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Freeing up a rusty jack - Any tips?

vping

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I have a jack for my GT but it is not going up & down. I blasted it and oiled it but I cannot get it to function. Are there tricks to freeing it up?
I don't want to use it but want to keep it in the trunk for shows.
Also were there different styles used over the years and what color should it be? I will be putting it in my '67 GT and I want it to look original.
 
Once you get the movable part to get going, it should be fine. It may help to put it on the car after lubing the thread, and that will put some weight on the jack, and hopefully break it free.

Jacks came in any color you wanted, as long as it was black.
 
1965_MGB said:
Once you get the movable part to get going, it should be fine. It may help to put it on the car after lubing the thread, and that will put some weight on the jack, and hopefully break it free.

Jacks came in any color you wanted, as long as it was black.

Ahh, I'm told that some jacks were red and had a wooden knob on the crank. I think the plastic knobs came out in the mid 70s.
confused0031.gif
 
Jacks were different for different years. Look in the Orginal Sprite and Midget book. So I would assume Bs are the same.

And I do not have an orginal Bugeye one. Still down on my list though, I do have the next model up, screw single leg with a T foot all nicely painted and lubed.
 
I'm looking at Original MGB (page 30).

"The original red-painted King Dick jack (AHH6538)was replaced in May 1973."

There's a picture. It's a red/orange colour. Wood handle.
 
MGADerek said:
I'm looking at Original MGB (page 30).

"The original red-painted King Dick jack (AHH6538)was replaced in May 1973."

There's a picture. It's a red/orange colour. Wood handle.

My 1969 MGC has one identical to this description. My 1978 MGB has a black one.

I don't use either one of them.
 
Clausager's book "Original MGB" (indispensable if you're into originality)says the red jack was used '63 - '73, replaced by a blue jack in May of '73, replaced by the black jack in Feb. of '74.
Sounds like if you have a blue jack, you have a rare bird, indeed.
 
I'm not sure Clausager is correct on this one. I had a completely original '67 BGT with a black jack. I think they used whatever was available at the time, and didn't care what color the jacks were from one season to the next. They certainly weren't going to stop production because King Dick was out of blue-colored jacks!
 
I was told that my 72 should have a red King Dick Jack with a wooden knob. Naturally I don't have one. The one I have in the car is a later black one with a plastic knob. I wouldn't use it either. Don't trust them. Just like the old bumper jacks we used to get in a new car. I wonder just how many people has been hurt with them? I have a little shortie hyd. jack in the tool bag. Works great!

Oh yeah, I have a jack that is identical to a later MGB jack with the exception it has a square lifting pin instead of round one. Any clues? PJ
 
I love how, on this board, we can have a serious conversation about the colour of King Dick's wooden knob. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif Just the right mix of easy-going & serious.

-D
 
I'll have you know there is NOTHING easy-going about MY big red King Dick's wooden knob, Duncan. It's a real TOOL!

I'm incensed at th' very notion...

mehheh. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif


EDIT: Vince, have you tried soaking it overnight in Kroil yet? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
 
Not soaking the whole thing yet. I've lubed the spots that look like they need lubin but with - ahemmm WD40. I've got to get some of that kroil stuff.
 
PB Blaster is easier to find and (I think) just as good as Kroil (and MUCH better than WD40 for this kind of thing).
Bill
 
I had two BGT rear brake cylinders that were forzen SOLID. Would not budge with hydraulic system pressure. I took them off, pulled the rubber boots off and tried to rotate the pistons with a screwdriver. No movement at all. I threw both of them in a can of Ospho rust killer and the next morning the pistons were free enough that I could turn them by finger pressure. All the rust and crud was gone off the outside of the castings as well. I was amazed to say the least. Ospho is availabe from building supply and hardware stores. Basically phosphoric acid in a gallon jug for $20 or so. May be worth a try if you can find some or something similar locally
 
The jack in Harold, a '73 GT, is black with a wooden handle.
 
gmasterman said:
I had two BGT rear brake cylinders that were forzen SOLID. Would not budge with hydraulic system pressure. I took them off, pulled the rubber boots off and tried to rotate the pistons with a screwdriver. No movement at all. I threw both of them in a can of Ospho rust killer and the next morning the pistons were free enough that I could turn them by finger pressure. All the rust and crud was gone off the outside of the castings as well. I was amazed to say the least. Ospho is availabe from building supply and hardware stores. Basically phosphoric acid in a gallon jug for $20 or so. May be worth a try if you can find some or something similar locally

Home depot has Muriatic acid for about $15 a gallon. It' dilute Hydrochloric acid. It works good on removing rust that is submerged int it but has a tendency to rust anything withing thirty feet of it from the vapors. It is used by masons to clean mortor off brick. Nasty stuff.

I think I look for the Kroil or PBB.

Steve,
do you have a pic of a 67 jack?
Vince
 
vping Home depot has Muriatic acid for about $15 a gallon. It' dilute Hydrochloric acid. It works good on removing rust that is submerged int it but has a tendency to rust anything withing thirty feet of it from the vapors. It is used by masons to clean mortor off brick. Nasty stuff. Vince [/quote said:
Yep...I had a quart bottle of it on the shelf next to the MGC...the fuel pump failed on the first run of the season that year...that's how I tracked down the source....you should have seen the inside of the pump!
 
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