Just tried again for the fourteenth time.  No pressure after 500-600 pumps and no fluid transfer.  I found the threads that fit from the hardware store.  It is a 1/4" flare fitting.  Right now Im using a female to female flare fitting with a flared copper pipe in between going to the grease gun.  I also replaced the inner valve fitting with a new one.  Still no transfer.  I also took a flared cap, drilled a hole in it and taped it for a 1/4" grease zerk.  Well, on every third pump the hose came off of the zerk.  So back to the drawing board.

Thanks Jedduh  That's my contraption.  Works a treat.  But same principle as what the other guys are saying or doing.

Dogscarf,  when you're pumping away, is the fluid level in your grease gun going down?????  That's the big question.

Velopackrats awesome hyro pumper for refrence

 

 

The nice coupling part is $36.00 and available via Amazon. It is likely also available many other different ways since it can be purchased through suppliers to tire shops, suppliers to aviation and so on.

As stated, doing this work with the wheels on the ground and the lines connected will increase your chances.

You could probably accomplish this with the hose from a deluxe tire filler that clips on, as the recent photos do show at least one fitted to a grease gun.

If I needed to build a hydrolastic tool, I would buy a grease gun, the coupler, some hose, a valve to bleed the line at the coupler, and another valve with a line from it so that the entire system could be drained back into a container. 

I had to replace a fitting that looked like this (thanks gurunutkins for the photo...) on my Churchill unit, found it at an place that sells HVAC parts. Works perfectly for hydro

OK, a few hundred more pumps.  Nothing.  I drove over 100 miles today to a tractor supply store, Fleet Farm store, NAPA, Autozone and a mechanic friend's lace.  NO luck.  I still can't get the correct fitting to the shrader on the MIni.  I pulled the shrader valve off of the car and put it back on.  From all of the pics it appears to be the stock fitting.  Where can I find the correct female fitting that can hook up to my grease gun?  The NAPA part numbers from the AA website are incorrect, they do not fit nor do the adapters.

...................Still Frustrated........

The first time I pumped up an MG1100 I used the grease gun method, I hope to never have to do that again. 23 million or so pumps*
I differ in my opinion that wheels should be off the ground, I believe that the wheels should be on the ground, with the bags compressed, there is less initial volume to pump into them and see some results.

I have a Churchill "Dancing Robot" and am fortunate to have it, it works with my Minis and 1100's, and now with my MGF's as well. I have seen the homemade chutch master in action and it is a ton better than the grease gun.

*I didn't count, it could have been more than 23 million...

Don't bail out yet, however painful it's been so far.  Once you sort this out, you'll be Hydro-Guru forever.

Again, my two cents:  Connect the front back up, then lower the car onto it's wheels.  Then put your fitting on the schrader valve to release fliud and see if air/liquid shoots out due to compressing the suspension.  Then start pumping.  Might take 150 strokes.  While pumping, do you have to add fluid avery so often?  If so, you know it's going somewhere.  Either on the floor or into the Hydro bags.  BUt this is a good sign.  If no leaks are on the floor, the bags are slowly filling up.  Perfect.  With enough fluid, they will slowly lift the car too.

Once you suffer through this process and get the car going again, you can decide if a better Hydro pump is in the cards.  Spoiler Alert; I made a better one from a clutch master cylinder and some square tubing, plus a bunch of labor... I'll post a pic of it tomorrow but it's like the other guys have shown.

Yet I did succeed initially with a grease gun and low loss valve off eBay.  The hose length was maybe 24"...

Here is the latest update on the hydrolastic.  I have picked up some flared fittings that I got to work with the grease gun with no leaks.  It fits to the shrader valve fine.  I pumped the gun 900-1000 times and with the hose unhooked at the front so that I can evacuate a great deal of the air.  No fluid was seen at the front at the adapter between the hard line and soft line and after 30 minutes of pumping.  Is this normal?  Should it take this long or longer?  Wheels are off of the ground.  Just doing the right side.

Still frustrated in WI.

Thanks for the offer RedRiley.  If I can't get the corect fitting I may take you up on it.  I really appreciate it.

This is what I made. It worked perfectly. I could just use it with the lid off and keep pouring fluid into the cylinder as I pumped it. 

I'll send it to you for postage, I no longer have any use for it.

I dont know the answer to that - is it possible that you have a modified system? Can you post a picture of the end of your schrader valve?

I have a hydrolastic mini, MG1100 and austin America and all are standard shrader fittings - in that all of the available connectors screw right on to the valve.

The other alternative is to try the other system on Todd's site using a grease fitting and a metal cap

 

Back to the hydrolastic pressurizing devise.  OK,  I hit three more auto parts stores today with no luck. Plus a hardware store.  It appears that the male end of the shrader valve on my 1968 Mini most closely matches a flared thread.  It is .43 inches in diameter.  Does anybody know exactly what kind of threads are on the shrader on the Mini?  It does not match tractor shrader threads.  It is not pipe thread.  Also, I removed the valve insert and it appears fine.  I cannot find any or those in town either.  I may have one inside of an old Austin Healey inner tube though.  

Frustrated in Wisconsin. 

OK,  I got the tractor coupling from NAPA as on the AA website.  It does not fit the shrader valve.  Different threads and I meassured the diameter at .43".  I removed the shrader valve insert and will replace it tomorrow.  I will hook up all hard lines tomorrow and try again.  I need to fix the leaks as the gun would not pump up enough pressure.

just get a strut coupler - I paid about $#25 for mine and you can use it to depresurize and pressurize and get the air out of the pipe - failing that use a tractor coupler as shown on the austin america site todd runs - has a bleed screw on the top

and the tractor connector from the austinamerica site

 

No, I'm not sure the shrader valve is functioning correctly.  OK, after the fourth attempt.....I cannot fix all of the leaks and that is why I can't get enough pressure.  The flexible hose method dies not work as there are leaks at the ends even with the clamps as tight as I can get them.  It turns out that I cannot find a fitting that fits over the shrader valve correctly.  Back to the hardware store tomorrow.

The only issue I ever had was 1) the leak was greater than the pressure going into the system, i.e. no net pressure added. 2) Had too long of hose that took all the pressure and ballooned up. 3) car was on the ground and caused too high of pressure.

Do you have the wheels on the ground? Even just the front? With my car when the pressure was down, and the cars wheels off the ground, one or both wheels were up into the wheel wells. As I pumped the system up the wheels came down. I could gauge the amount by the distance from the ground. I often look at a spot on the tire and eyeball it as it moved down.

Lots of pumps, but each made progress. Be sure your schrader valve is functioning.

OK,...I'm on my second grease gun and it is not pumping any pressure.  I tried the hose with clamps method and the direct flexible hose to the shrader valve.  No pressure.  I see the issue is how to get the air out of the hose first.  Second method, direct hookup to the shrader valve with the adapter still not pressure and their is a way to bleed the air near the nipple.  I know that the gun does not pump much volume but after 50-60 pumps I should see some pressure.  Thoughts?

 

 

I do the same thing - works extremely well and pumps the suspension up a lot faster.

My mate (now left us) made a hydro-pump using a clutch master cylinder & pedal on an angle iron frame. 

He used several brake hoses connected together, and the only part he bought was the Schrader valve connector.

It worked like a charm.