Is a fire damaged Hilift okay for use after rebuild, like the cast iron condition?

[chadjans]

Well guys I have recently acquired a new to me hilift jack that was in a fire. It needs a new upright and a rebuild kit other than that everthing appears to be okay. My only concern lies in the condition of the cast iron material in the jack foot and other pieces like the base and top clamp. The pits within the iron appear to be deeper and more frequent. And what I heard the fire was big and hot. I called Bloomfield manufacturing and they said all should be good after the rebuild but claimed not to be an engineer, so does anyone have any opinions, thoughts or concerns?

Chad

[Daless2]

Good morning Chad,

I'm no metallurgist, but I will offer my advice to be cautious here.

Personally I would not use it, but that's me. I just wouldn't risk it for something that can be purchased new for around $50.

I find the Hi-Lift Jack to be dangerous enough without adding another layer of complexity to the equation.

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable then I can advise you better on this.

Have a great day,

Frank

[lynn]

I've forgotten almost everything I knew 20 yrs ago about metallurgy.

However, let's consider some practical experience.
I had a woodstove a few years back. At the beginning of one season, the door latch was stuck. I tapped it lightly with a hammer to get it to move. It broke with taps light enough that if hitting your finger with the same force, it wouldn't have hurt much.

Bottom line, cast ferrous materials can become brittle with exposure to high heat. Commit to buying another one. When you get it, test the heated one with hammer blows, see how much it will take to break it. It should be destroyed anyway, so it can't unintentionally fall into the hands of someone who does not know it's history.

[Jeepin' Wolf]

Originally posted by chadjans
It needs a new upright and a rebuild kit other than that everthing appears to be okay.

Other than that!? Is there much of "other than that"? I'm looking at my hi-lift and wondering what would a rebuild kit contain short of....an entire jack It's great to save money but how much are you gonna save....5 bucks? With a chance of those (other than that) fire exposed parts failing it ain't worth the risk.