The Original TJ Bottle Jack

[OldBuzzard]

Wow, I was planning on asking this same question on here someday soon. My screw jack did the same thing, got stuck half way extended. It looks like the PO never used it. It worked fine the one time I used it, but then it wouldn't go all the way down. I haven't been able to find any useful info on it anywhere else, either. I'm looking forward to your final results. Maybe I'll do surgery on mine. Thanks for posting.

 

[cpwolf]

The update on my stock TJ jack. After looking for mechanical details about these jacks and not finding any specific information other than various opinions about whether they are the best jack since sliced bread or not. I did what I needed to do, I broke out the torch, heated and bent "up" three of the four corners that hold the bottom of the base on.

Early on I was getting clouds of black smoke but figured WTH, it doesn't work anyway so I wasn't going to stop. After bending the 3rd corner the bottom fell off and something else fell to the floor and disappeared under the workbench. Luckily I was able to dig through too much crap under there and found a somewhat warm and greasy metal disk.

Here's a picture of the jack apart after I cleaned it up:
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If I had to remove the saddle from the top of the ram/shaft/whatever, I would have but it turns out I didn't need to go that far. The torch would have been used for that removal and crimping it back together probably wouldn't have turned out well.

Anyway for some (still unknown) reason the larger thread was not moving in its hex nut. I tried a couple different ways to get it to turn but it wouldn't budge. Before breaking out the torch again and causing other potential problems I grabbed that larger thread in my vice, slid the jack body down until I had enough of the hex showing through the top that I could get a wrench on it. I ended up needing my 15" J.H. Williams Superjustable wrench, which is at least as old as I am. Picture because why not?
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It took as much torque as I could give in both directions to get it moving at all and I almost needed to add a pipe to the vice handle to keep it all from spinning. If you look real close in the first picture on a fairly large monitor you can see some dings in the threads. Somehow there were more than that on the other side. These are all from my vice. I filed them out of the way and after cleaning it up, both threaded parts seem to be working fine exactly how you see it, un-lubricated and still apart.

I did put it back together but just held the jack down instead of heating and bending up the corners of the bottom of the base. While doing that I twisted the small bevel gear which worked but seemed to make a tic tic tic sound. I'm hoping that was just because it hasn't been greased yet.

At this point I'm still wondering if it's even possible to crank the jack up with the stock handle until it gets stuck. I'd say the XJ guy that used it was in his early 20s and wasn't in the greatest shape physically but maybe being shorter than me and well over my 240lb weight may have given him enough strength for that.

I will post a final update after actually finishing it up and testing it a couple times. Probably some time this week if/when the weather gets a little warmer.

This post and pic from @JEEPCJTJ was immensely helpul.

I pulled my Jack out to make sure it works, as I've used the floor jack and been very lucky not needing this in the field.

Almost impossible to use. Certainly impossible to get out of the Jeep by hand, as it pressure fitted to hold him place, and I couldn't turn it. I got a chisel and a socket that fits on it, and wrenched it down and out.

Then I got it on the bench, and shot penetrating fluid down in it. Let it sit, and came back. I put the base in the vice, and used the Torque Wrench on it. All the way up and down, and it was fighting non stop. With the pic of the guts, I knew this has to just be a rusty set of internals. So at that point it was un frozen (ish).

So I made a tub from a distilled water jug (don't do this, find a sturdier jug, ha) and put the jack in and filled it with Evapo-Rust. I feel like a salesman for this stuff, but I'm telling you, it is legit. Left it for 2 days, and came back. Drained it out, put it back in the vice, and only needed a drill (not a torque wrench) and ran it up and back. I shot some more penetrating fluid in there, and ran it up and down over and over. Put paper towels under it, greasy fluid will be running out big time.

I got it to where I can set it on the bench and hand turn with the yellow plastic all the way up and down with ease. a lot of the way it's so smooth now that I could spin it more than just turn it.

Then I got White Lithium Grease in a WD40 spray straw can. There are two little holes below the yellow turn knob at the base. Weep holes I saw when picking up out of the EvapoRust and it ran out the holes. It looks like the holes are just in front of the gear that is at the base of the jack, according to the break down picture. So I know I was shooting it on that, or it should be.

I put it in the vice and turned it while shooting the grease in, so that it was all over that gear (I believe). I got it all the way up, and shot grease down between the sleeves hoping to get it on the screws as they are extended. Then ran it up and down with the drill and chisel setup, and thing is working top notch.

 

[srimes]

This post and pic from @JEEPCJTJ was immensely helpul.

I pulled my Jack out to make sure it works, as I've used the floor jack and been very lucky not needing this in the field.

Almost impossible to use. Certainly impossible to get out of the Jeep by hand, as it pressure fitted to hold him place, and I couldn't turn it. I got a chisel and a socket that fits on it, and wrenched it down and out.

Then I got it on the bench, and shot penetrating fluid down in it. Let it sit, and came back. I put the base in the vice, and used the Torque Wrench on it. All the way up and down, and it was fighting non stop. With the pic of the guts, I knew this has to just be a rusty set of internals. So at that point it was un frozen (ish).

So I made a tub from a distilled water jug (don't do this, find a sturdier jug, ha) and put the jack in and filled it with Evapo-Rust. I feel like a salesman for this stuff, but I'm telling you, it is legit. Left it for 2 days, and came back. Drained it out, put it back in the vice, and only needed a drill (not a torque wrench) and ran it up and back. I shot some more penetrating fluid in there, and ran it up and down over and over. Put paper towels under it, greasy fluid will be running out big time.

I got it to where I can set it on the bench and hand turn with the yellow plastic all the way up and down with ease. a lot of the way it's so smooth now that I could spin it more than just turn it.

Then I got White Lithium Grease in a WD40 spray straw can. There are two little holes below the yellow turn knob at the base. Weep holes I saw when picking up out of the EvapoRust and it ran out the holes. It looks like the holes are just in front of the gear that is at the base of the jack, according to the break down picture. So I know I was shooting it on that, or it should be.

I put it in the vice and turned it while shooting the grease in, so that it was all over that gear (I believe). I got it all the way up, and shot grease down between the sleeves hoping to get it on the screws as they are extended. Then ran it up and down with the drill and chisel setup, and thing is working top notch.

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You gonna pack the drill+chisel so you'll have a power jack on the trail?

 

[cpwolf]

You gonna pack the drill+chisel so you'll have a power jack on the trail?

Probably yes. At minimum, a really long extension and the socket and chisel, and a ratchet. I carry multiple batteries and my torque wrench with me when I'm out. I was thinking a super cheap long extension from Harbor Freight and grind it to fit the jack may be better. Can actually stick the extension or 2 with the parts that strap by the passenger.

 

[LONGJP2]

The Toyota jacks work good too.