Craftsman jack adjustment?

[nater006]

Got this Craftsman floor jack.. its new but came w/o a box. Anyway, on the jack, it says to read in the owners manual about adjusting the air vent -- which, of course, didn't come with. Anyway so it doesn't lift very high, guessing it is because of the air vent deal. I inspected it really carefully and there were no leak marks from oil or anything leaking out.

 

Anyone know how to adjust these? Its the 3 1/2 ton floor jack.

Edited August 10, 2004 by nater006

[racer]

oh hell. im sure it needs some bleeding. just start turnin shit until air comes out. when the air is followed by H. fluid shut that screw off, or put the plug back in, whatever it takes.

 

cheers

[philshee]

It has something to do with taking out the rubber plug, where the oil goes, and having it completely collapsed, adding oil, or jacking it all the way up, and adding oil, then putting the plug back in.

What you might do is look up craftsman on the computer, enter the model # , they might have a manuel on here.

[nater006]

It has something to do with taking out the rubber plug, where the oil goes, and having it completely collapsed, adding oil, or jacking it all the way up, and adding oil, then putting the plug back in.

What you might do is look up craftsman on the computer, enter the model # , they might have a manuel on here.

Sounds like it is servicable then... good deal. Got it just recently and finally need to use it and its irritating. Tried the manual thing... to no avail. They didn't have diddly on their website, and couldn't find it elsewhere in my searches.. not yet, anyway.

[philshee]

O.K. I have a different model jack, but I looked in the manuel for it, and it said to realese the valve, just like you were letting the jack down, and work the handle up and down real fast . It didn't say how many times, you figure that out, the air should leave the system.

[boonman]

Sorry to say brutha. but, I will give you my experience with the craftsman 3.5 ton professional jack I bought. I got it new. I needed a second jack in the shop. They had a deal at the store, for the jack and some nice jackstands. I bought it. I got it home, and 3 days later, went to use it on a lift I was doing. Well, the fuckin thing didn't work. It was the one pump from down to saddle up to the vehicle. Well, that worked, but it wouldn't jack the vehicle up. It would go up a litle, and then come right back down. Not all the way, the saddle would stay on the vehicle, but it wouldn't "jack". Anyways, I did the bleed thing. SEVERAL times. It consisted of pulling the plug out, and jacking the handle with the valve open I think it was.... Either way, it said it in the manual. It did't work. I took it back. Did a little bitching, and got a swap out. Brought the new one home, and PRESTO, worked flawlessly, right from the get-go. I have ALOT of Craftsman tools. Everything I buy new usually comes from them..... Unless it's a specialty item.... Because I don't have a Snap-On or Mac truck coming to my place twice a week. If I break a tool, I need it. Running to the Sears store is much more convenient thhan tracking down the tool dude. Anyways, Maybe you need a new one..... Mine did the EXACT same thing you are talking about........

[nater006]

Thanks boon... I tried *everything* last night with it and it just doesn't work. It'll do the "one pump to lift" deal.. and i can stand on it and SQUISHHHHHHHHHh it goes right back down. Bad seals or something. Its going back tomorrow after work. Thanks a ton for the advice!

[boonman]

I'm wonderin if they had a bad run of them?

[nater006]

That could very well be. Actually went in there after the 4 ton one but they only had the 3 1/2s in stock, and only one left at that. Definitely something wrong with it, like a bad seal or something.

 

Just have to say that I love the feature that raises the jack to the vehicle (or whatever) in just one pump. Its spiffy.

[boonman]

Its spiffy

[Sparky6619]

I know this is a old post but maybe this will help others that read it. Unless the seal leading to atmosphere is leaking then the inner piston seal is fine.  The problem will be with a pump or ball or a weak spring or a setting. The piston will rise even with no piston to cylinders seal. It’s called displacement. Hydraulic fluid Go into cylinder and pushes the rod out, it does this even without a seal to bore. The seal t atmosphere fails then cylinder losses it’s oil and will retract under weight. OR if the valve keeping the oil in the cylinder fails.

its not impossible to understand it’s just difficult too.