How to properly Bleed a Floor Jack

I bled it worked for a few months now jack won't lift not giving up ordered the repair kit! Thanks.

Don't you have to close the screw once it's done bleeding then repeat? My thinking is if you leave the screw cracked open and then start pumping the jack air gets sucked back bleeding not completed?

I have a floor jack that I bought at an estate sale. They didn’t have any plug were the oil goes in. As a temporary fix, I got a rubber cone shape plug that I put into it. But when I start to pump it up, and the handles turn completely clockwise,it raises and falls-raises and falls. This is with the plug out. I have to start doing it quickly for it to raise. When I let it down and like you show, fluid comes out. Am I supposed to refill that every time the fluid comes out? Thanks!

First buy jack stands and then floor jack, use the jack stands and save your life 😊😊😊

Jacks should only be used to raise the vehicle then use Jack stands to hold it at least for me I may keep the Jack there with the stands for safe measures, I've seen cars fall just using the Jack by itself unless im just doing brakes not actually laying under the car I used to just use the Jack until I've seen what happens when it falls I've almost had a car fall on me just being underneath and torking on a bolt cause the car to shift luckily i was able to get out not completely but enough to where I wasn't, hurt my buddy had the car fall having the engine fall on his chest crushing his chest luckily someone was there able to react quick enough just broke a few ribs instead of killing him, I don't wrench on cars as much as i used to but when I safety first isn't worth your life, Accident happen but best to try to avoid them I've seen half the car fall off a hoist in a garage repair shop i worked at usually the tire guys put the cars on the hoist brought them in the air this guy put the jack some place understand that wasn't strong enough to hold instead of under the frame cause the car to fall luckily nobody was hurt needless to say he wasn't there very long some people just shouldn't be working on cars because where he put it should have been common sense some cars have markings but cars that don't use common sense. Lol funny now but not so much then .

WD 40 is Not the best choice lubricating the wheels. That will basically clean/wash it out.
Grease is for lubricating things like wheels and bearings.

I enjoyed your video, but after bleeding the jack you should have shown the viewers how to top it up. I know how to do it, but a lot of viewers don`t. thank you.

You didn`t show how to fill jack. Do you fill where the air was coming out ?

As far as the oil you use you are correct in not using normal motor oils and such and especially do NOT use Brake Fluid because it will eat the seals up. However all that jack oil is, is normal Hydraulic Fluid like used in any machine with hydraulic cylinders. Any hydraulic fluid you use in your tractor, excavator, ect will work just fine if you already have that around because you own machines/tractors.

Transmission Fluid will also work safely in those jacks in a pinch because it's a type of Hydraulic Fluid but, it is also exponentially more expensive as well so using it is rather pointless. Same with Power Steering Fluid.

I've got a heavy duty blue Goodyear jack that's older and I called three different hydraulic shops to see about getting it serviced and I never got a single call back. I suppose they don't think it's worth their time or the money and just cheaper for me to go purchase a new one?
Seems like a waste of a nice jack.

✔✔✔

I used tractor hydraulic fluid because it’s what I had on hand from my tractor. If the fluid can lift the backhoe and the loader then a Jack should work as well.

Have you ever heard of Jack stands? Never use a floor jack without them.

Yes, there are bearings missing.

thanks

The air got in there some how, this is suppose to be a sealed system.

Also you can ưa Brakefluid. Ít good too

After bleeding the jack in what position you wll add the fluid?

Interesting.... I have an old Craftsman floor jack that I bought back in 1982. It has worked perfectly over the years until last night. I loaded it up in my trunk to rescue a friend that was stuck near my house with a flat. I was surprised when I went to use it that it would jack the car up, but wouldn’t hold. It would slowly lower back down on its own. The only thing I did was move it which made no sense at the time. I’m guessing that tipping it on an angle to get it in my truck may have caused air to get into the cylinder. I will have to try this and see if I can get it back to normal.

C'mon guys... It's all ball bearings nowadays.

The guy I bought my Jack from told me the fill Port was the port that you said don't open so I've been trying to fill from there. Did I totally mess up my jack? I'm trying the bleeding but I can't get it to hold. Is there a way to fix what I did to that back screw?

I got one that has no leaks you think this can be the problem ? How does air get in it ?

Out all the bleeding jack video this is the one that did it for me

WD40 is not a lubricant, it is a water displacer, it will dry out and gum up things over time, don't use it to lubricate unless you want to have it continually bind up and give you problems over time... Use actual grease or oil to lubricate... Grease on things that slide, oil on things that rotate.

Thank you for this training!!

Yea but how do you add fluid.

Great 👍 good for me

I learned alot from your Video.Never knew you had to bleed the air out or that you had to add hydraulic fluid😏I was going to buy a jack at a flea market and as I try it out the jacked up but it didn't lower..the seller was so pissed cuz he couldn't lower it either 😂😅😉😸

Very good explanation and video work.

You lucked out getting that. I've been rescuing perfectly good things thrown away since I was a kid. Thankfully for us repair minded types there's a never ending source. People discard many things with simple little problems. Good video. Dandahermit

Oil or grease would be better than wd40.

Wouldn't you have to add some fluid since it had air in it.?

I made the mistake of opening the screw you said not to touch and I’ve been trying fill the jack with oil and it’s not working and I don’t see an air screw like yours and my jack is almost the same as yours

Umm holy shit.. I was looking for a basic tutorial video and the understanding I left with makes me want to restore/ rebuild floor jacks! Best floor jack tutorial! 🙏🏽

Yes. Craftsman were great tools back when they were life time guarantees from sears.

When I jack I always leak fluid . . .

I have had this same model since around 2003. Refuse to get rid of it, still works great. Wish mine had the screw instead of a rubber nipple.

My jack will not pump up if it a load on it but just fine with out a load

You right, I was about to throw mine brand new one I didn't use to much, two years only, but it only needs some O rings and fill it up with some hydraulic jack oil, because if you throw it out and buy new one, the same problem may happen again.

I didn't toush that adjustment screw but oil started leaking from it without using the jack till one day i try to left the car, but the jack doesn't work anymore. I should have turn that screw clockwise to stop the leake.

I picked up one of these because I knew I could fix it - I had fixed a 1.5 Ton before that I fixed and got this 3T Craftsman for free. I prefer that screw for the bleeding than the rubber seal, mine has rubber, which is difficult to return. Also, the screw type allows you to just loosened it for bleeding. Now, what do I do if I undid that screw you said not to touch? I opened there thinking that was where to fill, it came off like a cap, I don't see how it adjusts/presets for anything.

🏁👍

So once you are done bleeding the jack. You top it off after correct? You don’t have to bleed it again after topping it off? Or do you add oil first and then bleed it? I’ve never done this before.

Thanks you helped me fix my jack

all these comment warriors say you should use jack stands. you can also use big wood blocks. b/c jack stands can be dangerous if you don't know how to operate them. i have seen it in automotives class!

I find the side support bars are the 'weakest' in cheap buys. Just replace with those that show bends.

Hi, after bleeding and filling ect a floor jack, when i pump the handle down the lifting arm raises but then lowers with the handle going down, SO i guessing one of the little ball is slipping or damaged and letting fluid pass?

Great video... but wouldn't it be quicker to just add more jack oil? That would displace the air if you filled it completely, right? Or am I missing something....

In today's video we look at rehabbing a failing floor jack. Before you throw away your old floor jack watch this video. If your floor jack is letting you down, "literally" then do not worry. I will walk you through the steps to bleed out the air and check to see if your seals are bad. Once you watch the entire video you should be able to diagnose and repair your own floor jack for free or a nominal fee if you need parts. Don't spend hundreds for a new floor jack when you can fix your old one and keep if lifting you up! If you have any jack related problems on a floor jack or bottle jack these methods should work for both. Any questions post them down below and I'll be happy to answer them for you.