Preface: I might butcher some of the terms so I ask for that pardon in advance. Owned my JCB 1550B for probably 20 years. Always take cylinders out for rebuild. Took this one out, they had it for three weeks and still couldn't (evidently) figure out which gasket set to replace it with so, I said bring it back (and I'll do it) Upon getting it back, turns out they had taken the cap off (unscrewed it) and the seals/gaskets that would be on the cap are gone. Why they didn't finish things is beyond me but, they didn't. So, here I am. Reaching out to JCB to get the correct set. (guy on phone with dealer took serial number but seemed to have difficulties....said he'd call me back and it's been 1 1/2 days so I need to call them tomorrow) I read another thread here about redoing a (Cat?) cylinder and using a piston ring compressor....never thought of that. Any special tools I might need? Though I'm not a mechanic, I'm fairly mechanical inclined....and literally nothing scares me away from at least trying. Ok, that's a lie. When I was 17 or so.... my Dad's Maserati died. Turns out it needed a new head gasket. I decided I'd best not try it because I was visiting him in Hilton Head and was leaving about 3-4 days later AND the parts would take a day for delivery.... so I did shy away from that) I digress. Back to JCB... cylinder is unscrewed, sitting on my bench. Though I don't have parts yet, I'm VERY open to any guidance & tips that you may have for me...... other than perhaps not to drop it on my toes!! (hard for me to believe that the last time I took it off to rebuild, I wrestled it alone off of the machine & carried it onto the truck (and then reversed the process to install it).... THIS time I craned it with my wife's cousin's Deere backhoe/tractor.
I see lots of seals on ebay for a 1550b. Go there and see.
Enter your serial number here: https://parts.jcb.com/ You’ll get a parts diagram for your machine, along with corresponding part numbers.
Hey Buddy, Welcome to the Heavy Equipment Forum! Not familiar with your specific backhoe, but I have rebuilt a doz or so cylinders and would be happy to come help you do this one if we were a little closer. They make seal folding tools for installing the seal(s) that go in the gland portion of the cylinder. Sometimes it can be done by hand. It can also be tough to get the nut off the piston on these. Your welcome to call me if I can be of any help with it.
OMG, do they let the riff-raff in here or what? (speaking of myself of course ) I guess some places have no culture nor couth. Thanks all... update: I tried dealer again....and again...."we'll call you back"... got tired of waiting (and closing in on 5:00) so called a dealer at random in another time zone. He found the part and it's being shipped. I looked at those on Ebay. Decided I'd rather put the onus on the dealer to get me the correct part than me rummage through those. I'm going to try to take pictures if I remember. Seals won't arrive until next week which means next weekend is soonest I can contemplate it. Regarding taking the nut off the piston... would traditional impact gun take care of that? How about a torque multiplier? I've got both so hopefully one or other will work. My issue will be do I have a socket or wrench right off the bat large enough. Will have to see. I've got some larger ones for the other times I've tinkered on the machine. I'm trying to find a schematic of the cylinder as I've never (ever) done this so am going in blind. Since the shop took at least the top half of the seals out, I have no idea of how they were facing should that matter. I know it will get done one way or another. I appreciate the welcome.
If the piston nut has been loctited, it may take a propane torch to get the piston hot enough to cook out the Loctite.
Before you go postal on the nut check that it’s not a pinned nut. Some JCB rams have a pin through the nut into the rod to hold it. You need to locate the pin which has a small threaded hole in the end, find a small bolt with matching threads, screw it in, rock the nut to take any pressure off the pin and it should come out easily. Then the nut can be removed without much effort unless the thread has been damaged.
Noticed today that one of the bearings (?) (the inner sleeve that the holding pin goes through and rotates about) is cracked. Rather than being a split ring... well... I guess it IS a split ring. Only thing is, it's split in two places!!! It might not matter but bugs me so now I have to get one of those. I thought I had one. Actually, I KNEW I had one (two actually) but they're for the bucket pins not the cylinder pins. sigh.... not one thing it's another.
So what's it called? You take the pin holding the cylinder out. Pull cylinder off and set it on table. You look in hole where the pin was and there is a 'washer' in there or something. I've been looking around Ebay for something however, have no idea what to call it. (I do realize I'm probably going to be stuck going to a dealer but figured I'd try) Split washer? Doesn't sit right with me Split gasket? nope Split bearing? don't like it either I'm totally blank on what it might be called.
I think you're talking about a bushing.
Yep, I think you're right, thank you. This forgetfulness might be one of my early signs....
So I've received the seals in the mail today. In the meantime, found out I've snapped a Zerk fitting and one of the bushings is cracked. Today, I ordered new bushings and a half dozen straight zerks and a half dozen angled. I'll probably wait until the weekend to to this but I've been contacting dealers (three so far) trying to get a schematic for the cylinder and what gasket goes where. So far, I'm three out of three with little to no help on that so I just now, emailed JCB USA in Savannah....of course, it's 5:00 and it's an email, I couldn't find their phone number in the 50 seconds I had prior to 5:00. Anyone know how I can get a schematic for this cylinder? (don't forget, the original service shop has removed all gaskets on the cap. I have no idea if they removed any interior gaskets and won't know until I take it apart.
Ask your dealer for a picture? I believe the parts book will show a breakdown.
Post a pic, it should be easy enough to figure out. The wiper seals point out to keep out dirt. The U cup goes in next place down, or the groove it fits, open part of the u facing the pressure, backup ring behind the U if there is a backup ring. The bushing should only fit one place to.
Preface: I probably won't touch this until this weekend That said, I have some ....how to describe them.... "split plastic bushings" I saw a video on a CAT cylinder getting repaired and I think these were used on it for the purpose of helping to guide the piston (or cap?) down into the cylinder and try to prevent things from getting pinched. Some of these are what I'd call 'hard' plastic and flat sided (as though the flat edge rides against the cylinder) I have a couple round "O" rings... then I have a larger flexible gasket that is flat on the bottom (probably hugs the piston) and on the OUTSIDE of it, goes to a flattened "V" where the flat spot on the "V" is likely the actual sea. Give me couple minutes.... Just took picture and will format it to post.
Upper left corner, the yellow items seem to be hard AND have a split in them. Inside them are traditional "O" rings. Top middle, more hard plastic and also split Top right, these are the items that based on a prior video I saw, I think are to help guide the assembly in without pinching (but I don't know that) Lower left, is VERY hard. If it's plastic, it's much different than those above it. Is it metal? I doubt it but it's very hard and not pliable. Lower center, Orange 'O" ring, outer seal is the one I mentioned above with the flattened "V" on the outside that I suspect does the actual sealing of the piston. Lower right: Green is an "O" ring, blue items have an O ring INSIDE them (if you flip them over, they're "U" shaped and the O ring rides inside the "U" I'm also going to presume this kit is designed to cover several cylinders so I might not need/use everything in it. (that tiny O ring in upper left is curious as I'm not sure it will fit anything)
I think I just now figured out what you meant by "U" cup...!!! I might just disprove that you can't teach an old dog new tricks!!
Pay very close attention to the above post. A number of years ago I discovered the said pin after I sheared it off and destroyed the threads on both pieces. The machine shop that repaired it had never seen that pin before and said that they would have done the same thing. I have never forgotten that lesson. LOL
My end cap was undone by the shop, I can take it off with my fingers. Is this where this lock screw would go? (I don't see one anywhere) I rotated the cap and don't see anything on it. I saw those dimples but realized they're above the threads.
Looking inside, does this "plug" (for lack of better word) on the INSIDE just slide out (with some pounding perhaps) or is it held in by some means?
What you are referring to as a plug is the piston on the end of the rod. It will slide out with a bit of a tug or force. The pin that I was referring to is locking the nut on the rod that is holding the piston on the rod.
That plug is the piston, the rod is the rod, the end that's on the outside that contains the bushing that the big greasy dirty pin went through is called the eye end of the rod. The part that you have unscrewed from the cylinder is the gland (maybe other names? too) You'll have to pull the rod out of the cylinder, it will take the piston with it. The piston going over the internal threads of the cylinder is tricky, you want the rod straight so it doesn't dig into the threads, especially going back in. THEN, the nut that may have a small pin will be visible on the end of the rod holding the piston on. That nut has to come out to remove the piston, to remove the rod from the gland, to replace all the seals and the wiper inside the gland. If that little pin is forced it WILL MESS up those threads, and harder than needed to remove, so make sure there is no pin before removing the nut at the piston, like uptight said. The internal seals and wiper should be clear once you get that apart. The o ring goes in the groove on the outside of the gland, o rings usually don't move as seals, they are used where they don't move (at least in good quality cylinders...) The small o ring will go on the end of the rod under the piston. You can heat the seals up in boiling water and force them in with smooth screwdrivers etc. It will work, but you can get one of these, or similar, and save some swearing: https://www.amazon.com/Quayub-Hydraulic-Cylinder-Piston-Installation/dp/B07W12KK6P/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1ZIH704919HCI&keywords=hydraulic+seal+installation+tool&qid=1569892707&s=gateway&sprefix=hydraulic+seal+ins,aps,205&sr=8-7
What’s up with this? I just used the parts finder last week. Now it’s unavailable?
Ah!!! I was thinking the pin held the cap screw on. Thanks for clarification. I'm certainly not arguing anyone....but what you are calling the piston seems too close to the cap as I don't have the rod very much extended (so the piston should be deeper in the cylinder) The cylinder has a slight (but discernable) bulge in the upper 10" or so of it. that is where this plug/piston seems to reside, much like sitting in a pocket. Looks to me as though it would be unable to extend into the cylinder. More like it's some kind of support on the upper end rather than any/all lateral forces be held by the nut only. However, I freely admit my ignorance so I'm learning as I go and describing it as I see it given this is my first time into a cylinder. I'll try to take some pictures of my journey. I appreciate all the nice input. So the general opinion is that now that the top is unscrewed, I should be able to "simply" slide the entire assembly out of the cylinder and proceed? Can hardly wait for this weekend.
1. Some cylinders have a pin or set screw in the GLAND, but that's not what the others were talking about, I'm only trying to help you understand what they wrote, I don't know JCB tricks. 2. You're right, that looks like something else, there had BETTER NOT be a bulge though... 3. Yes, pull the rod out and the piston will come with it, then the parts will be identifiable with a diagram.
Usually once you have the gland unscrewed (as you have it now) The rod, gland, and piston will all pull out of the cylinder. What you are seeing just inside that cylinder, I don't know, but you are correct in saying it cannot be the piston. Maybe a rod guide of sorts?
HA!!! Guess what I got today (I presume it was sent to me by JCB (USA) or maybe a dealer.... don't know, don't care) Got a schematic of the cylinder so now I have an idea of what's going on. I DO see the lock screw on the piston, they simply call it a dowel. As for the visible part, that is the gland bearing. Never having seen the insides of one of these before, it made sense to me the moment I saw it... rather than have the end cap bear much pressure, there is what I now see called bearing in there and it will help guide things. It fits inside the slight bulge in the end of the cylinder. If I didn't have some work to get done, I'd start seeing how easy it would be to take this apart.... but... I must remain being a responsible adult... I must remain being a responsible adult... I must remain being a responsible adult...
Ok, so here we go. I have about 10 pictures, seems I can only upload 4 at a time. First, here's the schematic that was sent to me. The schematic says there is the dowel (set screw) down at the base of the piston. Regarding the piston, I do have a question.... since the shop totally disassembled it, the piston was literally hand tight. How tight will I need to have it and.... how will I HOLD things to do it? (I don't have a vice) I'm guessing I might have to take it back to hoe, use the pin itself to hold the rod...and crank down on it? Otherwise, I'm still searching for the dowel but as of yet, don't see sign of it on the outside NOR the inside.
Was able to wiggle the rod out of the cylinder. I feared just pulling on it, lest the cylinder fall off my table and break a couple of my bones. Here's the piston.... couple questions on that upcoming
First, starting at the top. Took the restraining clip out the top.... trying to figure out what goes in there and this blue part is the ONLY piece that really seems to fit. The ring is split which kind of surprises me. Oh, and let me preface....I've never even SEEN the inside of one of these things so I'm trying to put my puzzle back together as a true first time situation. Ultimately, my question(s) are going to be, what's the correct place for the respective parts!! (did I guess right)
On the outside of the cap is a slot, presumably for a seal. This green one is the only one that would seem to be appropriate for that location..... agree? Oh, and again, here are all my parts laid out. Soft with soft, hard / split with same. Tried to keep them organized a bit.
Now it's getting interesting.... originally, I thought these bands were guides to help get gaskets past threads.... now, I'm thinking they're part of the seals. If correct, then one issue is if they are BOTH used, then one has an open gap and is too small???
This I'm guessing, is the MAIN sealing gasket. It's thicker, more plyable.... and when I used my hand to slide into cylinder, gave me good friction. Now, where does it go... Seems too small to fit over the end of the piston but maybe it does go into the bottom gap? Then again, I can get creative and put it in the wider middle section however, it would need some supports perhaps?? Those yellow items are also split rings. If they don't go there, where do they go?
People do work on these cylinders on the machine so that might work out for you. I've never done one with a dowel in the piston so I can't speak on that aspect of it. I usually get that piston nut as tight as I can with a 3/4" ratchet or impact and I use general locktite on them also. I have not had one unscrew yet. Those two black colored bands are the piston bearings.
Then, there is this boy.... very hard, very stiff. Is it metal or some HARD plastic? Don't know but at first, I thought it went at the VERY top on the cap as the seal but it's too big (just slightly too big) for there. I realize I got a kit and some items might not be used. Oh, and there is a small O ring that goes INSIDE the base of the piston, I've already swapped that one out. They missed that one... HA on them!!! However, with all the gaskets missing, they are getting the last laugh on me! Never mind Mr. Carrot Top, he loves laying on my desk in front of me. Thought I"d share him too.
Oh, and there is NO set-screw / dowel as best I can find. I've been looking & looking. So far, striking out on finding it OR a place (hole) where it might have gone. This is why I also looked on the inside of the hole, to see if I could find the other side of where it went and so far, nothing there too. This makes me wonder if I have the correct diagram for the cylinder or....if perhaps somewhere during its life, someone replaced the cylinder with a different one. I've had this thing for approaching 20 years so too far back for me to know any of those answers.
If you look at the picture of all the parts, you'll notice there are some that I've not directly shown.... I'm still scratching my head to see where they might go (if at all)
I think I have it.... I'm presuming this HARD gasket is my wiper and goes inside the cap? (seems to fit though I haven't pushed it in)
Now, any guesses as to my big mama-jama gasket??
The blue one is correct, but I've never seen one split like that? The green one is correct, if there's room it may have a back up ring behind it (to the outside). The split black ones in #33 look correct, they're the bearing surface to prevent metal on metal contact. yellow rings and big one shown in #40 look to be in the right location but correction: MAYBE not proper order, I've never seen that style so keep playing with it. the white plastic rings may go there also. The last hard ring is a bearing surface to go inside the gland/cap to prevent metal on metal contact there. pic#36. Or possibly it goes inside of #7 in the diagram, I've never worked on a JCB like this with #7. Remember you basically have two diameters to deal with, the cylinder bore, and the rod diameter. Every piece in that kit will be one of those diameters. (except the piston seal o ring but that's been eliminated already). Once you divide them that way, they have a limited number of places to go, an every groove is going to be filled. The blue one is the wiper, but that black one seems to go where you have it in #39
One thought. To get some of the harder seals over the top of the piston or anything else large, or even inside the head or whatever, so that they then fit into a groove - dipping a seal in hot water for 5 minutes will soften it and aid the installation process. Looking at the parts diagram I'd hazard a guess that anything not identified with a number is part of the seal kit. So the marked items are what I suggest are seals. Which one goes where, now that's a different question. Last thought. Take the white or black backup rings and try to match them up by inside diameter with the O-Rings in the kit. That ought to give you an idea where they go.
Tight fit....didn't want to rake gasket over threads.... had to improvise a bit. Seems to have worked.
Now, with some parts out of the way.... I'm working on other parts of the puzzle. The "HARD" part does seem to go inside the cap....but then, I had one of those confounded blue gaskets with an O ring INSIDE of it and a pesky white split part ... seems to fit perfectly.. So now the question is, does the blue go in first (which is my guess and the hard black disk holds it in) and does the blue part go this side up or reverse it? I'm guessing this side up and the black disk will hold the white "gasket" in place via the sandwich method. Thoughts?? Side comment....you could sneeze and blow the white "gasket" out of there. It's simply a FLIMSY split right that sits in a channel with nothing to hold it in. (inside the kit package, there was a piece of tape holding it all together. If you turn the BLUE part over, then it's really "U" shaped and inside that "U" is an O ring.
Are you saying that the blue seal & the white ring in your photo were taped together..?
Yes they were. In post 32, you can see them as an ensemble. What you don't see is the other side of the blue gasket and inside there is an O-ring that fits snugly in a channel. I've seen that done before with something like a spring material in there with the spring type material being used to HOLD it together (in compression). Since this one is rubber, I'm lost... it's not touching the rod at all. (shrugs shoulders)
By the way... putting the blue gasket in and then the hard gasket over it (or vice versa), the two just perfectly fit the space vertically. SO I'm 99% sure they both go there, I just don't know the proper orientation.
Anyone know a tricky way to compress those spring steel bushings in the eye & base? I had one crack on me so bought a pair. Pounded the old one out and now, need to compress the new on just slightly so I can get it started in the hole!!! Also, the P()&#*$()_@#$*G+_ zerk will NOT come out. Like they welded the dang thing in!!! (I bought a dozen of those to replace these & couple others....now, the nipple has been ripped off and I STILL can't get the bugger out!!)
I have an idea on the bushing!!!~ Need to find something that I can wrap around it (think rope) and simply tournequet the item to draw it closer!!! hope the wife doesn't mind me using her fancy scarf's!!
GOT IT.... Had the yellows flipped around backwards It's not this.... It's THIS!! That black seal is going to be a PAIN to get over the end.
There you go......... Unless it appears to work different to you, install the 3 pieces from the spring side in the same order that you have them in your hand. One yellow, followed by the black, followed by the second yellow. Drop them in hot water to soften them if you have to.
Dunno if this helps, but I think what you have that fits inside the head is what's known as a U-Cup seal. Ignore #1, #2, & #4. You already have #5 installed from the outside, but maybe it gives you an idea of how the lips on it should face. #5 is known as a wiper seal and is designed to wipe dirt off the chrome rod as it goes into the cylinder. #4 works the opposite way, it's designed to "open" under pressure from the inside and keep oil from leaking out. So if it was me it would go in exactly as shown in the bottom photo in post #44, blue seal first with the white ring on the back side, followed by the black ring.
So I thought I'd put things together that I THINK go together.... I put the cap on and immediately the center blue and hard gasket popped out. Looking further, it seems the "guide" (middle section) is what butts up to them. Looking at that, I'm now convinced it holds the black hard item against the blue gasket.... but am left to wonder how the blue faces. The blue gasket is SNUG on the rod whereas the black doughnut will slide rather easily (further suggesting to me it's only holding the blue part. The blue gasket seems to have a small lip on it. Does that make it directional and if so, lip go in first or last?
Pffffffffffffffft!!! You don't know if it helps?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH (inhale) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH (cough cough, inhale again) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA It helps a great deal, thank you!!! Now I have to go find my wife's favorite cooking dish and boil some seals.... boy, ain't she going to be happy with me!! Need to come up with an idea to wedge it over the fat end (I've already taken the spring off). Something like some stiff (but blunt) knife blades where I can slide them under it and try to wedgie it over the lip....
Is the "nose" part of the Gland Bearing (#7) on the right a tight fit inside the Head #6..?
Stick the seals in a Pyrex bowl, fill it with water, a plate over the top to keep the steam in, and microwave it on full power until the water's well bubbling........ You'll be amazed how far they will stretch when they're hot.
I guess I'm not comprehending the question. Well, perhaps it's worth noting that I've not really pushed it together other when I had it in my hands! Now that the blue bearing was pushed out of the cap, it's becoming VERY difficult to push in as the rod is helping it resist deforming a bit. I just stopped, took picture above and might have to leave shortly to go pick up wife. (can't she just hitch a ride??? I'm sure there are plenty of strangers out there!!)
Who needs pyrex!!! Used a clamp to hold it in place while I put it on like you would a tire. Realized where the white gaskets go. Now, I've rotated the gap on the "rings" so they're opposite..... is it an issue that I have that gap or are they simply guides and the gap won't matter?? By the way, I'm going to authorize ALL of you to take your spouses or someone out to dinner on my behalf!! Your help is and has been appreciated.
Nowwwwwww, for the icing on the cake.... I have these two buggers remaining. The thin one won't even go over the rod so where the heck does it go? The orange one is loose on the rod. Tried to put it inside the guide piece and inside the piston but it's too big (long) in there and bunches up. I'm running out of epiphanies....
Looked at everything and so far, still don't see anywhere the last two rings might go. Then I got to thinking.... I screwed the piston on. It met up with a chamfered / beveled edge that IS the rod. If this small one was stretched.... it's POSSIBLE that it could go there to help seal any gap between the meeting of the top of the piston and the edge. i'm still clueless on the orange one. I'm about ready to just say the heck with it and put the bugger together..... it's so dang heavy though, I don't want to do this twice. Hoping someone can bail my hiney out!!
Yes, the small oring goes between the rod and the piston. Unless there's already one there. The diagram shows 8 pieces in the kit, your pic shows 14 pieces. 5 of those pieces appear to replace the one piece piston seal so that leaves 2 extra pieces in that kit compared to the diagram. The diagram doesn't seem to show the bushing/hard black part that goes in the guide, so maybe 3 extra pieces in your kit (seal kits don't always include those as they don't wear out as fast as the seals) not too bad, right? Is there any way the fat orange ring goes between the piston and the clip, #14 and #8 in the diagram, that seems to be the only piece you haven't replaced.
Need to get a picture but, I've tried the small o-ring at the base of the threaded rod. Might not be correct....but seems to work there. I imagine it wouldn't get much wear & tear because it's sandwiched between the rod & piston. The orange gasket... I'm wondering if it could go between the cap and that bearing portion... sort of as a bumper (???) It will fit there but now there is a small space between the two so they won't be metal on metal. (I added the arrows to show the section I'm asking about. It would sandwich between those two pieces. It would also not move.
I can't swear since this is my first but, if it DOES go in there, I can't figure out how to get it there. Going at the top (like above post) would also let it serve to help seal the upper portion. (again, I'm throwing ideas onto the wall) I'll go get picture to illustrate
Here's what I'm wondering. If I put it between the two as a bumper/seal, there is a gap when the two halves mate up. Keep in mind.... there is a slight bulge in the end of the cylinder and this is where the bearing resides and the cap is next to it so they don't move during operation. You can see it WITH the gap (gasket installed) and without the gap (no gasket) and then you can see the gasket.
When I look at the original diagram, there are several perspectives on it. The third one down (showing #8 as the piston) shows a gasket going in the BOTTOM of the piston. I've replaced that one. Go down to the NEXT diagram and #8 implies that there is a gasket that goes on TOP of the piston which would make some sense to me. Only thing is.... the orange one won't fit. It's too large and bunches up. It won't come close to fitting in the groove. There IS a bit of a "V" groove there so it's possible something goes there. This does bring my mind to another idea... the gasket on the BOTTOM of the piston was there (they missed it when they took them all out) I replaced it with it's "mate" in the package. Could it be that the larger (orange) gasket goes there? Again, it's thicker than the one that's there AND likely to be larger diameter too.... but that's about the only thing that might also cross my mind.
When I said in post #61 that #14 and 8 i was referring to your pdf diagram, on Nige's diagram in post #62 it would be the red circled thing between #10 and 16. I don't think the orange o ring goes between the cap/gland and the cushion, there is no picture to support that, and it would be squeezed against the moving rod, so it wouldn't last. I agree, the little o ring is the piston to rod seal. The lowest diagram (pdf) with piston #8 clearly shows an o ring, the middle diagram clearly shows something larger, that looks like a seal (makes no sense to me) or a larger o ring (possibly a stretch, but makes no sense either in that location). I say leave the orange ring out for the next project, maybe a cat toy?
Long ago & far away when I was a Jag mechanic, seal kits always had more pieces than necessary. As if some mid life crisis had caused a manufacturing change that took different seals. Had drawers full of useful useless bits that occasionally did actually fit somewhere. Joe H
The rest of the story..... Needed to tighten the piston. Put a lever through the eye end with wife holding ram still. I tightened the piston as much as I could (had some locktite on there too) Went to install rod into cylinder... HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA what a joke. I decided after about 45 seconds that I needed help. Reached out to wife's cousin (lives next door) he and his helper came over. Took the three of us to get it in. Mounted the cylinder vertically on the ground, put the rod in and couldn't get it to slide in. I'm guessing they have machines for this. Had two of us hanging onto the rod while a third was using a 3-4 pound hammer to tap the top and SLOWLY drive it in. Got it down to the threads on the cap and finally got those threads started. Got it back together and nobody broke a finger or had the hammer fall on their head. Carried it (in his loader) out to backhoe and commenced to install it. Fired it up and put it through some paces.... "so far" all seems perfectly well. I had to hang on the cap screw while mounted to machine to tighten it down further. It wasn't leaking, but I wasn't sure how tight we got it earlier. So now, it all seems to be working fine. I owe it to you all, thank you!!!!
I think you may have an issue if you needed 3 people and a sledge to get the rod into the cylinder. Some of the more experienced here will chime in hopefully. I have been repacking cylinders on my machine. It is a Cat 426 and the cylinders are good size. 3.5" cylinder with 2" rod. Weighs 120+lbs. I pulled the piston/rod out by hand and installed it back together by hand. I lubed up the new seals before reassembly. Just a couple light taps to make the eye line up with the hoe bucket. My point being is you may have rolled a seal or dislocated one of the rings.
I knew you could do it!
Being my first, it's certainly possible. Now, (if I have to do it again) it should only take "a while" instead of a week or two. Question....what would be a sign if I DID roll something? So far today, it seems to work as expected. When I held the seal in my hand and put it into the cylinder it was a snug fit. I'm also going to presume I didn't lube things enough. I only lubed the piston and probably should have doused the entire cylinder. That said, I did "pour" a (small) amount of oil directly on the top of the assembly and it seemed to work its way through to the insides. Still... I was able to hang my entire weight on the rod and it didn't pull it in (about 180 lbs). Then, there were three of us grabbing rod trying to pull it in. Had to get rod about 50% of way in as the cap had been pushed down (when I installed it). Once we got it to backhoe, hooked up hoses and used the hydraulic pressure to retract the rod so it could be properly installed. Took my outrigger hoses off (sprung a leak) so once those are replaced I'll be able to put it through some paces and work up a sweat.
Just use it as it is. If it becomes an issue, then tackle it.
If it is working then you are successful. Just my experience was different than yours. So far I have done 2 cylinders on my hoe. I plan to do them all. One of two every time I get some free time.
Considering he’s never done it before so erring on the side of caution, and was only tapping with a 4lb hammer on the rod eye to get the guts into the cylinder I think he should be OK. Plenty of lube is always good.
That should be the forum mantra!