Repair And Fix it

When your hydraulic jack stops working then its likely a seal has failed. This causes hydraulic fluid to leak out, the pressure to drop, and the jack to stop lifting. Replacing a seal can be a tall order and sometimes the replacement parts can cost more than a new jack. However, if you can isolate the leak to one seal in particular then you should be able to replace that seal for relatively little money.

Instructions

Find the Source of the Leak

1

Open the cap for the oil reservoir. With the bottle on its side, fill the jack until it is about 1/4-inch below the level of the hole. Replace the cap and wipe the outside clean with the cloth.

2

Place the jack under a vehicle and pump it up until there is weight on it. Continue to pump and watch the jack to find out where the fluid is coming from. It is likely to be coming either from around the piston at the top of the jack, around one of the screws in the bottom of the jack or around the piston under the handle.

3

Lower the jack, wipe it down and place it on a bench for further work.

Leakage from the Top

4

Drain the oil from the jack by opening the oil reservoir and letting it into a tray. Stand the jack so the piston extends vertically and youll find it looks like a bottle. At the top of this bottle there is a nut called the tank nut, through which the piston extends. Undo the tank nut using a pipe wrench. You may have to use a clamp or vice to hold the jack in place.

5

Remove the piston from the jack. Once the tank nut is undone the piston will slide out. There are several pieces to the piston, record their positions as you remove them so you can put them back the same way. The positions and order will depend on the jack you are repairing. Examine the seals around these pieces to see whether they are pinched, cracked or broken. Replace any that look worn.

6

Replace the pieces of the piston inside the jack and tighten the tank bolt.

Leakage from the Bottom

7

Drain the oil from the jack by opening the oil reservoir and tipping the oil out.

8

Remove the screw that shows the leak and look carefully into the hole. There will be a ball or a pin if it is the release valve, or two balls and two springs if it is the overload valve. Carefully remove each of these pieces and make a note of the order in which you removed them.

9

Verify all the balls and springs are present and then examine the inside of the hole for the O-rings and washers creating the seal. Examine these for cracks, breaks or pinches. Replace anything in bad shape.

10

Put the balls and springs back in the hole in the order you removed them. Usually it goes small ball then small spring, then large ball and large spring. Depending on the jack, you may also have plates and guides to keep the balls and springs in place.

11

Once the balls and springs are back inside, replace the screw.

Leakage from the Handle

12

Drain the oil from the jack by removing the reservoir plug and letting the oil into a tray.

13

Remove the bolts securing the handle to the piston and to its pivot. There are usually three or four bolts. The number depends on the manufacturer.

14

Place the jack in a vice and pull out the pump piston, which is attached to the handle. It is not bolted in place but it may require a lot of force to remove. Put aside the piston and examine the O-rings and washers for any sign of pinching, cracking or breaking. All the seals are on the inside of the hole, in the body of the jack. Very few jacks have seals on the handle itself. Replace any worn seals.

15

Push the piston back down into the hole and replace the handle assembly, securing it with the same bolts you removed.

Finishing

16

Replace the oil in the reservoir. Open the reservoir cap and fill it with hydraulic oil until it is about 1/4-inch below the level of the hole when the jack is on its side.

17

Remove any excess air from the jack by opening the release valve and vigorously pumping the handle. Close the release valve, then raise and lower the jack as you normally would. If there is still air in the system, the jack will not reach its full range of travel, so repeat the process until you get the full range of travel.

18

Wipe the jack with the cloth to clean the outside and lift the vehicle again. Determine whether there are any other leaks by examining the outside of the jack.

The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro rear differential has a pinion bearing located in the very front of the differential, where the driveshaft connects to the pinion yoke. The gear lube is held in at the pinion bearing with a pinion seal. Due to the tremendous stress placed on the pinion seal, its not a matter of if it fails, but when. Once it does and you have a leak, you should replace the seal immediately to avoid damaging the rear end gears. Any Camaro owner with a solid grip on auto repair can handle this job in around an hour.

Instructions

1

Drive the back tires of the Camaro onto the car ramps, then set the parking brake. Slide the drain pan under the front of the Camaros rear differential, centered under the union between the driveshaft and differential. Place the jack stand on the other side of the driveshaft from your position, about 6 inches away from the end of the driveshaft toward the other side of the Camaro.

2

Unbolt the driveshaft from the pinion yoke with the socket set. Hold the U-joint firmly in place, and wrap electrical tape around its perimeter to keep the U-joint caps from coming off. Rest the end of the driveshaft on the jack stand so it doesnt pull loose from the transmission.

3

Slide the pinion yoke out of the driveshaft by hand, and set it aside. Remove the old pinion seal with the seal puller, which you can buy at your local auto parts store if you dont have one.

4

Align the Camaros new pinion seal with the pinion opening in the Camaros differential. Place the 2-inch socket over the seal until the sidewalls of the socket line up with the edges of the seal. Tap the end of the socket with a rubber mallet so it drives the socket against the seal, which in turn drives the seal into the differential.

5

Slide the pinion yoke into the differential by hand. Bolt the driveshaft end to the pinion yoke after removing the electrical tape. Move the drain pan and jack stand before driving the Camaro off the ramps.

Precisely locating an exhaust leak determines how it best can be sealed. Typical exhaust systems are clamped or welded at vital connection points. The nature of the exhaust system and the overall condition of the system determines when leaks can be sealed and when replacement parts must be installed. Wear safety glasses to prevent rust and dust associated with exhaust pipes from entering your eyes. Inspect for exhaust leaks with the vehicle running in a well-ventilated area.

Instructions

1

Inspect under the hood where the exhaust manifold meets the engine block. Look for soot or burned paint. Listen for hissing or popping noises, and inspect the manifold for cracks. Either replace the manifold gasket or if the manifold is cracked, replace the manifold itself.

2

Inspect where the manifold or header meets the exhaust pipe. A round graphite gasket often seals the exhaust at this joint. Look for soot, feel for hot gases, and listen for noise around the joint. Replace the gasket, if needed.

3

Turn on a flashlight and use it to examine the exhaust pipe under the vehicle, starting at the front and moving toward the rear bumper. Scrape rusty spots using the screwdriver to see if rust goes through the pipe, or is just on the surface. For large rusty areas use the joint pliers and attempt to gently "squish" the pipe. If it bends under light pressure, replace that section. If only a small hole is present, wrap muffler tape around the pipe, covering the hole to seal the leak.

4

Inspect the joints where pipe meets the catalytic converter and muffler. Listen for noises, and feel for hot gases. Test clamps for tightness if clamped, and replace rusted clamps if necessary. Inspect welds if welded, and test the integrity of the pipe on both sides of the component before attempting to re-weld.

5

Inspect the components themselves. If a catalytic converter or muffler has a hole in it, replace it. Most often, attempts at repairing these components are expensive and unsuccessful. Ensure that all clamps and hangers are tight, and reinspect for leaks after installation of new components.

Older engines and those that suffer under extreme conditions of hot and cold typically manifest oil-leak issues over time. While carbon gaskets are standard parts used to seal between engine parts bolted together, even custom-shaped gaskets dont stop oil leaks 100 percent. Silicone sealant can be used to address these issues on older engine parts. The engine parts already should be taken apart from the engine assembly to prepare for silicone use.

Instructions

1

Pour a gallon or more of fresh kerosene into a plastic bucket or large bin in an area with sufficient air flow. Place the engine parts to be used in the bucket. Let them soak in the kerosene for at least 10 minutes. Pull the parts up one at a time and scrub them with a plastic brush, removing dirt and grime. Rinse the scrubbed part with more kerosene.

2

Take the scrubbed part and lay it out on a flattened cardboard mat to dry out outside. Do not let parts dry indoors. Pour the dirty kerosene back into its original container when finished washing the engine parts.

3

Take the washed parts after they are dry and give them a final wipe with a disposable paper towel. Pay special attention to the mating surfaces of the parts that will join together. Take a plastic scraper or spreader and go along the entire mating surface of an engine part removing any leftover fiber gasket or burnt carbon. Do not use a metal scraper as it will scar the mating surface.

4

Take two matching engine parts and assemble their internals as necessary. Take a tube of high-temperature silicone sealant and spread it carefully along the mating surface of one engine part. Do the same on the second side. Apply the silicone sealant, so it will sandwich between when the engine parts are joined.

5

Position the engine parts, so they can be closed up while the silicone is still wet. Push them together carefully, so the sealant doesnt get twisted or moved wrong. Insert the tightening bolts and nuts. Use a crescent wrench to hold one side of the bolt in place. Tighten each bolt and nut to the proper tightness with a torque wrench and the torque setting specifications for your particular engine. Wipe off the remaining silicone that squeezes off the engine part sides when finished tightening.