310 SE crowd cylinder dripping

[Welder Dave]

Air has been known to shoot dangerous projectiles across the room. Pressure can build up and suddenly let go. Same reason hydrostatic testing uses fluid rather than air.

 

[Swetz]

I have seen air used on a cylinder bench on the blind side of a cylinder in order to extend it prior to disassembly (gland nut still tight). I have never seen air used once the gland nut is loosened in order to get the cylinder apart...I have heard some real good horror stories tho!

 

[Delmer]

And one of those JD snap ring cylinders would be a perfect projectile launcher.

 

[Fred from MO]

I can stand a leaky cylinder for awhile, but like you said, it won't get better.

I had good luck on the stabilizer cylinder reseal at a local hydraulic shop. Don't ask me about the valve bank at the same shop, that's another story.

I would've resealed it myself, but the rod needed straightening/replaced, so while they had it I let them reseal it. I had the rod out of the cylinder, so they cut me a small break on the reseal. They were also able to do a leak check on it. I'd be about 50/50 wanting to do that crowd cylinder myself vs letting a shop do it. $990 will buy a lot of tools for the 10 additional cylinders on your machine that will eventually need resealing.

Thats a good point. With the 21 year old machine, I am sure there will be more leakies to come. Its a drip...drip...drip for now. I think I will limp along until I get my shop built. Then at least I will have a place to pullit apart and "think" about it for a while.....

 

[Fred from MO]

If you found a shop that will do it for $200 if you took the cylinder to them is a great deal. Just extend the stick out so you can lower it enough to get the cylinder off. May have to block the boom or use a chain to hold the stick so the cylinder is loose. Under $300 not worth buying a bunch of tools and fighting with it in my opinion. A hyd. shop will have a cylinder bench and save you a lot of frustration if you've never done it.

The other side of that Dave, is that any cylinder that gives the least trouble will be extra labor, they might screw something up that you could have got loose with more patience.

IF you knew a place that worked great for others for $200, you probably wouldn't be asking here.

Yeah, I know of one shop I have tried on a dump trailer, and needless to say, I wont be using that place again. We are somewhat limited in shops in my location.

 

[Fred from MO]

Exactly, a cylinder fails and leaks on a late model machine, and a dealer will expect to hone it. The seals fall apart after 30 years, and you can probably get away with just new seals (less likely it was damage, more likely just age, unless it's your bucket or stabilizer cylinders)

Good point since its the stick cylinder and they are 21 years old, Im guess they are just old...

 

[Fred from MO]

That's about 2X what I paid a few month back for a 310SG crowd cyl repack at the local Deere dealer. I took just the cylinder to them.

Thanks for the info. I guess my guys are really high then.

 

[Fred from MO]

hopefully it isn't new enough to have the 120 type cylinders where you remove keeper ring, push gland into barrel about 2 inches, insert orange bypass ring for internal snap ring then pull out or blow out with air, God bless new technology

if so buy rebuild kit prior to removal orange ring is in package

I think it is this kind where you have to insert the orange ring to take everything out so you dont score up the inside of the cylinder

 

[Fred from MO]

New enough? those style cylinders go back further than an E in JD's. They will come apart fine without the orange ring, and go back together fine without the ring too, with NEW SEALS obviously. Don't ever use air, use hydraulics however you want to, but never air.

If you don't want to use force to pull the piston past the seals and destroy them, then fill the groove with bondo, works better than the orange ring.

Interesting I never heard of using bondo. although I see how that could work.

 

[Bob Cleveland]

Fred from MO, I did not remove the whole cylinder. I took the gland nut off and slid the piston out and took this to my workshop for repair. I will soon be doing the lift cylinder, the largest cylinder on the machine. I have already taken the time to break the gland nut loose. The only hard part will be the bolt on the end of the rod (piston nut). I purchased a SK brand 3/4" 36" breaker bar just for cylinders. I am good with a pipe on the wrench as long as the cylinder is secure...hense why I do not remove the pin from the barrel, as it is very secure that way. I have welded up a stand to put the boom on so I know it will not move either. Sometimes the larger cylinders are easier to get together than the small diameter cylinders, i.e. steering cylinder.

Another thought...If you get the piston out and cannot get it apart, you can take just the piston, rod, and gland to the hydraulic shop and they will prolly charge you less. If you can get the piston bolt out, you save even more.

use what ever you want to remove it you're REPACKING it. Hydraulic shops use air to move cylinders in and out all the time.

You've given good ideas for me to get my Snorkel TB42's leaking main boom lift cylinder out for repair. Reputable & reasonable hydraulic repair shops around KC, MO apparently are tough to find. Do you have any suggestions, anywhere in Missouri.
Also, the hydraulic oil's dingy & I expect to drain, flush & replace the H-fluid, all 25 gallons. Any suggestions?

 

[Willie B]

Nicest set up I've seen was a guy in New Hampshire. Sticks in my mind he called himself American Hydraulics.
His whole set up was hand made. He made his own spanners & wrenches. He used a hydraulic cylinder on a track & a swivel. A cup fitted to the end of the hydraulic rod fit over the end of a spanner. Hydraulic was controlled with push buttons. It all looked somewhat crude, but very functional.

It has been my experience that hydraulic rebuilders owe their livelihood to big customers. They simply can't find time to repair cylinders for some guy with one cylinder to repack.