well, this is a bit frustrating!!

[BarryK]

had the car jacked up today on the stands to check a few things out. I left the jack under the car when I lowered it down on the stands but left pressure on the jack just as an added saftey measure (as if 4 6-ton jacks ain't going to be enough)

finished up what i was doing and went to bring the car down to I pumped the jack up on the side it was still on to rasise the car an inch or so so I could release the extenstions on the stands and pull them out. The car lift up, I pulled the stands and the jack wouldn't budge!
The handle you turn to release the valve to lower it is jammed stuck. I look and under the jack is a part sheared off. the broken part is between the bottom of where the handle is in the body of the jack and the release valve itself.
My car is stuck up in the air!!!

I don't have another jack like this so what I've had to do so far is use a 4,000lb tube type floor jack that is very small (only measures about 8" high unextended) that i got to help hold up the tranny as I had the motor out of the '78. I but it on blocks of wood to raise it up enough so that I could use that to get the broken jack out from under my car.
problem still exists though that my car is still stuck in the air since this other jack is so small and I had to use blocks of wood to raise it up enough to get the broken jack out that now I can't lower the car to get this other jack out - between the blocks of wood and the jack the height is higher than the car sits on the ground.

I'm going to have to leave the car up in the air, take the broken jack back to Sears (just bought it Nov. 17th), have them exchange it for a new one, bring that home, jack the car back up an inch higher with the new jack to remove this small jack, than finally be able to lower the car!

All this trouble for of spending all of 5 minutes under the car this morning!
SHEESH!

 

[4WDVETTE]

Barry - Take a deep breath. Relax - it is not like you wrecked anything. Just a small bump in the road. 'Treat today as a gift - that is why it is called the present!'

Steve

 

[BarryK]

yep Steve, I know - nothing is broken (well, except the Jack). it's just the hassle that is a PITA to have to run back and forth to Sears for a Jack that is only six months old and has only been used less than a dozen times. And it's not like it was just an el-cheapo Jack, it runs about $200.

I need to not worry about doing my own repairs anymore and do what others do like just break down in Mark's driveway and leave the car there and just come pick it up when Mark finishes fixing it........

 

[IH2LOSE]

Barry I will joke latter on this

But

When your lowering the jack if you keep the handle parallel with the ground it releases / turns easy

If the jack handle is up (normally the spot it returns to when done jacking) there is allot of stress in the universal joint and they snap. Sounds like this may be your problem.

This now can be a dangerous situation that you should think before acting on .

Larry

 

[BarryK]

Larry

I'm glad you told me this. I never knew and no one told me that the handle should be in the lowered position before turning it to lower the jack. I don't even recall that being mentioned in the instructions that came with the jack.
What you say makes sense though and it was the universal joint that sheared off completely. it didn't actually break off at the joint itself but rather the entire joint assemble sheard off as a whole if that makes any sense.

I just got back from sears and they replaced the jack for me, along with a worklight that melted, and a few handtools that have been broken for a LONG time that I kept forgetting to take over there. It was a big exchange day for me at Sears and I don't think they were too happy about it when they saw me walk in dragging the floorjack behind me and a bag of assorted other items all for exchange

 

[studiog]

Larry

I'm glad you told me this. I never knew and no one told me that the handle should be in the lowered position before turning it to lower the jack. I don't even recall that being mentioned in the instructions that came with the jack.
What you say makes sense though and it was the universal joint that sheared off completely. it didn't actually break off at the joint itself but rather the entire joint assemble sheard off as a whole if that makes any sense.

I just got back from sears and they replaced the jack for me, along with a worklight that melted, and a few handtools that have been broken for a LONG time that I kept forgetting to take over there. It was a big exchange day for me at Sears and I don't think they were too happy about it when they saw me walk in dragging the floorjack behind me and a bag of assorted other items all for exchange

Guess I better dump my Sears stock, sounds like thay are going to take a heavy loss this quarter.:L

 

[Vettefan87]

Will the handle just not turn? We have a Harbor Freight floor jack that sometimes wont release that easy, so we just take a pipe wrench and turn the handle, and it works fairly well. We also have a Sears jack that works great.
​

 

[IH2LOSE]

Barry

I dont know if its in the owners manual, and definatly it should not break

But look at it with a mecanics EYE and you can see why there will be less effort needed to release and you will have better control of it with the handle parallel with the ground.

I also dont crank down on the handle hard to close it when I am ready to pump it up as it only a rubber sealed valve like a water facet and when its closed its closed. There is no reason crank it closed hard unless it leaking ,if it leaking past then repair the seal.


Now as for the joking these are the post I was used to hearing from you.

I wish continued luck and sftey with your future repairs and projects.

 

[BarryK]

Larry, yes, i understood in your first post what you meant about less strain on it with the handle in the lowered position.

BTW, this is NOT like my "old posts". 8 months or a year ago my posts were "help, how do I do XXXXX" and it would take a 9-page thread before I managed to understand what people were telling me. This thread was just areporting of a stupid and frustrating incident that I handled easily without requiring help, let alone needing 9-pages of advice before being to get the car back down.

 

[G Winter]

Is that by chance the light weight jack? I had one just short of a yr and it wouldn't jack anymore, seems it leaked. They replaced that for me. If yours is the same jack I have heard a three now that needed to be replaced. Poor quality ? :ugh

Glenn

 

[BarryK]

yes, this is their lightweight aluminum 4,000lb jack.

I'll see if this one lasts any better than the first one. if it doesn't I'll have to find another brand jack instead. it's not fun having a car stuck up in the air because of something stupid like the jack breaks and won't lower.
when I can afford it I may just buy a second jack just to have for emergencies like this anyway.

 

[stepinwolf]

Barry - Take a deep breath. Relax - it is not like you wrecked anything. Just a small bump in the road. 'Treat today as a gift - that is why it is called the present!'

Steve

Steve, I'm very moved by the last sentence of your responce. I hope you don't object to me slighty modifying the text, and using it myself when applicable.

Treat everyday as a gift, that is why it is called the present.

regards
Bob

 

[4WDVETTE]

stepinwolf - it is not mine to keep. Help yourself and I like what you did with it. My last 2 years have been consumed with significant medical issues with my wife and now that they are over we enjoy every day - also why my 66 had to get done for this summer. Sitting for 22 years was just stupid!

Steve

 

[stepinwolf]

stepinwolf - it is not mine to keep. Help yourself and I like what you did with it. My last 2 years have been consumed with significant medical issues with my wife and now that they are over we enjoy every day - also why my 66 had to get done for this summer. Sitting for 22 years was just stupid!

Steve

Been there also. In the year that preceded my quad by-pass, I was brought into the ER on the verge of passing out. It took them 7 hours to find out what was wrong, and then I spent 11 hours ( I'll skip the details ) on the operating table.

After awaking a couple of days later, I was visited by one of the surgeons, only to be whispered to in a low voice as he bent over me and said, and I quote " Mr. Pelland, we are happy to see you are still with us today " unquote. Well I was not in any condition to pursue the discussion, but a week or so later I told the same surgeon that I too was happy to still be alive.

You know Steve, is the same old " never though it would happen to me " thing. Since that fateful day I can guarantee you that I am grateful for every day I awake, and all the wonderful things that are part of my life, and I cherish every minute of it.

Stepinwolf

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

Treat everyday as a gift, ;worship that is why it is called the present

Well Said Gentelman...Well Said.

 

[Marlar]

Well Said Gentelman...Well Said.

Indeed it is. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt