Just got a Daytona 3 ton from HF. Needs oil out of the box?

[Marc Hufnagel]

Try it out. If it lifts what you want, use it.

I guess if my car runs and drives I don't need to check the oil following that thought? lol

 

[Snagglefoot]

I picked up the complete front half of a pickup truck with my Motomaster version of the same jack. Must of had some oil in it.

 

[Silver]

That's a lot of stuff from HF holding up a lot of weight over a lot of heads.

Whew.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

any actual reason why stop leak would be an issue? I used it in my new HF 3 ton ages ago with no ill effects. In a pinch I’ve used it with Shimano mtb brakes as well and couldn’t tell the difference.

 

[ajchien]

Double-checked the manual for mine and I guess I read it too quickly.... It does say before using it to "check the oil level" and "fill it to 1/4" below opening". That's just making sure there's enough in it, not that they ship it empty though. I do remember reading that and thinking "a 1/4" from the top of the opening or the bottom of the opening (where the threads stop)?". I bought a small bottle of "jack oil" at the same time anyway.

Probably not a significant difference between top or bottom of threads. A general rule of thumb is to peer into the fill hole, and have the oil just cover the inner cylinder.

If you want to be OCD and picky about theory of operation …

You need just enough oil for the jacks to raise to maximum height and still enough in the reservoir so that you don’t uptake any air into the hydraulic block. If you start pumping air into the block then you get a spongy saddle, or the air bubbles can mess with how the valves open and close causing weird pump actions. If that happens, doing an air bleed / cycling the jack a few times will be needed.

If you have a sealed reservoir (I.e. rubber plug or screw plugging the fill hole), you want some air in the reservoir (not too much oil). The sealed reservoir builds a vacuum when you pump up the jack. If you have more oil/less air in the reservoir, that means you will have increased vacuum. Increasing vacuum will 1) wear out the pump seals prematurely. 2) make lowering the saddle of the jack a bit unpredictable/ faster than normal as the vacuum will be sucking the fluid from the lift ram back into the reservoir quicker when lowering.

If you have a vented reservoir system, it really doesn’t matter if you overfill it. Excess oil will get spit out of the vent hole (a little messy though). No vacuum will build up in the reservoir since it is vented.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Could shipping the jack with minimal/no oil be to avoid a HAZMAT cleanup if one leaks? Lawn mowers today are often shipped without engine oil in the sump for this reason. You don't want anything to leak out of a truck onto the road, or else you're facing fines and cleanup that could hit six figures. Objects are packed and shipped in all kinds of positions, and that has to be accounted for too.

This is probably overthinking things, but it could be a reason the jack didn't have oil.

 

[nthach]

Jack oil is hydraulic fluid AW32, ISO32 or SAE10. Some people run a little thicker just because they want to. Some people run thinner if they work in cold climates.

Although ANY fluid will make the jack function, if you’re trying to make the internal seals last longer/prevent rust, avoid brake fluid, motor oil, or water. I’m unsure about ATF, although I know a number of experienced folks that say they use it with no long term ill effects. Most jacks will have polyurethane, nitrile (Buna-N), nylon or leather seals, look for a fluid compatible with those materials.

Amazon.com

I have about .7L of AeroShell 41 fluid left over from changing out the fluid on a set of Tektro bike brakes and topping off the hydraulic convertible assembly on a bucket Chrysler Sebring. Will that work for a jack too?

 

[ajchien]

I have about .7L of AeroShell 41 fluid left over from changing out the fluid on a set of Tektro bike brakes and topping off the hydraulic convertible assembly on a bucket Chrysler Sebring. Will that work for a jack too?

I’m unfamiliar with AeroShell 41. I went to google. It says it is an ISO 15 which should be fine. It also says compatible with “synthetic rubbers”, not “natural rubber” which is good but I didn’t bother to go digging deeper to see if anything specified nitrile/buna n or polyurethane (both synthetic seals commonly used in jacks. I doubt you would have leather seals in your jacks unless you have a Weaver, Hein Werner/Lincoln or an older than 1980‘s jack.) How much ocd do you have to go digging on the internet deeper? If you find out, let us know.

 

[bruce381]

the level will go up and down depending on where the jack is as per height, When down all the oil that is NOT in the cylinder has to go some where that is maybe why the level look low?

Use what ever clean new mineral based oil you have NOT brake fluid, you have laying around its a jack not a Corvette.

ATF, motor oil, hydraulic oil all good.