ford 555 boom cylinder leaks(not fluid) down very quickly. i can pull it back to the tractor and then watch it go down. do i need to replace the cylinder or can i rebuild it? i have fair mechanic skill but no experience working on cylinders. not big ones like this. it moves in and out like it should it just wont stay up. just bought the old gal and im sure there will be other issues
You will need to repack the cylinder or have it repacked, the internal O-rings are leaking...the challenge is to get the gland nut off, etc. You might be best served bringing it to a hydraulic shop for the repack. To get the cylinder out, I parked the rear wheels on a the top of a hill, swing the boom all the way to the left or right, extend the dipper, bucket to the lowest point possible. Then proceed to remove the cylinder...it has some weight to it. Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNMC-CKrMjU
how do i know what repair kit to get for it. are there #s on the cylinder somewhere that i will need to get the correct parts? i have watched some videos on the internet and i feel confident i can do this myself just dont know which exact kit to get.
The easiest and often cheapest is to take the gland and piston into a hydraulic shop and have them match it up. Or you can take your chances by ordering a kit online, as long as the cylinder is original. There is a possibility the valve is leaking, you can confirm the cylinder is leaking by starting it up when it's cool outside and try to hold the boom stationary straight out with the bucket off the ground for a minute, then go feel the cylinder, it should be warm to the touch where the piston is leaking inside.
I would order the kit then take the cyl. off and take it to someone who does cyl. work. You can make the tool to remove the gland but I don't think your going to ever get the nut on the piston loose it is around 600 or 700 foot pounds. Been their done that. Mudober