I'm still waiting for my wife to get up so we can clean the house for company tomorrow. So I am playing online and thought I'd see your thoughts. First, "The Why": I've had my backhoe/loader for probably at/over 25 years. (JCB 1550-B) Been very reliable and a good machine for me. I do all my upkeep (so far!). Seems like every other year or so, I'm having to rebuild a hydraulic cylinder. In reality, I might realize that 3-5 years might have passed (or more) since I last did one. It's such a pain in the hiney that it just "FEELS" like I'm doing one all the time. In reality, that is nowhere near the truth. I might stop & think.... "Gee.... let's just change them ALL so I have the same start date for all of them... might make it feel longer between fixing the next one (more of a high usage cylinder.... bucket cylinder verses loader lift) The "What": So, do you simply do them as needed or do you update entire machine? If you update as needed (which is what I expect all/most to say).... would you do a SINGLE loader dump cylinder (I have one with a slow drip) or, would you do BOTH of THOSE at the same time, even if the other side is not currently dripping? Having spent most weekends with all of my wife's projects (being dragged along to estate sales so I can help carry something AND usually..... also pay for said item..... to the yard sale where she now tries to sell some of that stuff and of course, needs help carrying stuff to a location for the yard sale.... it is NEVER in our yard, we're simply too far out of town) So doing all that busy work keeps me from doing some things I prefer to do.... I have a slow drip on cylinder dump... I have TWO kits. I'm wasting even more time this very moment, waiting her to get up.....and NOT fixing Mr. Drippy..... Would you do just the drippy one or both, saving the second rebuild kit for later use? (spring? 2-more years? No idea) Discuss while I prepare to go steam clean floors, dust, in general get the house steralized because someone is coming to visit. (if you sense some sarcasim in there, you're right..... she's a perfectionist AND a germ a phobe..... so if someone is coming over it's usually an entire, three floor "spring cleaning....DEEP cleaning" type event and that really gets old over 30 years. I'm glad I was never burdoned with that human frailty. You want to come over & have a Coke....c'mon.... I'll get the dog hair up but I'm not going to steam clean the bathroom shower on the 2nd floor...
Are you using the machine commercially or just puttering around on your own projects? That would be the determining factor for me. When I got my Case backhoe ('89 vintage but under 3000hrs) it had a couple cylinders dripping and one or two that had been rebuilt. I decided to just rebuild all the cylinders using OEM Case parts and be done with it. Pulled it in the shop, only one time making a terrible mess, getting out the special tools, refilling and bleeding the system, etc. On the hoses, I replaced any that were hard to get to and/or looked bad, but left some of the easy to access ones that were still in decent shape. I use mine commercially and downtime, missing a good weather window, etc is more of a concern than the cost or time to rebuild the cylinders, but YMMV.
He is right. I am the exact opposite. I have my 480C for just my own occasional use. If it breaks down I just stop and fix it right then, no deadlines to meet or anything like that. So I rebuild the cylinders as needed. And one side at a time also. If they are seeping, I don't mess with it. Just if they start pouring. I got a pretty good deal on my machine, leaks and all, so when I am done with it I will probably sell it for exactly the same price I paid for it, leaks and all.
Home use...As needed.
I go with as needed. Except if say 1 loader lifter cylinder is leaking I do the pair.
this is residential use. not often at that
??dripping??..... I thought that was part of the anti-rust system??.... my 'AR' system is in great shape..
I found a place that does a good job on the cylinders. They source the parts; they don't even ask what it's for. I think it was about $100/ cylinder. It's 100 mile round trip so I took everything off the hoe and the stabilizers, put them in a trailer and took them to the place. They did two on the loader and the steering cylinder for me first. I only have two more that are leaking now and that's all of them. So, as for me, I take all I can within reason.
That's cheap!
You get what you pay for on seals. The OEM stuff often lasts 30+yrs, how long do you expect some no name made in China seals to last? Is it really worth the time and hassle of rebuilding them again in a few years vs spending an extra $100 per cylinder now?
It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. - John Ruskin It's been several years now, maybe even five. I think it was $100/ cylinder labor and then whatever the seals cost but the seals were not much over $30/cylinder. So it was very much worth it to me. Plus I didn't have to dick around with some manufacturer who changed part numbers four times over the course of a year. They measure what they need and source it. They have been there for years so I trust their judgement. Nothing leaking yet. That's the way I roll.
In my experience without some kind of damage when one cylinder starts to leak the others won't be far behind. When one hose blows another one will be right behind it. I think it really gets down to can you live with the untimely down time and inconvenience.
If it aint broke, don't fix it.
I vote as needed. Funny, I too have a major drippy loader cylinder on my JD 310. Both cylinders are dripping but one more than the other. I can live with the other less drippy. Like you, I did buy two kits. I hate for them to sit in the drawer. It's probably mildly more efficient to do both - loader cribbed up, tools are out, old clothes are on, top off fluid once, etc. Planning to repair this Friday and debating on whether to do both. The reason I'd do both is if your wiper cylinder is like mine and practically gone. Mine is not wiping the dirt/dust off like it should. We'll see what kind of mood I'm in on Friday - it may be a one and done.
That's what has seemed to happen to mine. As I started using, one cylinder, then another, then another, randomly over a year or two period. I rebuilt them myself, and when I took the old seals out, they were falling apart, they seemed to have aged out and the material they are made out of crumbles.
That seems to be the case most times. The gland nut seal U-cup seems to age the most in my experience...Hence the external leaks.