Quick and Easy Fix: Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Hydraulic Jack Repair (Thank you, Scotty Kilmer!)

Рет қаралды 41,345

5 жыл бұрын

Is your lift getting a little...flaccid?
This is a very quick and simple way to repair your Harbor Freight motorcycle lift if it is leaking and is loosing pressure.
Should be the same routine for any kind of hydraulic jack, like floor jacks, bottle jacks, jacks in presses, etc.
The fix was inspired from a video that Scotty Kilmer put out about a product called AT-205 Re-Seal®. You can find that video here:
• How to Fix a Oil Seal ...
I also have some inside the 1966 Suzuki's crankcase featured in the video to see how the handle crank seals. So far, great results.
I'm also guessing this product may be worth a shot of you have a leaking main seal.
Thanks for watching and please like and comment!

Пікірлер: 49

@ipfreelynow Ай бұрын

Thanks buddy, that fixed my lift.

@ariesmotorcycles604 18 күн бұрын

Glad to hear!

@20summit Ай бұрын

Thank you for making this video

@ariesmotorcycles604 18 күн бұрын

You're very welcome!

@davetechme 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video! I bought my lift on Memorial Day 2019, during which point it would lift barely beyond the lowest cross bar position (highest lift position). I used it for a few months without issue and took a break from it until this winter when I noticed it wasn't pumping as high as before, unable reach that lower crossbar position. So, I picked up some jack fluid at HF and was getting ready to fill it when I found that it was leaking. Instead of popping off the correct rubber fill plug cover, I inadvertently unscrewed the phillips head screw at the bottom of the jack cylinder (towards the front of the lift) thinking it was the fill plug (accidentally read the incorrect online pdf manual for the older model motorcycle lift, not the paper manual that was included). Immediately, oil started to come out. I then discovered there was an additional philips screw underneath the top plug that I had already removed. After tightening it but leaving off the outer plug, I pumped the lift and found that there was no more leak. Could this possibly be your issue as well? Additionally, are you supposed to fill the oil in the lowered lift state or can it be done with it lifted and resting on the first crossbar position (for easier access to the proper rubber fill plug)?

@ariesmotorcycles604 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment and the reply. In fact I had not touched the jack at all before it started leaking, so pretty sure it was just sub-par seals from the factory that caused the failure. From what I have read online, it seems that it is a common problem, (which is why I made the video). I filled it from the down position using the tubing set up in the vid, which seemed to work alright and saved me from trying to heave the deck up using brute force. As of Feb 2020, with regular use it is still holding. Did you get yours working?

@bertiedoonerwind8061 2 жыл бұрын

I liked the honest of your presentation, ie; the mistakes and the better courses of action that you prescribed ;)

@ariesmotorcycles604 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. That's how we get better, right?

@bocfat 2 ай бұрын

Helpful thank you!

@ariesmotorcycles604 2 ай бұрын

You are most welcome. Hope it helped.

@chewtoy7389 11 ай бұрын

Great video. I like the multiple follow-ups.

@ariesmotorcycles604 18 күн бұрын

Thank you! Glad it helped.

@markw4382 3 жыл бұрын

WELL DUH!!!!!!! I was concered about climbing UNDER the unit, to re-fill. DUH! I forgot about the Plate that lifts off!!! LOLOL Ps Scotty Kilmer YES!!!! must watch vid's

@joepaolucci 4 жыл бұрын

My 8 year old lift started getting soft. I found your video and gave it a try. Worked great! for about two weeks. The just puked her guts out on the floor and died, with a bike on her and the pin in. Good times.

@ariesmotorcycles604 3 жыл бұрын

Sorry to hear that the old girl gave out. Were you able to get it fixed?

@joepaolucci 3 жыл бұрын

@@ariesmotorcycles604 I did get it fixed actually, I even made a video about it! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m7l-n6qekqnRl5c.html

@halfassedprojectsthatwork8376 3 жыл бұрын

Nice bike !!!

@ariesmotorcycles604 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, restored it myself.

@Rideuntilidie1 Ай бұрын

Your video was helpful. Now I can get the jack to go up but it does not go all the way. Tried up and down many times as it seems like has air in system (even overfilled the jack to make sure enough oil) and still no luck. Is there a trick to bleed it?

@ariesmotorcycles604 18 күн бұрын

One trick that I found works sometimes is to release the jack all the way, and then keep it depressed for ~1-15 seconds. With that said, mine doesn't quite peak out anymore, thought I havent checked the fluid since I made this vid. Best of luck!

@dannpd1955 Жыл бұрын

Maybe it will last longer if you put the bar in to hold the lift up and then release the pressure on the jack.

@ariesmotorcycles604 18 күн бұрын

Not sure. Not an expert in hydraulic systems. Maybe a bit of pressure helps?

@DigitalDesigns1 11 ай бұрын

Can you fill cylinder with the jack lifted up and the safety bar in it? Its way easier to access when lifter but not sure if the cylinder while is different. Please advise. Thx

@wainbruce 7 ай бұрын

How did you get the rubber plug back in . I’m finding it near impossible to push the plug back in . Driving me nuts thanks

@dave_artkowsky Ай бұрын

Hey how did it hold up with the ATF? Just wondering as I have the same issue.

@ariesmotorcycles604 18 күн бұрын

Still working today. :)

@TJ-HBMCC 2 жыл бұрын

Would this solve a table that goes up but is sluggish to come down and really slow to come down without a bike on it

@ariesmotorcycles604 2 жыл бұрын

Not sure it would as leaking seals usually have mean that the lift won't hold and at least in my case, the lift came down as fast as ever before and after the above fix. If it's always done that I wonder if it might not mean there is either a manufacturing defect, or theres might be an impurity in the fluid that is partially obscuring the valve, (like a grain of dirt or a metal particle). If I were in that situation I'd probably try to top up the fluids (knowing that this is probably unlikely to fix the issue but its easy cheap and quick), and then proceed to a complete drain and maybe even disassembly and inspection as the last resort. Good luck and thanks for the comment!

@dalemullen96 3 ай бұрын

Any ideas as to how to repair a hydraulic motorcycle lift bottle jack similar to the one sold by Harbour Freight? No visible leaks or damage. Won't take any more jack oil. Will only lift about 2/3 of its full height.

@ariesmotorcycles604 2 ай бұрын

Not sure if you're still having the issue, but one trick I've learned that's worth trying is when you release the jack, keep the release lever depressed for 5-10 seconds. Seems to bleed a bit of air out and bring the power back.

@dalemullen96 2 ай бұрын

@@ariesmotorcycles604: Thanks for the reply and information. Yes, I did bleed the air out by holding down the release lever and pumping the jack (normally to raise the jack) repeatedly. Nothing much seemed to work and it appeared that replacement might be my only option. When visually checking, all oil levels seemed OK but having nothing to lose, I tried pumping up the jack (hundreds of times) and only while performing that action did I notice that the oil level (with the filler bolt out of the jack cylinder) seemed to drop temporarily. Seizing on the temporary drop, I loaded a common oil feeder with hydraulic fluid and attempted to squirt a few drops at a time into the cylinder during each fluid drop. S-l-o-w-l-y while pumping the jack up (numerous times) and adding a few drops each time, the bed started rising higher and higher. With lots of other chores to do, I haven't yet completed the task but I've gained 8" of lift (almost to the top) and expect to gain the remaining lift (???) once I get the time to complete the job. Maybe this might help others dealing with the same problem(s) ???

@ariesmotorcycles604 2 ай бұрын

@@dalemullen96 Thaanks for getting back and getting the info out there. Hopefully the fix will stick. As of today, 4-30-24 mine goes up enough to get the bar through the upper hole but not much more than that. Good'r enough. Best of luck, friend!

@cyphalink Жыл бұрын

Can u help me fix mine i need to bleed it but i cant for the life of me I purchased a new pump and installed it and it doesn’t pump up

@ariesmotorcycles604 Жыл бұрын

Hey Red. It will depend on the model, but there is generally a fill/bleed hole somewhere, which will ideally want to be oriented above the body of the pump as you add fluid and pressure (via the lever) until it overflows, so the air can out. (hole at the top). At that stage you should have a functioning pump. As an aside, mine recently started getting weak and even didn't go up at all with just a little Honda 305 Superhawk on it and depressing the *release* lever all the way seemed to bring it back to life. Hope that helps. and let me know if I can answer any other questions.

@martinhauk1852 Жыл бұрын

I have the Central Pneumatic's version of the HF lift. (the predecessor to the Pittsburgh). After 13 years the jack started getting sketchy. I fixed it by replacing it with a hydraulic cylinder and an electric pump. Just push the button and up it goes. Here's the link to the video on the mods I did. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ipyVe82Zv7TPiKs.html