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Every avid user of a floor jack is familiar with the struggle of finding hydraulic floor jack oil. In the absence of this oil, there is always a nagging urge to use motor oil as a replacement into the floor jack. However, the thought of damaging the machine holds people back.
I come bearing good news, you can use motor oil as a replacement for your regular hydraulic floor jack oil. There are many situations where you are unable to get your hands on regular floor jack oil. Do not fret, simply pick up the gallon of motor oil and pour some into the release valve of your floor jack.
However, there is a catch to using motor oil in floor jacks. I have shared everything regarding the usage of motor oil in floor jacks in the article below. So if you want to find out whether you can use your motor oil in the floor jack present in your garage, keep on reading.
Can I Use Motor Oil In My Floor Jack
Yes, you can use motor oil in the floor jack present in your garage, but only a specific type which is shared below.
Using Motor Oil In Floor Jack
A floor jack requires a certain amount of hydraulic floor jack oil to operate smoothly. Without the oil, the machine will not deliver its best performance. Motor oil can also be used as a replacement for hydraulic floor jack oil. However, there is one condition to it and that is the viscosity of the oil.
Specific Viscosity Grade For Floor Jacks
Even though you can use motor oil in your floor jack to keep their performance top-notch, not every type of motor oil should be added. Floor jacks need low viscosity oils to function properly. Therefore, not every viscosity grade of motor oil is suitable for floor jacks. Only the 10W and the 20W viscosity grades of motor oils can be used as lubricants in floor jacks. Other variations have a thicker viscosity which makes them unsuitable for floor jacks.
Another Suitable Oil For Floor Jack
Along with low viscosity motor oil, there is another type of oil that can be utilized as a lubricant for your floor jack. The Automatic Transition Fluid or ATF is also a low viscosity oil; therefore, it can be used in floor jacks. However, ATF comes in high-grade viscosity too; therefore, you need to make sure that you only pick the low viscosity fluid for your floor jack.
Results Of Not Using The Right Motor Oil
As discussed above, a floor jack can only work perfectly if the owner uses a suitable low viscosity fluid. This includes motor oil and ATF. If for any reason, the owner does not pay close attention to the type o fluid and adds high viscosity motor oil, the result will be quite damaging. High viscosity motor oil can damage the piston, which is responsible for making the entire machine operate smoothly. Therefore, when the piston is damaged, the floor jack will no longer function properly.
Where To Add Motor Oil?
A floor jack comes with a small spot where the fluid goes. This spot is called the filler plug. In order to find the filler plug, first, you will need to locate and get rid of the cover plate. Getting rid does not mean throwing the part out, simply lift it and put it aside. Under the cover plate, there is a small filler plug that is also being held in its place with screws. After you have popped out the filler plug, then you will see an opening where you can pour the motor oil. After adding the motor oil to the opening of the filler plug, screw the plug back in its place. Make sure to clean it first to get rid of any dirt or grime occupying its surface. Screw the cover plate back in its place and there you go.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, you can use motor oil on your floor jack. However, the only condition is that it should be low viscosity motor oil. To find out everything in detail, you need to take some time out and read the above-stated facts carefully.
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