DIY methods for pumping a hydraulic jack

For decades, many motorists have been wondering how to bleed a hydraulic jack. To perform this operation, you need to familiarize yourself with the technology for its implementation, as well as take into account the reasons why the effective functioning of the device has decreased.

A hydraulic jack is a device that can perform a wide range of functions. It is actively used at car service stations and workshops to lift vehicles to the required height. Due to a number of reasons, after a certain period of time, the efficiency of the device decreases. That is why every driver should know how to independently and correctly pump a hydraulic lift.

Hydraulic jack device

Reasons why the jack's performance decreases

Before bleeding hydraulic equipment, it is necessary to establish the reasons why its functionality has deteriorated. Common factors that disrupt the normal functioning of the mechanism are contamination, as well as the entry of air masses into the cavity of the lift.

Limitation of the jack's capabilities entails the formation of corrosion on the surface of the working cylinder.

Frequent reasons why you need to bleed the lifting device:

• high load, which provokes bending of the hydraulic rod;
• formation of air bubbles;
• internal corrosion of the mechanism;
• low-quality oil, which is filled into the jack, which causes its rapid deterioration.

To eliminate defects, you must adhere to a number of certain rules. All fasteners are carefully unscrewed, after which the valve is removed, which is responsible for allowing the working fluid to bleed. As for the primary piston, it must be removed and carefully inspected for possible damage. The balls on the valves and gaskets should also be inspected, and if their appearance is unsatisfactory, the components should be replaced.

To remove dirt and other foreign elements, the parts also need to be washed. After the mechanism is assembled, high-quality oil is poured into it and pumping begins.

Note!

In order for the structure to function normally, it is recommended to use only special types of oils. Otherwise, it will be difficult to achieve full power while using the lift.

When the device is broken

If the lifting mechanism breaks down, the work on repairing the technical equipment stops completely. The cause of device failure may be improper operation, foreign objects or air entering the hydraulic system. When using the lever, the piston movement may not be smooth enough and the oil pressure may decrease.

Depending on which node does not perform functions, a sequence of measures is developed to eliminate the cause. Cleaning the mechanisms from clogging, adding fluid, replacing the valve and pumping the piston system will help restore the performance characteristics of the device. Any cause of failure can be identified after removing the housing cover; if mechanical damage to parts is detected, then it is better to replace the old jack with a new one.

Situations in which modification of the jack is required

If the slightest signs of hydraulic malfunction are noticed, it is recommended to start bleeding it so that operation is stable. The frequency of operation of the lift affects the frequency of refueling and pumping, as well as their frequency. If a hydraulic structure is used frequently, it should be pumped once a month, and if the structure is used rarely, at least 3-4 times throughout the year.

Important!

In order for the device to serve for a long period of time, it is necessary to monitor the quality of the oil used, as well as the valves and seal.

Hydraulic Jack Parts

Before carrying out repair work on the structure, you need to acquire a special flushing fluid and oil, and also ask yourself the question of how to lower the jack.

The advantages of hydraulic equipment include high operational reliability, but even such a device should be surrounded by maintenance and regular care. Repair work may be necessary in the following situations:

• dirt ingress and corrosion formation in the internal cylinder of the device;
• a large number of air bubbles present in the lift oil;
• reduction in lifting performance, as well as failure to perform primitive operations;
• loss of lifting structure power indicators.

On a note.

To avoid jack breakdowns, it is recommended to carry out preventive maintenance in accordance with the maintenance schedule. By removing air bubbles and systematically bleeding the operating mechanism will again be able to operate at full capacity.

What types of hydraulic jacks are there?

There are 6 main types of hydraulic jacks. All varieties are very convenient to use, but due to their features they are not widespread everywhere. Most often you can find bottle types of hydraulic jacks, since they are small in size and cope well with the tasks.

Bottle jack

The design of the device is quite simple, but the device is capable of lifting from 2 to 100 tons. Due to the small size of the case and its specific appearance, the device was called a bottle device. The compact size allows you to carry the jack in the trunk of a car and use it in any conditions.

Among motorists, single-rod equipment is the most common, but it has a low lifting height.

Professional workshops or people who are interested in lifting loads higher off the ground may use a two- or three-rod design.

Rolling jack

Very similar to a cart and has 4 wheels, which are very convenient for moving around the auto repair shop. The device has two cylinders communicating with each other through two channels with valves. The device is very convenient for lifting a car in a car service center or any other load. The main disadvantage of the jack is the inability to work in field conditions and on uneven surfaces.

Hybrid jacks

There are jacks that combine the functions of rolling and bottle jacks. Two load platforms allow you to cope well with the task of lifting loads in any operating conditions. The jack is controlled by a pedal and lever, making it easy for the technician to work with it.

Diamond jack

Although the device is quite rare, its functionality is amazing. The lifting platform looks like a diamond, which is why the device was named that way. The device copes well with lifting loads and can withstand loads of up to 50 tons. All load-bearing elements are connected by hinges, so the reliability of the device can be tested for years. The device is compact and can be easily transported to the desired location.

Hitch jack

The device is very similar in structure to a bottle jack, but its difference is the ability to lift cars with low ground clearance.

How to properly replace fluid in a hydraulic device

To bleed the hydraulic jack, you should acquire the necessary tools and materials, such as a set of screwdrivers, wrenches, special flushing fluid and high-quality oil.

Fluid replacement sequence:

• The first step is to unscrew the filler plug and drain the old working fluid. The hydraulic jack should be washed in order to clean the hydraulic device from any dirt that has gotten into it (in some cases this procedure is done 2-3 times).
• Before the washing procedure, it is recommended to prepare a container into which the liquid will be drained. After washing the mechanism, the device is filled with oil. During the filling process of the mechanism, it is very low, which allows you to achieve the maximum filling level. Experienced motorists recommend slightly lowering the lift rod by switching a special screw (the “head” of the device) to the “drain” position.
• After the functional fluid is filled, it is necessary to carry out the first pumping of the device, during which additional filling may be necessary. It is necessary to pump and add oil until the liquid level reaches the maximum level. Even an inexperienced driver can perform this procedure, since it does not require any special effort.

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Bleeding a hydraulic jack at home

Before pumping a hydraulic device, you should be very responsible when choosing high-quality oil.

For example, in the winter season it is recommended to give preference to special frost-resistant synthetic oil. It meets the technical requirements that may be imposed by the lift during operation in winter.

Bleeding the jack

Bleeding the jack is a preventive measure that helps prevent damage to the device. Prevention must be carried out regularly.

Why is pumping needed?

The number of preventative pumping depends only on the frequency of use of the device. In car services, bleeding can be performed once every few weeks, but in a garage or when the device is rarely used, the number of preventive actions can be reduced to 2 times a year.

Prevention will be required if:

1. The presence of contaminants in the oil in excessive quantities. Foreign matter can reduce the efficiency of the structure and lead to serious damage.
2. The appearance of bubbles. Bubbles in the oil indicate that air has entered the system. Although air rarely enters the piston, you will also need to check its condition.
3. Reduced actual load capacity. If the jack cannot lift the declared weight, then it is worth carrying out preventive work or taking it to a workshop to overhaul the device.

Modern jacks come with a one-piece design, so it is not always possible to reassemble it. Even if repairing the device is impossible, bleeding the system would be an excellent solution.

Work order

Pumping is carried out in several stages. First of all, unscrew the valve and remove the plug from the oil tank. It is recommended to change the oil before bleeding, so the old oil must be drained.

The oil must be drained until only air remains in the device. This manipulation will prevent further damage that may occur due to residual contaminants.

Depending on the owner’s wishes, the internal surfaces can be cleaned using special compounds. Special washing removes various deposits well and helps extend the life of the jacks.

Next, grease is added. There are two types of oils for hydraulic jacks. Summer oil copes well with its tasks in the warm season, but in winter it can lead to deterioration in performance. If the jack is used constantly in a room where the average temperature does not fall below zero, then you can safely fill in summer oil. When operating a hydraulic jack in difficult operating conditions, it is necessary to take care of the safety of the structures and fill in winter oil.

Hydraulic jack pumping technologies

You need to start pumping a hydraulic device by thoroughly washing the entire mechanism.

Washing is necessary for the tool to function properly, since during its use dirt gets into the base of various parts, which often causes serious damage. If the lift is not washed for a long period of time, it may become unusable.

After all the working fluid has been drained, the container should be filled with special flushing oil, during which all existing contaminants will disappear. As soon as the device has been cleaned of dirt, the special flushing liquid must be drained and the entire tank must be filled with working oil. During the process of pumping the jack, the working oil transfers from the filling container to the working cylinder (this process lasts 10-15 minutes).

When performing the above-described manipulations, all air is gradually displaced from the working cylinder. If air bubbles have not been completely displaced from the tank, it is necessary to resort to repeated pumping. It is necessary to rinse the device and completely replace the working fluid in compliance with all instructions and recommendations specified by the manufacturer in the technical data sheet.

Note!

This or that design of the hydraulic mechanism provides for a different algorithm for changing the working oil. After all work is completed, the opening of the oil reservoir and the bypass valve must be sealed.

Air penetration

Air in hydraulics always leads to disastrous consequences. This is because air pockets can change their volume when compressed. Many manufacturers create a sealed design, with the exception of a few valves.

Air enters the cylinder due to mechanical damage or improper operation of the valves. Problems also arise if the oil is not filled correctly.

Bleeding the jack

How to change a hinge at home

Now let’s talk about how to properly install silent blocks. Since the lever includes a rubber component, it is simply impossible to hammer the hinge (the rubber will dampen). At the service station, to carry out this kind of operation, a hydraulic press for silent blocks or a set for pressing out silent blocks is used. With their help, replacement is not difficult.

Press for pressing silent blocks

To carry out work in a garage, it is not necessary to purchase a special tool; the available tools will suffice:

• Bench vice;
• Percussion instrument (hammer);
• Metal attachment;
• Screwdrivers;
• File;
• Soap solution;

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Using a regular vice and a piece of pipe of the required diameter, we get a pretty good press for pressing silent blocks in with our own hands.

Tool for replacing joints in your car yourself

But before you press the silent block into the lever, you still need to remove the worn element. And for this you can use several methods, but in any case the lever will have to be removed from the car. And then you can:

• Holding the lever in a vice and using a hammer with an adapter, knock out the hinge, first cutting off the rubber protruding beyond the edges of the lever eye (so that it does not create resistance);
• Use a vice. We take a piece of pipe (it should be larger in diameter than the silent block and its walls should rest against the eye). We put this segment on the hinge on one side, and on the other we use an attachment. We place this structure in a vice. When tightening the jaws of the vice, the attachment will push the element inside the pipe section;
• Fire out the silent block. Using an open fire (burner), we burn out the rubber component, and then knock out the remains with a hammer (this method is not recommended);
• Use a silent block remover (purchased or homemade);

Before pressing the silent blocks, its seat should be cleaned with a file to remove rust and remnants of the old hinge.

Now let’s talk about how to properly press silent blocks using a vice. Before starting work, it is advisable to make a chamfer on one side of the rubber component (cut it off with a knife), which will allow you to more accurately match the hinge with the eye.

You should also generously lubricate the seat and hinge with soap solution. It is not recommended to use lubricants based on petroleum products for this, as they have a negative effect on rubber.

The correct installation of silent blocks is done like this: we match the hinge with the eye, and holding them like that, we place them between the jaws of the vice. Then we carefully tighten it, periodically inspecting it from all sides to make sure that the hinge runs smoothly and without distortion.

After the silent block passes through the eye and rests against the bushing, remove the lever from the vice. You can finally seat the hinge with a hammer. In this case, you should make sure that the silent block is located exactly in the middle and does not protrude to any side. If necessary, we adjust its position with the same hammer.

In this simple way, without special equipment, you can change silent blocks in a garage without spending money on service stations.

By assembling a press for silent blocks with your own hands, you will save yourself from the need to visit a service station, wait in line and pay a lot of money for the services of auto mechanics. Carrying out some repair work on your own car is often limited by the banal lack of necessary equipment. It is not necessary to buy a hydraulic press. You can assemble the structure with your own hands.

Instructions

Initially, it is worth deciding what exactly is meant by “pumping” in relation to modern lifting mechanisms. We are talking about a set of actions aimed at displacing air from hydraulic cylinders. In this case, the whole process comes down to pumping the working fluid with a pump. This was precisely the determining factor in the appearance of the name of the procedure, which is one of the most important points in the maintenance of lifting devices.

Those who have at their disposal an old hydraulic jack or a relatively new model of modern lifting equipment with obvious signs of airiness need to know how to quickly deal with such a problem. Nowadays you can find a large amount of relevant information on the Internet. First of all, it should be noted that to effectively restore the functionality of the device, you will need a standard arsenal of tools, as well as about 300 ml of ordinary mineral oil or special fluid for hydraulic systems.

To effectively bleed a bottle-type hydraulic jack, you will need to perform the following steps.

1. First of all, you have to find the filler hole, which is sealed as tightly as possible with a rubber stopper. In the vast majority of cases, it is located at the top of the device. Taking into account the design features of different models, the plug can be recessed into the body or protruding above it.
2. Open the oil fill hole, carefully removing the plug to avoid damaging it.
3. Completely drain all working fluid. It is worth considering that this measure is relevant in cases where it is necessary to service an old hydraulic jack that has been actively used for a long time without maintenance. To completely remove any remaining oil, unscrew the bypass valve and lower the piston all the way.
4. Rinse the cylinders using special liquids, as well as kerosene or oil, which will be filled afterwards. To do this, you need to pour the flushing agent through the previously mentioned hole, pump the piston to the top point, and then open the valve and lower the rod all the way. This procedure must be repeated several times.
5. Fill the hydraulic cylinder with oil by placing the bottle hydraulic jack in its working, that is, vertical position. Experienced users and specialists advise using a syringe.
6. After the container is filled to the maximum level, screw the bypass valve all the way. At the next stage, use up/down movements to raise the piston of the device until it stops.
7. Then you need to unscrew the valve a little and manually lower the piston with the filler hole open. This sequence of actions is repeated several times.
8. If the described algorithm does not lead to the desired results, and air remains in the system, then you can unscrew the shut-off valve several turns, lift the piston manually and sharply lower it. In this case, the use of a pump is excluded. Such manipulations are repeated several times, and with each approach the length to which the rod extends is reduced by 1 cm. As a rule, such radical measures allow you to quickly get rid of air in the hydraulic system.

Hydraulic lifts of the rolling type are characterized, first of all, by increased load capacity. In this case, the main performance indicator directly depends on the tightness of the system and the pressure created in the working chambers. To maintain full functionality of rolling models, they need to be periodically pumped.

The source of problems with this category of hydraulic jacks can be contamination and air ingress. There are several ways to correct the situation. The first option for pumping rolling equipment involves the following steps:

1. open the oil filler plug;
2. unscrew the bypass valve;
3. Bleed the working cylinder with quick movements;
4. Screw the valve all the way and close the filler hole tightly.

Unfortunately, in some situations, the manipulations described above cannot completely squeeze out the air from the hydraulic system. At the same time, many are interested in how to identify its remains in the jack cylinders.

In such cases, you will need to find a locking needle, which is an integral part of the design of any modern rolling hydraulic jack. It is turned out 2-3 turns, after which, in manual mode, the piston should be extended several times until it stops and returned to its original position. As a result of such manipulations, as in the situation with bottle models of equipment, the air will be completely squeezed out of the system.

Why doesn't the bottle jack work?

There is little oil in the tank, the rod does not rise to the height specified in the technical documentation.
To repair it yourself, we just need to add oil. Open the oil filler cap, fill it, then pump the jack, as described at the end of the article. Oil is leaking. It happens that oil leaks in places, rubber bands and seals, this is the first sign that a major repair needs to be made, all gaskets and seals need to be replaced, and a flush must be carried out. To repair a hydraulic bottle jack yourself, you will need a repair kit.

It sags under load. Occurs due to the air inside; one of the rubber bands or gaskets allows oil to pass through and instead air enters the working chamber, which tends to compress strongly under load. To eliminate the problem, it is recommended to repair the jack, change all gaskets and fill in new oil.

Disassembly

Taking into account the simplicity of the design, in the vast majority of cases, if you have the knowledge, skills and tools, it is quite possible to repair a faulty hydraulic jack with your own hands. Difficulties arise most often when it is necessary to overhaul and repair non-demountable structures. However, now you can easily find a sufficient amount of materials on the Internet.

They are devoted to the work described, as well as the materials used in their implementation, including repair kits. To disassemble almost any hydraulic jack, you will need:

hammer and chisel;

This list in each specific case will depend on the jack model and its design features. This means that in some situations it is very easy to get to the “insides” of the lifting mechanism. However, disassembling the device will often require some time and effort. The process of disassembling a hydraulic jack can be considered using the example of a classic bottle-type model.

In a simplified form, the sequence of actions will look like this:

First of all, you will need to completely drain the working fluid (oil). To do this, use a special drain hole or a bypass valve. You will need to unscrew the upper nut (hexagonal), as well as the lower valve. The next step is to remove the housing. At this stage, an inspection is carried out to detect faults and damage. We are talking about the tightness of the housing and the condition of the lower o-ring

It is important to remember that these structural elements are not subject to loads and perform the functions of a reservoir. Then you will need to unscrew the working cylinder itself and remove the piston.

After all of the above manipulations are completed, unscrew the plunger.

Some final tips

The performance of the jack depends on the quality of the lubricants that are poured into it. You should not skimp on oil, as this can lead to serious damage that will not be repairable in the future. If the device will be used in various conditions with temperature changes, it is better to fill the jack with a frost-resistant synthetic lubricant, which will preserve the functionality of the system.

In winter, it is better to refrain from using the device for a long time in the cold, since all gaskets and seals are very sensitive to low temperatures.

Option No. 8. DIY electric jack

Our selection is completed by a rather complex lift, which not every home craftsman can handle. The electric jack consists of:

• electric drive;
• lever mechanisms.

Electric window lift from VAZ 2110 Step 1. A drive with cables is not required, so you need to unscrew everything, leaving only the motor with the gearbox. In addition, you will need a square head with 7 mm edges.

Square head

Step 2. The author also used a standard jack from the Lancer, but you can use any screw diamond jack instead. For fastenings, you can use strips of metal or, as in our example, furniture corners.

The example uses furniture corners

Step 3. The corners are trimmed and given the desired configuration. Then they are attached to the gearbox.

The corner is clamped in a vice Bending the corner Another photo of the process

Step 4. Then the mount and the head, which is placed on the gearbox, are welded to the jack.

The angle is attached to the gearbox The same, but from a different angle The head and mount are welded

Step 5. To control the structure, a button from the same power window will be used.

The design is controlled by a button from the same ESP

Methods for pumping other types

Bleed a bottle-type hydraulic jack with your own hands. Jacks of this type have a very simple structure and operating principle. Installed in freight vehicles intended for transporting heavy loads. The minimum lifting capacity of a bottle jack is 3 tons, and the maximum is up to 200 tons.

There are 2 types of vertical hydraulic jack: single-rod and double-rod. The first has a simple design and is very easy to use; it is mainly used for installation work in construction, car repair and for other purposes. The operating principle of the second is based on the installation of two rods, due to which a high load capacity is achieved.

As for pumping technology, a bottle jack is no different from a rolling jack. To bleed a hydraulic bottle jack, it is also necessary to clean the mechanism from working fluid and oil. To clean, you need to unscrew the valve and drain the used fluid, and then the oil by bleeding the pump.

If the equipment, even after replacing the fluid and oil, continues to not work correctly, then you need to once again check the working area for the presence of air accumulated during operation. To remove it, open the bypass valve and the plug from the oil container and pump the pump until air bubbles are completely removed from the working cylinders. And then close the bypass valve and the lid of the oil container.