Hello all HEF members and Happy Holidays! I am in the research mode before attempting to re-seal my stab cylinders with kits from Hercules. Being new to this, I have a couple of questions: First, I noticed that upon receiving the seal kits there are no seals for the piston (AH205062) which seems to be a "unitized" assembly. Non-repairable? Would this piston necessitate to be replaced only if found in very bad shape? How often this gets damaged? The piston runs around $200-$400 with the PTFE and rubber seals installed. Secondly, I noticed kit AHC16954 for the rod has an assortment of wiper seals. Could it be "find and match" depending on what I have? Thanks for your insights on this.
Never done one myself, but I found a piston on ebay using the part number you posted, looks like a typical piston seals with either a square cut ring or o-ring loader under the seal, doesn't look unusual. Have you tried Deere? I've used Hercules Seals myself, but in some cases, maybe this one, go with OEM. Just one cylinder, may be a bit more than Hercules, but shouldn't empty your wallet. Ebay link > https://www.ebay.com/p/1862187482?msockid=2c77756dbd1f6b35096d600ebcc96aa5
Hello Willie, Thanks for your reply. Yes, I continued searching and you can find replacements in several places but have not seen yet any seal. Maybe it is because: "Unitized Pistons are designed to handle a broad range of application parameters. The piston body is machined to exact dimensions and is constructed using four components: A high strength steel body, a non-metallic bearing, a rubber loading ring and a filled PTFE seal ring. The non-metallic bearing is molded to the piston using a special proprietary process." So, I guess in the unfortunate outcome of a damaged/worn out piston, it will be a lot less hassle to replace it with a new complete unit. Have seen prices all over but not less than $200 each. Happy Holidays!
Haven't seen a unitized piston before myself, new to me. The Teflon seal with rubber loader is pretty common, as is the non-metallic bearings, but the bearings are typically split to allow installation. I don't know if typical teflon seal and split non-metallic bearings can be used, Deere may have designed the piston with dimensions that won't fit the more common seals and bearings, that I don't know.