FC Ute Jack

[Jolls]

May be corrected here but the orange jack as shown above is fx- fj as it has no bracket for lining up.  AL.

Hi Al,

Thanks, if that is the case I lucked in then because the one I picked up has the bracket. I didn't even think to look at that detail.



Haven't got to doing the restoration yet fortunatley. Can anyone provide a definitve answer on the colour (grey or orange) and the lining up bracket none or one?

Restoring it is on the list of things to do; but a fair way down the priority list.   

[zulu]

I've cleaned & repainted these over the years, some came with the cars & some from swap meets

I had always assumed that the type with the bracket were later but could be wrong

Although it took till FB before they improved the FE - FC sedan jack by doing the rachet handle

I matched approximately the remnants of orange (not mixed) one of the jacks with the bracket appears to have grey motor grey

The instruction decals I found later after a hand painted attempt on the 1st jack which I'm pretty sure came with the FE pano

[grey nomad]

Zulu, are the decals nowadays obtainable ?  Looking for one.  AL.

[zulu]

Al,

I think the bottle jack decal came from a helpful member on here, but it was a long time ago

Gary

[grey nomad]

Thanks anyway Garry.   Anyone out there have one to sell ?  ?

[Jolls]

I've cleaned & repainted these over the years, some came with the cars & some from swap meets

I had always assumed that the type with the bracket were later but could be wrong

Thanks for the advice. The jack I have acquired has remnants of orange, no grey to be seen, and the bracket is different from the two in image you posted. It will get coat of orange paint and a tart up; but I will try to positively identify it in the fullness of time.

[Jolls]

Well, the fullness of time didn't take long; about 15 minutes in fact.

Mine is an APAC No 17, which apears to have come in both orange and grey and in two styles. The type I have has an enclosed cage hook on the base for moving the jack about.  The model with no cage hook has the access hole rotated 15 degrees to the winding hole. In operation, this would have the effect of capturing the square nut at the end of the winder once the winder is withdrawn enabling withdrawral of the jack from beneath the car by pulling on the handle. 

According to the Clyde-APAC company history https://clydeapac.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Company-Information-Clyde.pdf APAC made jacks for Holden for over 60 years. It also appears from a newspapaer article dated 16 December 1948 (found in the APAC history) that they provided the jacks for the FX. It is highly likely that the jacks without cage hooks are APAC No 17s as APAC were based in SA. In addition to their own jacks they made Lightburn hydraulic jacks both here and in South Africa. In 1954 APAC industries was acquired by Clyde Engineering in NSW and became Clyde APAC. From other articles I found at Ozwrenches https://www.ozwrenches.com/jacks.htm#aussie APAC and Clyde APAC also supplied aftermarket jacks to NASCO. 

Wylie were also based in SA and the Ozwrenches site has linked them as a supplier to Holden as well. On this site they show Wylie scissor jacks; the winding type for FE/FC and the ratcheting type for FB/EK.

This clearly shows the Holden had at least two jack suppliers. It is likely that APAC supplied the early bottle jacks and Wylie provided scissors. Given the APAC No 17 came in two styles I expect that the cage hook would be cheaper to manufacture than the capture mechanism inside the winder gear itself so I'm speculating that the jacks with the cage hook were the later version. I also expect that at some point it was found to be more economical to produce the bottle jack with a turned up tang style cage hook as opposed to the enclosed style on the jack I have. So my best guess is - FX/FJ capture mechanism in the winder, FJ/FE/FC enclosed cage hook, FC/EJ/EH tang style cage hook and then sometime down the track they went to a three stage bottle jack. Purely speculation - maybe the enclosed cage was for some other purpose/vehicle.

I'm not sure what records APAC have from back then but I'll write to them and see if I can't find out some more.

A deep dive into Holden jacks - I never would have thought it.

[my8thholden]

Jolls ..My floor jack is a APAC 240 ..Ive had it for 50 years , put seals in 3 times ..use it all the time .It was orange in colour originally when new..Vern ..

[Jolls]

Jolls ..My floor jack is a APAC 240 ..Ive had it for 50 years , put seals in 3 times ..use it all the time .It was orange in colour originally when new..Vern ..

I read in some of their advertising that their jacks were built to last a lifeltime! Not like the stuff built now. Having said that I'll have to check the orange trolley jack I have in the shed. I recall it in the garage as a kid and inherited it when my Dad passed. Still going strong.