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Spanner wrench for Hyd Cylinders

barnbuilder

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Jul 6, 2014
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134
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Waxhaw, NC
I need to put new seals in the tilt cylinders on my A300. What kind or brand of spanner wrench do you guys use?
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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sw missouri
Hammer and a punch or chisel. Real mechanics hate people like me.

I keep looking at buying a set of the adjustables in martin/ williams or something, when I have the spare $.
 

Junkyard

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Now now. Hate is an awful strong word....I've resorted to the same thing on occasion. Hell, I'm not sure if I'm a real mechanic anyway! Smaller cylinders can be done in simple ways usually, unless it's stuck solid you shouldn't have to beat on it until it's boogered up. Spanners are made farily easy too
 

crane operator

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sw missouri
In my own defense, most of the time the cylinders I work on are at least 5-8" around, and they don't make many spanners that large anyways. I don't think I'd buy a spanner wrench to just do one small cylinder.

Every cylinder I try to take apart is stuck junkyard- you must get the easy work. ;)
 

Junkyard

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Oh I've had my share I've chased around the shop or about broke some big stuff over! Tilt cylinders won't be bad. As far as your big ones yeah the tooling for them gets to be sparse at best. As long as you grind the boogers off after assembly I suppose I can let it slide :cool:
 

Bumpsteer

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When I had the tilt cylinder rebuilt on my 743, I went to the dealer. They did it while I played with new equipment in the yard and the labor price was not worth my time to mess with it.


Ed
 

ScottAR

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Oct 20, 2008
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NE Arkansas
OTC 1266. Takes a 3/4 drive breaker handle. Pins are 5/16s on one side and 3/8s on the other.
Perhaps overkill in this case but it does work.
 

barnbuilder

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Jul 6, 2014
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134
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Waxhaw, NC
OTC 1266. Takes a 3/4 drive breaker handle. Pins are 5/16s on one side and 3/8s on the other.
Perhaps overkill in this case but it does work.

Thats what I just ordered. They had 2 sizes on ebay for $67. Time to replace the seals on the tilt cylinders. One has a nice leak.

Thanks guys
 

Jeepwalker

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Aug 12, 2011
Messages
284
Location
WI
I just made my own spanner wrench out of some bar stock I had around, didn't take long. Something like these should work, there are different price ranges, the cheap ones would be better than making one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-Fly-Wheel-Clutch-Hub-Rotor-Sprocket-Spanner-Wrench-Holder-Tool/272313661165?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=2&asc=40130&meid=3743739f504e46a4b8c44c6aeba4ccb3&pid=100005&rk=6&rkt=6&mehot=pp&sd=371954308532

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Adjustable-Fly-Wheel-Clutch-Hub-Rotor-Sprocket-Spanner-Wrench-Holder-Tool/322048087974?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=2&asc=40130&meid=0ab17b38d12b431fb24f0f8b9b681dd9&pid=100005&rk=3&rkt=6&mehot=pp&sd=272313661165

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CTA-Tools-8...586081?hash=item5b2d1838e1:g:ueoAAOSwAvJXBgxr

Don't forget, if you haven't done the job before, there could be a 'locking screw' that is often set at the joint where the nut and cylinder mate together. Keeps the packing nut from spinning off. Sometimes the heads of these screws get sheered off from debris that may have hit the cylinders over the years. Look carefully to see if you can find where a screw or pin is/was. If you find one, you'll need to carefully drill it out. Those gland nuts usually aren't always on super tight once you get the screw out. Sometimes that area is constantly soaked in oil, which helps. When I put the rams on my machine back together, I re-drilled new locking screw holes and located them at the backside of the cylinder where they would be better protected. OTOH, the retaining nut that holds on the actual piston WAS tighter than a sob, sometimes they can be. Might need a strong impact to get it off. I've bought the aftermarket kits, off ebay or whatever, they worked fine but not sure what's avail for your unit. I wish I would have bought new pistons ahead of time and replaced the ones in my cylinders. Overall, the job is pretty straight forward and doesn't take very long if you have decent mechanical skills. I'm sure a pipe wrench would work if the gland nuts aren't on too tight, but if they are on tight, and a person gets too carried away, ya run the risk of pinching and distorting the gland nut shape whereas a pin wrench won't do that.
 
Last edited:

fast_st

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Mass
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More often than the screw falling out is someone leaving the screw out and reefing the bajeesus out of the packing gland nut. Aligning the screw threads usually doesn't require much torque at all and a handy spot to squirt penetrant.
 

barnbuilder

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Jul 6, 2014
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134
Location
Waxhaw, NC
Why did you need to replace the pistons?
I got the deal just from Bobcat for $56 ea. Allskidsteers.com had them for $26 I think.
 

ScottAR

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Oct 20, 2008
Messages
560
Location
NE Arkansas
If they are real tight, you can somewhat peen the barrel of the cylinder with a smallish shop hammer, say a 16oz., around the area where the gland screws in and it will make it easier loosen.

Look around for Willie59's thread on this technique. Works.
 

barnbuilder

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Jul 6, 2014
Messages
134
Location
Waxhaw, NC
Got the seals replaced not a bad job. Drained the hydro fluid from tank. Are there any other places to drain fluid? It was pretty nasty. Going to pick up fluid and case filters today.
 

barnbuilder

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Jul 6, 2014
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134
Location
Waxhaw, NC
Can the motor case drain filter, attachment case filter, and steering filter be taken apart and cleaned? Or do they have to be replaced?
 
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