One way to trouble shoot a unit that will not lower all the way, or that you are unable to get full handle strokes is to rule out air in the system. It's quick and easy! All you need to do is Pump the handle 15-20 times while activating the release lever. Make sure you remove the fill cap first! This is where the air will escape from. If oil is coming out while you are working through this process it's an indicator that you are not fully in release mode.
If your lift sinks down under a load, you can unhook the chain from the release pin and allow the pin to come out of the valve. This allows the ball to seat, and may remedy the issue. If not, it can be an indicator that the valve is honed out and no longer creates a tight seal when the ball seats.
If you have a unit that will not go down, check the release rod and make sure everything is moving freely. Do the same on the underside of the jack.
Sometimes you just need to do a tear down of the hydraulic unit and rebuild it with a seal kit. Every manufacturer originally included a variation of different parts. We have found in many cases that there are additional parts that should be replaced at the same time. Below are outlined the differences between a super seal kit, standard and slim seal kit.
Slim seal kits include only the most essential and commonly replaced seals. A cost saving option if you know what you need. A Standard or Super seal kit is a better choice if a complete hydraulic unit rebuild is necessary.
Standard seal kits have all of the parts included in the manufacturers' standard seal kit.
Super seal kits contain all parts that are included in a standard seal kit, as well as the most commonly needed parts beyond the standard seal kit to do a complete hydraulic unit rebuild.
When doing the repair, we encourage you to disassemble one section at a time and line up the pieces in the order you take them out. This will save your you-know-what when you go to install the new pieces.
If you need help deciding which kit to get you can take advantage of our unmatched Customer Service. Our staff has the knowledge and experience to help you with technical problems and even assist with identifying mystery jacks. (See this post for more on that!) We also track model changes so you can be sure to receive the correct part the first time you place an order.
On select units we have the Rebuild hydraulic unit program available also. Email or call us today (800)331-0839!
