I have a JCB 1550-B. I've owned it for probably 12/15 years. Machine runs smooth as a watch (though doesn't always charge the battery very well!) That said, I'm a home owner , not any kind of business that uses these machines. We have some land around us and it comes in very handy from time to time. Virtually all of the cylinders except for the cylinder used to steer the machine and the cylinder that hoists the boom on the backhoe have been replaced. By boom on backhoe, I mean the largest of the three backhoe cylinders and the one that is buried inside the bigger of the two halves. This cylinder developed a leak today so now I need to wrestle this thing off and get it into town. Am I correct that the best way to remove the cylinder is to dig a hole so I can plant the backhoe down below grade and then cuss & sweat to lift the cylinder vertical to pull it out? Will the cylinder come out if I simply lay the hoe flat on the ground behind the machine? When I once pulled the middle cylinder off, it about killed me. It was right at the limits that I felt I could comfortably (hahahahahah) carry by myself over to the truck. I'm guessing this one is bigger, badder and heavier so I'll have to get some help. So, what's best way to remove this?
I'm guessing, but from what I can see, if you get her up on the stabilizers pretty high, block it up securely, and lay the hoe down stretched out completely, you can probably get the boom cylinder out. If it was me, stating the obvious maybe here, I would pull the pin on the rod end, and then suck the rod all the way in before removing the hoses and the rear pin. Should be a hole in the boom there so you can line the rod end up to reinstall the pin? NO FINGERS IN ANY HOLE! Use a metal bar or pipe or rod... I was half a thought from putting my finger in a pin hole while reinstalling a steering cylinder once, thought better of it and grabbed an old screwdriver... assistant was turning the steering wheel, engine off... cylinder was still full of air, when the pressure got high enough for the seals to unstick, it jumped about an inch and almost sheared that scredriver in half.... my finger would not have been there. You need a tractor with a loader bucket, or maybe an engine hoist on concrete or thick plywood, or something like that to handle that weight. Make sure it's parked somewhere you can back your truck right in close and just swing the cylinder around, don't want to be packing it any distance if you can help it. I pulled an engine once by chaining an engine hoist into the bed of my truck, lol. It was just enough closer with the arm all the way up that the hoist was balanced so I could roll the hoist all the way to the front, chain it down again and let the engine down on blocks. Things you do in the woods when you have to!
I think you will need to put the arm out to the side of the machine to allow the ram to be pulled out otherwise it hits the main body of the machine
Good idea!
Two men would have trouble with that cylinder. I would recommend using a boom pole with a nylon towing strap to lift the cylinder. I would also cap off both sides of the lines with metal caps which you can buy at Napa and are great to keep for a emergency
I know this is an old thread but since it was mine, I thought I'd give the rest of the story. As a side story, during this time frame, I had gone under rotator cuff surgery for a torn rotator cuff AND he also fixed a "S.L.A.P." tear.. so I had two issues. Had the surgery and was "healed" but still going through rehab and probably had 20% strength in my arm. I was also in a sling so I was effectively one handed. That's the preface. We have a dry pond here. backed machine up to pond and dropped the backhoe down the slope into the dry region. Took some ratchet straps and a come-along. Strapped the come-along over the cab of the machine, directly in line with the hoe. Took pins out, hooked cylinder to come-along. Used it to pull cylinder out of the boom. Used some ratchet straps to make sure it stayed pretty centered. Pulled truck over and used the straps to draw it to the bed of the truck. Got it in. Took to shop, they craned it out. Got back in a week to pick it up and took it home. Reversed the process. Used the ratchet straps and come-along to move it where i wanted and to keep it from falling off course. Got it back in right about the time my wife's cousin pulled up. He got out of truck saying he came to help.... me..... looked at the various straps I had around.... my arm... saw the cylinder back in the boom opening.... and just shook his head. I'm nothing if not persistent.