Hurrah!  Good job, Dogster Dog!

On the front vs back ride height issue, if you bleed/pump up/bleed and still get the back too high, don't fret.  Just push up and down on the rear bumper  With Hydro, if you back up at 15 mph and stamp on the brake, your car will squat in the back.  Go forward and stamp on the brake?  The front will be low.  But driving along?  It sorts out in my experience.

The hard part is over though, you've crafted a pump that works. 

glad you got it sorted - that was a real trial by fire

Fellow Minioids,  At last I got the system to pressurize. 

I got a 250psi check valve on Ebay for $6 and that seemed to solve my problems.  Mind you, I'm only doing one side.  I do have some issues with the rear too high and the front not high enough.  I suspect that I have some air in the system.  I will bleed out and pressurize again.  The car is not roadworthy as yet so I cannot drive it.  Plus is is only 8 degrees F outside.  The first time that I pressurized the system it looked great and then I went to remove my flex piping over the shrader and the valve gave out and pissed all of the hydo fluid onto the floor.  I installed a new valve and resumed pumping.  Seemingly successful at this point.  Now, onto other items this weekend on the Mini.  It is supposed to be a high of 5F on Saturday so I don't know how long I can work with cold metal in the garage even though it is heated.  I'm going to drink heavily tonight!  Thanks for all of the help!

Hi Barri,  I know that it shouldn't be that difficult, but it has been a nightmare.  I have rebuild engines and gearboxes and brakes and suspensions, total rust out bodywork, putty primer and paint on multiple British cars but this hydro stuff takes the cake.  I have tried many different mechanisms.  I have tried two different grease guns with no results.  I have tried the clip on air chuck with the little trigger that locks onto the shrader valve and it just leaked like crazy.  I have tried two different grease zerks mounted to shrader valve caps.  The zerks leaked like mad and the filler valve kept flipping off of the shrader.  I should have my aircraft fitting this week along with the check valve.  I may buy a second Master cylinder to try out.  Maybe this $23 unit is faulty.  The best way I have found to attach the master cylinder to the shrader valve is with a piece of flexible tubing and two fuel injector clapmps.  No leaks!  I am taking a break for a few more days.  I did see a hydo unit for sale for $300. Thinking about that too.  Update later in the week..................... 

Hi dogscarf

you really seem to be suffering with this - as red riley says it shouldnt be that difficult. The strut coupler is really only needed if you are going to depressurise and vacuum empty the system as it has a screw on the end that depresses the schrader valve. If I am just filling I use the standard tyre inflator for tractors as its the easiest to bleed and get air out of the supply line.

Could part of your problem be the brake master you are using? you say you blooked off one circuit but depending on the plumbing you may be stopping the inner piston from moving - can you try plumbing both circuits into one so both can flow fluid. Most people use a clutch master or a single line brake servo so dont have the problem of blanking off one of the brake circuits of the master.

hope you get it sorted out

cheers

Barri

Holy hydro heartaches, Batman! If I had known beforehand what an ordeal it was to pump up a hydro suspension, I would have never bothered to put together my little el-cheapo grease gun and pump mine right up with no problems at all!  

Hydro update,  I am able to pump the system up with a brake master cylinder but the back pressure fills it back up on the return stroke.  I ordered a check valve today.  I also ordered the air strut fitting that a few of you recommended.  Back at it one more time later this week.  I think that these items will work.

OK,  I put a check valve inline.  I also tried to bled the air out of the line into the master cylinder reservoir.  The master cylinder barely pumps any fluid per stroke, just a matter of drops.  I have no leaks with lots of teflon tape.  I'm getting tired of laying on the garage floor in anti-freeze.    The wife and kid gave me the ultimatum.  It's taking up too much of my time.  If someone was nearby I would have gladly paid to to this.  I will have to put the Mini away for a long time.  I have other British cars I need to work on as well.  One last shot at it tomorrow.

Remember if you have any air in the plumbing between the pump and the schrader valve - once you get above a few psi in the supply pipe the liquid will just compress the air and not push it past the schrader valve. The bigger stroke on even the brake master may not push enough volume to overcome any air in the supply pipe.

It may well be something else like a non return valve but make sure you have all of the air out of the pipe first.

cheers

Barri

OK, I got my new shrader valve installed.  My Rube Goldberg pump system is working after I teflon taped all of the threads.  It actually pumps fluid through the system.  However, it is not pumping up pressure.  I think that I must need a ball valve that prevents backflow.  My gauge goes up to 10psi on the pressure stroke and returns to 0 on the return stroke.  I do have a 2psi anti-reversion valve but I think that is too low to even try.  Im heading to the hardware store.  I live in a small town so I don't have a plumbing supply store.

Still at it in Wisconsin.

OH lord, i need to buy something for the mini again?? I went to ebay and one donut cost $71. On ebay page  it say US dollar but when i click it , it comes out in Euros, grrrr i hate it, if i order in UK i dont even know if it will arrive here in 3 weeks, i think UK is what they called " across the pond", gosh thats too far.  I'lll look here in MM, im sure they have a pair for sale.  Thanks sir Mal

If you are referencing the bump stops on the suspension yes there needs to be clearance. If it is touching the upper arm or radius arm you probably have worn donuts and or knuckles and nylon cups. You could install HI LO's and make the suspension adjustable and raise it up but that does not fix the problem of collapsed rubber donuts.

NOTE: You won't find these parts at the flea market you need to purchase new ones ;-)

Sir Dan, or sir Mal, what does it mean if the rubber stop is touching the arm? I dunno what its called , arm or pivot thing. should there be a clearance between the rubber and the arm??  What needs to be replaced? Thanks

That modified one on the left looks like the same size as R12 a/c fittings, maybe it was done so the system could be pumped down and evacuated with the a/c vacumn pump. Still it could have been made to be detachable.

A Picture is worth 1000 words!

That Leftie  is a MODded part!

Looks like you've got the correct original valves, underneath whatever someone soldered onto the ends of them. Why the hell they would do that is anybody's guess.

Hydrolastic suspension is obsolete, and is now replaced with rubber cones because they fail a lot.