I had to repack the tilt cylinders on my 580k. Having never done this I searched videos and forums, looked pretty straight forward. Many people used the adjustable spanner with a 3/4” breaker bar. So this is what I ordered and tried. I am not an orangutan, trying to hold it in place and break it loose with a pipe on a three foot breaker bar was not working! I was about to throw that POS in the trash when I came up with this idea. The pipe clamps are just snug enough to hold it in place while I can break it loose, worked like a charm. Once loose removed the clamps and was able to hold it in place by hand and turn with just the breaker bar.
You need to protect the ram. One nick on the chrome and it will ruin your seals.
Yep. Good idea. I tried it with less positive results. I just ended up using a 36 inch pipe wrench and an 8-foot long equalizer and pounding on the cylinder end with a 5-pounder (per advice from a well-known forum member). That was the easy part. Getting the piston nut off was another story. I ended up going to AIS to have mine removed. Turns out there is a lot of locktite on those threads. Heat and torque are the only answers. Please let us know when you get to that point. r
Thanks for the warning, I was very careful not to damage the ram. As soon as the gland nut broke loose I stopped and removed the clamps so they would not damage the ram.
I also used a hammer to pound on the cylinder around the gland nut. I was able to get the piston nut off with the breaker and a cheater bar. They were very tight, my impact did not budge them. The rest of it went well, cylinders are back together with no more leaks.
It's always so satisfying to see that gland turn.
Good idea! If the pins in the wrench don't fit I found the 7/16" lynch pins work good as a replacement and fit the glands on my NH. They are also plenty hard. I just remove the wire loop. I always wrap cardboard around my ram and duct tape it while loosening and tightening the gland.
Yes it was!
The card board is a good preventative I will use it for the lift cylinders, I feel they will be the next repack!
I was thinking of something like a plastic one gallon oil jug. Cut the ends out of it and slit down the side then wrap it around the rod and hold in place with zip-ties.
Whatever you do, DO NOT USE DUCT TAPE APPLIED DIRECTLY ON THE RAM. It may not remove as easily as it goes on. It took me a couple of hours and a lot of automotive adhesive dissolver to get mine clean. On the plus side, the ram was really, really clean and shiny ...
Goof Off works really good.
Aluminum sheet metal works good, it will never scratch chrome, even galvanized sheet metal is soft enough it would never scratch the chrome, but the edges are sharper and could hurt a seal. Ratchet straps are another useful tool to keep a grip in that situation.
WD40
Great tips!
Wrap the duct tape backwards
That sounds like fun... Nest time I think I'll just opt for something a little less sticky.
I rebuilt some cylinders on a JD hoe years ago. I made rings the same size as the gland nuts and welded them on then used a big pipe wrench and boom truck winch to turn them. Today i probably wouldnt do it that way but it worked.