[Mark42]

I have a 1.5 ton small hydraulic floor jack that I bought new in '86. It was pumping oil out the pump piston, and Sears wanted about $35 for the entire ram assembly. The whole jack can be bought new for about $45 at any Sears.

So before buying a new jack, I thought I would tear the old one apart just to see what was wrong. Turns out a simple O ring seal on the pump piston was worn. Took the O ring to the hardware store, and bought a new one for 25 cents. In no time it was together and filled with fresh oil. Works great and doesn't leak oil or leak down.

So seeing as it works again, I took a few minutes to clean it up, oil all the steel wheels, pivot points etc. Inspected all the stress points and gave it a clean bill of health.

So it looks like it will give a few more years of service. With the money saved, I got a pair of 3 ton jack stands that I really needed. In today's economy, every little bit saved helps.