How to get a bokkle jack to work upside down.

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.

dr pepper

New Member
Posts
1,438
Location
lancashire
I'm building a power press so I can do gearbox's and crap, and a bottle jack is a cheap source of power however I dont want the usual jack on the bottom with a upward moving ram, total pain when your trying to line summat up, so I set to work getting a jack to work t'other way up, its easy you just need a 'snorkel', a pipe that runs to the 'top' of the jack so that the hand pump draws oil from the other end, as if you invert a jack air just gets sucked into the pump as the oil intake is at the 'bottom'

The copper tube to the right of the main cylinder is the 'snorkel'

Picture341.jpg
 
Last edited:
OK
Home shop presses that use a jack tend to have the jack the right way up, with either a beam below to act as the press, or a beam above which moves upwards, both of these ideas I find awkward to use, a single downward moving ram is by far the most convenient, and probably why all commercial presses are like this.
Which is why I developed the idea.
But it doesnt work, well not yet, the stilly's rash you see on the inner cylinder has squished the tube and fecked it up, the jack wont lower fully.
 
Youn have even less space than me, and you made a munster.
I used c section similar weight to yours, and its single sided, theres just 1 upright, so one end is open, the whole lot fits in the corner of the shop and doesnt take that much space.
Where did you get that jack trucker, looks similar to the machine mart ones, but pneumatic.
 
Last edited:
check the top of your cylinder m8, it should have a small hole or part of the thread milled off the cylinder top (sometimes there is a cut out in the top nut thread) in there to vent the air out of the cylinder into the tank when you are using the jack, if you use it upside down the cylinder will fill with oil and **** out when it starts getting past the ram wiper seal. also when the cylinder starts filling up with oil you will lose the full stroke on the jack. if it doesnt have the hole then you should be ok. as an alternative have a look round for a pump and ram set. it's what the big manufacturers use:D

when you are tightening or undoing the cylinder try to use a set of chain dogs with rags wrapped round the cylinder, it gives a more equal loading (but not much more) than using stillies.
 
the jack was off ebay i think, ;) it was a year or two ago , the same guy sells engine hoists and things, all seem to be good quality , yer i made a monster , but i decided what will do a lot will do a little :)

yer cant see much from the pic but i have loads of space mate., ...... the shop is 45 -50 ft long ish pic just shows a bit at the back , when its cleared out its quite big,

those jacks were £60 and are a good buy, i expeced to pay over £200 fer one
 
Mines nearing completion, I ballsed up one of the jacks with the stilly's, so now I've ordered a long series drill so I can do the mod without stripping it down too much.
Progress so far:, the jack is shown the 'right way up' for testing purposes, havent done the mod on this jack yet.

Picture394.jpg
 
Ok trucker.
From someone who knows the ins and outs, if you make one, make the upright from I beam rather than C, mines flexes a little, make the top angle reinforcing bit 45 degree and make it go near to the end, other than that I think its a good tool.

I posted this on mig welding forum and got a few insults, apparently I'm a dangerous idiot.
I knew that allready.
 
ok, i will make one when i drop on another 20 tonner jack ;) the only thing i can see thats really dangerous is you have left the garage door open half way, you might bang your head on it .
 
i wer banned from a weldin forum as i mentioned my big gas bottles wer borrowed ;) its ther own fault if they go round wastin money on gas them selves,
 
I dont really want to link you guys to it, this forums ok, I've registered with a load as I have many interests, only a couple are not so good, one is where posters like to have a go at what you do, and t'other is moderated by hitler.
If your gonna build a 20 tonner then build out of beefier stuff than mine, might also be good to make the top bit move on pins too, I've just realised theres a couple of jobs I'd be doing with some big stuff that would be better nearer the ground.
Out of interest where did you get yer pneumatic jack from, all the ones I found are expensive.
My gas bottled are borrowed to, oxy acety from work with permission, and the c02 is from the local pub with permission, maybe I should ban myself.
 
Back
Top