Help me GasSavers!

[GasSavers_BluEyes]

Originally Posted by omgwtfbyobbq

My $25 Cherry Picker can't even pick me up any more. The jack finally gave out, which isn't surprising considering it's age, and the fact that I was pushing it near it's rated capacity.

Maybe try a diet

Erik is right on I'd say. Hydraulic stuff is simple, but "cleanliness is next to Godliness" certainly holds true!

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Yeah... I've been getting porky recently. Anyway, the jack will not jack up and lock under load, it'll pop up and slide back down, and even when I jack it up under no load, it'll slide back down very slowly after I stop pumping it. If I jack for a good amount of time with a load, fluid will start coming out of the top seal and fill port. I'll look around for shops I can stop by the next time I go down the hill! The ram has no specs, but the cherry picker is a half ton.

[GasSavers_Erik]

Sounds like the bottom seal on the ram. Loosen that big nut on top and pull out the long rod or pump it up until it pops out.

[Ted Hart]

Methinks a guy has to be a fool to get under a heavy mass supported by a "rebuilt" hydraulic jack...rebuilt by someone with no experierce whatsoever!
And...supported by wooden roof members? Ever hear of a knot breaking? Knots are a weak link in wood! As are cuts / notches / etc.
Come-a-longs are for pulling or lifting light(er) loads...not for committing suicide! -Ted Hart

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Yeah... I was weary of using a come-a-long, and since I got a great deal on a practically new 8 ton flat bottom jack ($30) I'm just going to go bug my uncle to use his drill press and make an adapter/bushing for the bigger jack to bolt up to the cherry picker. And, I can rebuild the smaller 3 ton flat bottom for other uses... In terms of use, I'll never go under a car unless it's on jack stands or in this case (unless it's an oil change, because I can reach the plug w/o going under), four rims with a two by four across them, under the lift points. So rebuilt, new, or haunted is never an issue.

[white90crxhf]

i would not use 2 rafters to lift a 2000lbs car. a point load of 1000lbs on wood isnt a good idea. why is it at a 45 degree angle?

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Welding on a gas tank too! I figure 45 degrees since that should correspond to a 1000lb load on the rafter/s or half ton jack, and, like you said, 1000lbs over a square inch of wood isn't exactly safe.

[red91sit]

hmm unrelated, but would I be able to use a come-along and the rafters for a smallish Honda Engine?

[GasSavers_Erik]

red91sit- The best way to test your idea is to use a thick board (a 4x4) between at least 2 or even 4 rafters and find a 200 pound friend to slowly apply their weight to the board- if they start creaking, then its too much.

[landspeed]

Originally Posted by Ted Hart

Methinks a guy has to be a fool to get under a heavy mass supported by a "rebuilt" hydraulic jack...rebuilt by someone with no experierce whatsoever!
And...supported by wooden roof members? Ever hear of a knot breaking? Knots are a weak link in wood! As are cuts / notches / etc.
Come-a-longs are for pulling or lifting light(er) loads...not for committing suicide! -Ted Hart

TBH, someone working under a heavy mass supported by a brand new jack, or one rebuilt by someone with lots of experience, would also be a fool. The seal could go at any moment, and you will never know when.

I'm sure most people do it, but *always* use a 'permanent' means of supporting the car, e.g. axle stands etc, which you put under the car once you have jacked it up. This way, you don't trust your life to some tiny, cheap hydraulic seals.