Bleeding a Bottle Jack

Had to remove quite a bit of air from this bottle jack to get it to operate correctly.

[@adventuresontheroad1969]

8 years after you shot this vid it's still helping people out here. Great job/video/sound very helpful for what I"ve got going on

[@javaman2883]

For those who complain that bottle jacks are slow, don't oversize your jack so much. A 2 ton jack may take 6 pumps to lift the ram one inch while a 20 ton jack will take 60 pumps. If you'll be lifting items like cars, trailers, tractor parts do you really need a 20 ton jack? My entire car weighs 2.5 tons, my suburban weighs under 3.5 tons, less than 1 ton per tire (even in the front), so a 2 ton jack serves my needs while being easier for me to carry around and taking fewer pumps to lift it up. A 4 ton jack does have a larger base, making it more stable, so I do use that on the trailer because it's lifting higher. Save the 20 ton jack for lifting a loaded semi trailer. Just a little on laws of physics. To lift something using mechanical advantage (leverage), you use a lever so that the movement on one side lifts the weight a smaller amount. With a short bar you can lift 500 pounds an inch off the ground, take a longer bar so you're farther from the fulcrum point, and you can lift 2000 pounds an inch, however, on your end of the bar you are pushing the bar a greater distance. The mechanical advantage is converting small force long movement, into large force short movement. To lift 2 tons one inch using 50 pounds of force, your end of the handle needs to move 80 inches. Which would be 5 and a half swings of the handle. To lift 20 tons one inch using 50 pounds of force, your end of the handle needs to move 800 inches. Which would be 53 swings of the handle. With hydraulic jacks, that mechanical advantage is due to the difference in ram sizes between the lift ram and the pump ram. Jack manufacturers size the rams so that a certain amount of force on the lever will lift the rated jack weight. Example 50 lbs of force lifts 12 tons on a 12 ton rated jack; 50 lbs of force lifts 4 tons on a 4 ton rated jack. Using a 2 ton jack, to raise the lift ram one inch, your end of the handle needs to move 80 inches. Which would be 5 and a half swings of the handle. Using a 20 ton jack, to raise the lift ram one inch, your end of the handle needs to move 800 inches. Which would be 53 swings of the handle. Floor jacks are efficient and fast because the much longer handle allows you to get like 50 inches of handle movement compared to a bottle jack's 8-15 inches.

[@rsx_chucky5397]

Thank you so much for making this video. I was beginning to think my jack blew a seal even though it was brand new. It just need some gravity based bleeding unlike the directions game.

[@patrickpem]

Bought a brand-new Harbor Freight 20-ton press. The jack didn't travel all the way, so I followed the enclosed instructions to bleed it. That promptly caused the jack no not move AT ALL! I was about to give up on it and return when I ran across this video. It worked like a charm! Thank you very much for posting this video. It saved the day.

[@RenewTheRWandBlue]

Excellent tutorial, thanks for taking the time to make this!

[@zeroparity]

Thanks Matt. I just received a new jack that had been shipped horizontally. The manufacturers bleeding instructions were useless. Your tip of extending the ram and tipping the jack upside down to release the air worked perfectly. Thanks again!

[@TheUltimateCrash1990]

Great video Matt, you were very detailed making it easy to understand.

[@steveabel9706]

Thank you. Great to get this figured out instead of buying a new jack.

[@qpwoeiuu]

Thanks a million Tubalcain for the great illustration on the bottle jack.. Great...Bill T.

[@guyglot]

There are teachers and theer are instructors & you are a very good teacher thank you

[@TreseMari]

Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for! I put a 6-ton hydrolic press together for my jeweler's studio, but since the ram was laying sideways in the box I needed to bleed it and wasn't sure how to do it.

[@abdurraheemdar3131]

Excellent tutorial and theory. Every other video out there is garbage. Tried the trick and it worked out 😊

[@John-gm8ty]

this should have a lot more likes. thank you for your video, I learned something and so did my friend who had a "failed" jack.

[@kevinklei3005]

We have the reverse problem living down under in Australia .Cheers .

[@scottoutram]

Your video is still helping people. I was inspired to go check my bottle jack again and got it working. Thanks for your help.

[@chuckles6660]

This is a great instructional video! I bought a shop press from harbor freight and I was a little worried when I saw the oil in the box but I think that some just drained from it being on its side in the box like you said yours did while being moved. The instructions on bleeding with the press were horrible and this cleared everything up. Going to bleed it when I get home now and finish setting up this press! Thanks!

[@cameltoast]

Same here, the instructions might as well have just been "bleed air"

[@Ntwadumela1]

The easiest way to bleed the system is to close the bleeder screw and pull the ram (as if it were a syringe). Then open the bleeder screw and compress the ram. You can repeat this several times, but twice is usually enough. Your advice is very good, it's a good idea to reverse the jack before compressing the ram.

[@IAMSMOOTHYMAN]

After trying several methods-your method solved my issue. Thanks!

[@danielsoko7244]

You saved me from throwing my bottle jack through a window... thanks 😇

[@sirsweetness8332]

I know you were serious but it was hilarious

[@sedicibrah2025]

I’m about to

[@snaprollinpitts]

another great video, you are Da Man!!!!! thanks you save the day!!!!!

[@kevinzimmerman2304]

Thank-you for the info You saved me a bunch of money, I was about ready to throw my jack away.

[@rexsheeley8177]

Excellent very well done... thank you

[@Engineerboy100]

Excellent! good job man lol I loved watching this. "We're gonna use gravity" lol :)

[@gssmith1986]

Raising & lowering the jack under load several times will also remove the air bubble...assuming the jack will lift a load. When the oil and air mixture compresses under load, some of the air goes into solution with the oil; then when releasing it through the bleeder valve, the pressure comes off and the air comes out of solution as the oil emrges on the backside of the bleeder valve on the reservoir side.

[@jerrymcnulty4634]

You have a good voice for radio

[@MattHeere]

A face for it too :) Thanks!

[@jordand.316]

Awesome. I love this guy! Success getting my wall-mounted hutch off the wall. I couldn't get it to slide up off the key hole screws - it was really stuck and I thought I would break my bones if I kept trying to manually lift it. I used a bottle jack (after bleeding!) and it popped right off.

[@FretsNirvana]

Good tutorial thanks!

[@MarioLoco03]

you want to know why Im watching this? I made a total rookie mistake and loosened my bleeder screw so much that it came out all the way and hydraulic fluid sprayed all over me lol...pissed me off but was funny as hell too. Thanks for the video!

[@rokguitarstar]

Your a genius!

[@BottleJackBuddy]

Great Video. Thanks for sharing

[@belovedanddavidsgreatvideo8899]

You helped me so much thank you

[@garretmclemore5398]

If I could but you a case of beer for this video I would. I tried everything and this finally did it.

[@loninappleton]

Worked here too on the small orange kind. Liked.

[@lamewarrior]

I've had no success bleeding my jack with the pump handle method. The air bleed procedure in my floor jack manual is to 1) close the release valve, 2) remove the oil fill plug, 3) place your foot on the front of the jack frame and lift the arm to full height (hold it up for a few seconds until it will stay up by itself) 4) open the release valve and listen for air spitting back into oil-fill reservoir. Repeat until no air comes out. Lifting the arm draws oil (and air) that's throughout the system into the ram cylinder by suction then blows it back into the reservoir when the release valve is opened. Hint, you can also elevate the rear of the jack until the ram is at least horizontal or slightly up so the air bubbles can rise and escape when opening the release valve. These jacks can be repaired and ram seals are available on the net if needed. Scores/grooves in the ram seals can be sanded out. The pressure will make them conform to the cylinder walls and seal. (they're rubber) Look for a V-notch gouge in the end of the cylinder that cuts the ram seal during original installation. It's from a tool used to hold the cylinder when threading the ends. File it smooth and/or use a thin piece of plastic to cover it during reinstallation of the ram. They can be fixed like anything else.

[@milarcher60]

lamewarriory

[@ayhamalhindi5172]

Dude we won’t read all that stuff

[@tomweir3857]

That's what I needed

[@znighthawk8342]

Thanks for the video.

[@DaylightRob210]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@tonyrandazzoe8210]

Thank you !

[@LFTDoffroad]

Hey, that was pretty good, I got a lot out of it. Thanks

[@gregorybower9498]

Thank you. Very well done.

[@augustowaloonski6]

Almost three my 20 ton jack in a scrap pile out back, then I thought I better look at you-tube first, sure enuff, I followed your instructions and it works as it should. Thank you sir!!!

[@literoadie3502]

To remove the nut, clamp the base of the jack in a vise, and then clamp another vise on the nut and use it as a wrench!

[@dragandamnjanovic479]

Thank you😆

[@Phiyedough]

I have a jack which is used on its side in a log splitter. I will try to bleed it but to use this technique I might have to remove the jack from the splitter bed.

[@condor5635]

Appears great technique. Not sure the second part when doing the large ram doesn’t force any air back into the small piston area. But I’ll give it a try definitely sounds reasonable. I think you’re never supposed to turn the release bolt no more than a half a turn because it’s not necessary. Thanks for posting!

[@nrgsmrt1]

Thank you Matt. How about "finding" at which juncture, the hydraulic oil leaked out. Tim.

[@dantesmith3664]

Thank you sir

[@martinturner9823]

dont forget to fill the space the air occupied with oil

[@jolllyroger1]

Well you got air in the system.because it was in its side and air entered from the resivoir.... Bottle Jake can be used vertical top up or on one side generally pump handle side down.... Any other position allows air to come from resivoir to pump..... Bleed by placing on the side pump side down and cycle it this places all passages above the passages and allows air to go up to resivoir..... When you turned yours upside down even though you did it with pump extended you are likely to get air in the passages is just the way they are..... Some are designed to lay on opposite side of pump down.... But all have the resivoir draw from the bottom of the resivoir.... If you want to use it upside down then you take the outside of the bottle off (the resivoir) add a tube that extends from the bottom resivoir outlet up to the top of the bottle this way when upside down it draws from there.... This tube must be well sealed by silver solder or hydraulic tolerant epoxy to prevent air entering

[@Nomadcreations]

Good info vid, Thanx

[@zzzdogutube]

good info thanks

[@hnajee]

Very very educational indeed. If one stores a bottle jack does it damage it? Irreparably ?

[@ffas23]

I own a 6 ton bottle Jack. Purchased back during the Mid 90’s and never used it before. It came in a plastic case so it sat laying down in the case in one of my vehicles all those years. I took it out of my truck to finally use it for something. It jacked up fine for me. I had to leave it in the jacked up position for about a week. I went to let it down no problem but I can only push the Ram down back into the Jack within a inch of it going down completely. Do you have any idea with the problem may be? I went through all the procedures for bleeding air like you did but it made no difference. I can leave it as it is but the problem is I can’t put the bottle Jack back into its plastic case since I can’t collapse it all the way down.

[@acb5015]

I followed all of your steps a couple times and I still can't get my jack to bleed. Guess its time to buy a new one.

[@JeepAndThings]

Nice!

[@christophernunn943]

Great video, would it help to bleed air out if the unit was heated to making fluid less viscus? thanks

[@MRrwmac]

When you used it and it lifted the rear of the tractor, did you leave the tractor lifted up overnight to see if it lost pressure?

[@MattHeere]

It did get the overnight test. It was with the utility trailer instead of the tractor, so not really a lot of weight. Still it held up fine so I think I've escaped the need for new seals

[@JamesDoylesGarage]

Best bleeding video. ... no I'm not from the UK LOL.

[@bruceg1845]

good info

[@stephenfaulkner1448]

Cant you just do the bleeding process upside down period

[@eladnonnac7529]

Looks like it could use one or two more rounds of bleading. Should go up more than 1/32" per stroke.

[@davidarnds3831]

Thanks

[@expert244]

Worked.

[@mohdfrdousahmad1322]

Hello sir..a week ago i just bought brand new bottle jack from the store..just use it couple times till this evening...i accidently over twist dat bleeding screw and almost all the hydraulic oil come out..so i open refill plug n put some oil..then i pump it many times unfortunately it didnt work.looks it lost a pressure..what should i do...hope u can figure it out...thanks

[@MRrwmac]

Ok thanks

[@kevinbriggs2611]

I have an 8 ton ram jack that I purchased from HF. The 3rd time I went to use it, the hydraulic fluid had leaked out around the piston and was all over my shop floor. HF refused to warranty it being it was over 90 days old. My question though: Do I need to replace the o-ring by the piston before filling it with fluid and bleeding the system? Thanks!!!!

[@alfredkabura4101]

I changed car brakes before after i changed them the brake light didn't go out i knew i needed to bleed the it i observed that each time i pumped the brakes i saw air bumbles going in the b fluid resoviour so i opened the lid to the resoviour kept pumping and the brake light went out and the brakes worked great two days later.

[@rcarioca]

If the plug completely pops out, doesn't that let air back into the system ?

[@deanemalone9141]

What about a bottle jack that won't raise at all? Any ideas?

[@nixonsmateruby1]

Cheers from England, I was just gonna give it to scrap man because £10 for 10 ton is not a Kings ransom, but I'm bored.

[@angelogomes1561]

I have build a diesel injetor poptester...i cannot get to pressure up ...and i have notice that diesel returning ithe to reservoir....the Jack was new and never used.... please help me... thankyou

[@johntyler7680]

Can i use ATF fluid on bottle jack?

[@tanyabattaglia93]

I just got a brand new bottle jack in the mail and I can't get it to lift anything just like in your video. So I did as you instructed and there was no air trapped inside and it still doesn't work. Is it possible that they just didn't put enough oil inside?

[@donaldfafard]

maybe just a defective jack like a forgotten O ring or a split one. call them up and send it back under warranty.

[@spidifilerijder]

Tell me, if I try pump up the jack up (under my car who is far below the max possibilities of the jack) untill it push up my car and when I doesn't push the pump thing, the pump thing doesn't stay at the same place but it starts moving up and the ram down. I do not understand what the problem is. Who will able to help? Thanks.

[@ayhamalhindi5172]

I wish u could help me with my 20 ton bottle jack it doesn’t release the jack down from the release valve by turning anti clock wise it dose with removing the hole release valve and hydraulic oil spells out.

[@johndowe7003]

you probably have to disasemble it, your valve might have junk in it

[@peteryeung111]

I'd rather buy a bottle of jack.

[@scottgeorge4760]

I'm trying to fix one my boss threw out ( 2 ton bottle jack ) . Why ? , it was free and I scan allways take it back .

[@aviezek3072]

I turned the bottle upside down with piston fully extended, opened the bleeder valve and while pushing down the oil seeped thru the piston. Is the oil supposed to come out? This 3ton jack wont lift load heavier than 150kgs.

[@petermolnar8667]

aviezek - replace seals inside the jack

[@samspianos]

TY Sir for this most informative piece;I wonder if you can help me I have a trolley jack which is now a non lifter;any hints?Its a real oldie probably 50's;I'd like to get it lifting again rather than be just ornamental

[@MattHeere]

***** They pretty much work the same way. They're essentially a bottle jack in the middle of a scissor jack. However, if it's that old the seals are almost surely gone. They'd have to be replaced to get it in working order.

[@donaldfafard]

see my comment above about O ring replacement.

[@dyoel182]

Will the ram raise up to it's max from pumping? I've found that maxing it out, pulling the plug to check the fluid level and then releasing the ram quickly knocks out two things at the same time.

[@ronachadwick7908]

Hey matt, my bottle jack will not release. No sponginess advice welcome.

[@willysnowman]

I think the air will eventally sneak past the seals. They are not the worlds greatest seals.

[@maksimyahia5227]

I've tried still can't pick up. I striped the jack for service and cleaning. but after that it's no more lifting. please help

[@dragandamnjanovic479]

bravo😍

[@d.j.9961]

Purchases a harbor freight 20 ton press & i beleive there is air in the pump cylinder! I have bleed it many times. To NO AVAIL!!!

[@bobriley4183]

Hey Matt good video been there!! KD8EXR

[@600miles]

What if when you invert the jack you remove completely the release screw to let the air out?

[@brucejones2354]

You will have an oily mess to clean up.

[@rockinpip4212]

hey thanks for the info,i just bought a 20 ton harbor freight bottle jack and it doesnt seem to wanna drop on its own what am i doing wrong?

[@MyKonaRC]

Rockin Pip push it down after opening the release valve

[@cfliEightLi]

i had a bottle jack that do nothing when i pump it. i followed your direction and now it will go up about 1.5 inches. but when i press the saddle, it will go down. is this bottle jack fixable?

[@MattHeere]

Sadly it's probably not, or at least not worth fixing. It needs new seals inside the jack, and the repair kit (If you can find it) is likely as much as a new jack. You'll also likely need a shop press to get the thing back together, assuming you can get it apart without mangling it. It's a real shame because it's an incredible waste.

[@donaldfafard]

first off, your video just fixed my bottle jack, thanks. in searching out your video, which was the only one to help me, i came across a guy who took his apart to make it work upside down for his press. it seems there are only a few main O rings. one at the bottom of the main shaft, one or two at the pump mechanism and probably one at the on off valve. i would think that one of these would be the likely ones to go bad and buying an O ring kit, a little case with all kinds of sizes, would probably be all that's necessary to fix a bad one. just a guess. .

[@scottgeorge4760]

@@MattHeere Thanks sir , I am at this point now and I should've known it when I found my 2 ton jack dry and now it don't hold pressure ( new fluid ) .

[@melissacorcoran3470]

IT didn't work... it still wont raise up ..what now? its brand new , raised it once

[@federalagent2921]

Same problem here.

[@craigroberts6439]

Just buy a new jack…