Drop one ****** pill in the resevoir, then try pumping it faster and faster, and see what happens.
Just kidding......
Seriously, if it has fluid, something should be happening when you cycle the handle. If there is no motion, and no resistance either, then there may not be any fluid in the cylinder, or it may not be primed, or lost its prime during shipping from Timbuktu. Try pouring hydraulic jack oil into the resevoir.
Most jacks that I am familiar with have a three "tube" cylinder design. The innermost "tube", is the shiney piston that extends. The second tube is the cylinder, which is hidden. You can see it inside, when the rubber plug is removed. The outer most tube is the housing for the resevoir. This is really what you are looking at, when you look at the cylinder/piston assembly. The resevoir typically has a rubber plug on top. This is where you add hydraulic fluid.
If there is no fluid in the resevoir, no pressure will be developed, and the piston won't extend.
If there isn't quite enough fluid in the resevoir, the piston will extend somewhat, but not to its full travel.
If you overfill the resevoir, the piston won't retract with just its return spring, but if forced under load, the excess fluid will overflow and pop out the rubber plug.
How much fluid is enough? If the Jack will reach its meachnical limit of travel, there is enough fluid.
Sometimes there is a releif setting adjustment, near the handle pivot. This is sets the pressure at which the output from the pump is shunted back into the resevoir, to protect the piston seal from damage when the jack is overloaded. Don't screw with this.
~Middle Aged Man~
You have to make sure the level is up.
he's somewhere in Indianapolis I think.
