Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
Originally Posted by HangFire
If it was layed on its side for a while, it may just need an air bleed. Set it to "not pump up" and pump it 20-25 times. Then set it to "up" and see if it pumps up.
(Don't store bottle jacks on their side.)
There should be a screw, screw plug, or rubber plug along the side for adding fluid. It may not be real obvious.
I rebuilt my ancient Drednaut 6 ton bottle jack earlier this year. Good thing too, as my nearly 100 pound Sears 3-ton "the beast" 1990-ish floor jack just died on me. Unfortunately all the quick fixes didn't work, bleeding, O ring on the pump piston, so another rebuild kit is on its way to me right now. Price was perilously close to a new 3-ton HF jack on New Year's "clearance"... but I'd rather have this Made in Japan beast back, and rebuild it once ever 3-4 decades.
Those old Craftsman floor jacks are well worth maintaining. I have a two ton that I purchased forty some years ago. Have never done anything to it but change the fluid, which has kept it operating without any problems.
I have a Craftsman floor jack that works fine, this is a bottle jack.