Can you trust a trolley jack. ?

[cleverdicky]

I'd be very wary of that as the seals aren't designed to be used with brake fluid.

Fool.
What do you think brake fluid is? It's a hydraulic oil -Brakes!!!
Be weary by all means but please dont 'assume' some thing's no good because its not the norm. I certainly haven't just made this up and I certainly wouldn't suggest it to anyone without KNOWING its OK. I've had at least three trollys over the years. Done this mod to all of them. And I can tell you the wheels and pumping levers break before the seals do.

If you have any doubts ask any old service engineer from the old 43 Command REME Workshops. Because this was where I got it from.

 

[horgantrevor]

Just don't trust any jack

Put some thing that will save you if your under the car ie even the wheel you removed is a start

Safety first

You only have one life

Many cars in a life

 

[whitenemesis]

Fool.
What do you think brake fluid is? It's a hydraulic oil -Brakes!!!
Be weary by all means but please dont 'assume' some thing's no good because its not the norm. I certainly haven't just made this up and I certainly wouldn't suggest it to anyone without KNOWING its OK. I've had at least three trollys over the years. Done this mod to all of them. And I can tell you the wheels and pumping levers break before the seals do.

If you have any doubts ask any old service engineer from the old 43 Command REME Workshops. Because this was where I got it from.

How does brake fluid differ from the hydraulic fluid originally filled in the jack?

 

[dieselman]

Fool.
What do you think brake fluid is? It's a hydraulic oil -Brakes!!!

No it's not...well not regular mineral hydraulic oil, anyway. Brake fluid is a glycol-ether based fluid so will attack regular rubber components.

I pretty much guarantee that if you use it in a hydraulic jack it will swell and stretch the seals so they leak profusely.

Fool.

 

[television]

The proof that it is not the same,,put some brake fluid on the cars paint and it will melt it,,,transmission fluid will not, neither will other hydraulic fluids

 

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

i am not sure who is right here but i am sure everyone means well. in my 20 yr old jack which failed as per my posting, i just changed the seal and filled with 5/30 semi synth eng oil as per the label said on the jack. there is viton rubber seals, nitirle fenolic, etc, same with 0rings, they all have different charachteristics depending on there temp range, ware charachteristics and how inert they are to synthetic solvents at a given temperature. you cannot do the maths yourself, you have to ask the OEM,S (original equip. manuf.)for the answers. this is why i will only put the MB autobox oil in my autobox. gearboxes are expensive and jacks are dangerouse. herbiemercman.

 

[dieselman]

there is viton rubber seals, nitirle fenolic, etc, same with 0rings, they all have different charachteristics depending on there temp range,

Quite correct, and if the jack has nitrile seals or components they WILL be ruined by the ester based brake fluid.
As the original jack manufacturer specified a mineral oil be used, there is no reason for them to have specified PTFE (Viton) seals, hence me saying I'd be wary of using brake fluid.

Just adding a bit more info to your useful post..

 

[stargazer]

Last time i had a puncture i found out how Strong i was !! ..... I changed the wheel with a Smile

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Last time i had a puncture i found out how Strong i was !! ..... I changed the wheel with a Smile

mental note to self - must buy a shorter kilt!

 

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

hi stargazer, you and your car look great. lets have more. your thread is out of the context of the original posting but who cares. are you a dolly bird with an old merc. ? herbiemercman.

 

[47p2]

mental note to self - must buy a shorter kilt!

Please, nothing above the knee Alex :Oops:

 

[Xtractorfan]

Please, nothing above the knee Alex :Oops:

Whoa!!! its getting real kinky now....

 

[television]

Whoa!!! its getting real kinky now....

Always the same,mention the word like "jack" and they all get carried way

 

[stargazer]

hi stargazer, you and your car look great. lets have more. your thread is out of the context of the original posting but who cares. are you a dolly bird with an old merc. ? herbiemercman.

No i'm an old bird with a dolly merc:lol::lol:

 

[truthfindergeneral]

Left one at home all day with the wife and a bottle of my best scotch. Scotch is untouched and so is wife so, yes, you can trust a trolley jack

 

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

the old ones are the best, mercs, jokes, women, diets, manners, beer, etc. herbiemercman.

 

[television]

Once upon a time I had a wonderful 10 ton trolley jack that had a tiny leak,,I rang the makers and the girl said, bring in the old seals and we can match them up, feeling so pleased I stripped it down and removed the seals,,had a wash and drove to London to the makers where the guy looked at them and said,,"sorry we do not have those anymore" that was the end of that.

 

[47p2]

I have a 3 ton EPCO which belonged to my father, it must be over 40 years old now and never gives me any problems.

 

[television]

I have a 3 ton EPCO which belonged to my father, it must be over 40 years old now and never gives me any problems.

Mine was an Epco,, thanks for reminding me

 

[Developer]

Once upon a time I had a wonderful 10 ton trolley jack that had a tiny leak,

A 10 ton jack with a tiny leak - that was some let down eh? :wink: