Nabad]

Vice grip?

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Yeah that was my biggest socket unfortunately

[@MrM6d]

The pivot bolts are 26 mm, not vice grip...and one is right thread, the other is left..it's marked on the head.

[@mattsphotos749]

White Crocs and vice grips mmmm

[@JuanCMissingGears]

🤣

[@benjamincheney6208]

Just think, somebody will watch this and think yeah vicegrips are the tool for the job.

[@papergatorzfedducca7998]

Any links on how to buy replacement parts? I damaged the spring and the housing that holds the spring trying to get mine back up 😂😂😂

[@JuanCMissingGears]

I didn't get that far. Thanfully I was able to fix it in time. Sorry I don't know where to find parts

[@onemoreboat]

Where is the dirt coming from that needed to be cleaned off the piston? Is it internal?

[@JuanCMissingGears]

I think it's slowly building at the edge of the piston and sipping into the internals.

[@robertmaybeth3434]

Since the stuck pistons happen on brand new jacks too the only conclusion is, the factory is filling them with dirty hydraulic fluid from the get-go. Also when you use the jack the first few times, there might be casting debris that breaks loose inside the works. The remedy is to drain and replace the hydraulic oil.

[@coburn_karma]

Great Fix, but you made a work out video without realizing you made a work out video......6:02. LOL💪

[@JuanCMissingGears]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Facts

[@stevewongswchannel9518]

What hydraulic fluid did you use? DOT 4 brake fluid?

[@JuanCMissingGears]

No. I actually used the specific one from harbor freight

[@stevewongswchannel9518]

@@JuanCMissingGears Thanks, but what is that specific one called? Harbor Freight oil for floor jack? It must have a name, doesn't it? What is its name?

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Hydraulic jack oil

[@DonziGT230]

Brake fluid would probably kill all the seals.

[@eltigere8585]

When the Piston gets stuck like that you can use a flat head screwdriver or a small pry bar with a curved Flathead where the cover meets the spring and pop it out

[@JuanCMissingGears]

I tried. I just didn't record it. Multiple times and it didn't work. So then I decided to record the full disassembling process

[@eltigere8585]

@@JuanCMissingGears thank you for the video I'm going to try and clean mine out as well although I have been using it but I use a small pry bar with a bent tip to pop out the piston.

[@JuanCMissingGears]

@@eltigere8585 glad it can help

[@marcusrussell5522]

GREASE IT AN PRY IT FROM THE TENSION HOLDING IT SIMPLE...

[@robertallgeier2109]

Too much video of you, not enough of the actual work.

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Thanks

[@justinschuyler]

You really should have changed the oil a couple of times and you over filled it. It’s probably going to get stuck again.

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Do you think so? I thought I left a big gap though. I didn't put as much fluid as it had. We will see. If it happens again. I'll make another video about it 🤣

[@jesussandoval3080]

In croc's and they are white 😂😂😂😂

[@JuanCMissingGears]

Well, they aren't white any longer 🤣🤣

[@tsl7881]

Yeah, i wear blue. Those shoe soles are good for finding dropped nails and staples....

[@SmithJynx]

Hey man I have a 3 ton Pittsburgh I messed up I twisted the u joint release valve and all the oil came out I don’t know how to fix it