Anyone see any issues with using powersteering fluid in a hydraulic floor jack??? Safety concerns? It's not a particularly expensive jack and it leaks. So if it's life is shortened fine, I just dont want to shorten mine lol.
P/S fluid in hydraulic jack????
- Thread starter pidster
- Start date
- Status
Blew the seals out of my HF aluminum jack that way.
YMMY!
Vince
YMMY!
Vince
Don't know what happened Vince. I have 2 Walker long ram service jacks that are over 50 years old that I rebuilt about 15 years ago. I filled them with PS fluid after I rebuilt the cylinders. To this day they still do not leak.
When you say the seals blew out, do you mean they actually blew out or did they just start to leak? If the seal physically came out it sounds like it wasn't the seal's fault but the mechanical fit between bore and seal.
When you say the seals blew out, do you mean they actually blew out or did they just start to leak? If the seal physically came out it sounds like it wasn't the seal's fault but the mechanical fit between bore and seal.
I've had several experiences using PS fluid in a jack. Most were fine, one was not. It began leaking withing a month and "puking" soon after. When I tore it down to reseal it, some of the o-rings had gone soft and bloated. I think PS fluid has some stuff in it to swell seals and that may react badly with the seals in certain jacks, causing leaks. Maybe a "blowout." I think it may well depend on the type of seals used in the jack.
If PS fluid might not be suitable, how about ATF? Some ATF's say they're good for hydraulic systems?
Most ATF's are very similar to PS fluid, and in many cases are the same thing. I've used ATF in quite a few jacks with no problems, ATF is a hydraulic oil, it's just for a specific application. You could go to your friendly local NAPA (or other HD parts store) and order some AW hydraulic oil in ISO 68.
- Status
