Just wondering what other people use to rebuild hydraulic cylinders. We aren't lucky enough to have a powered rebuild table. All we have is horizontal pieces of red iron welded to one of the legs of the overhead hoist, a jackstand with a wood-lined cradle, a BIG chunk of pipe, and a 1" drive impact socket set. Don't get me wrong, the job gets done, but I've always felt like there has to be a better way sometimes. For example, breaking loose rusted glands with the good ol OTC gland wrench sometimes takes 2 or 3 people to hold everything in place and get enough leverage to twist it out. I guess I was just looking for some tips and maybe some pointers to a more efficient operation.
Removing the screw in gland from the end of the cylinder? Check this thread out inthedirt.
This might sound hillbilly so bear with me ...I bought a new 5 foot rigid pipe wrench and dawg the cylinder down to the truck vise [wilton no junk] and use my loader bucket to turn mr. 70lbs. pipe wrench ..Works like a charm ..I been studying on buildin a pipe in the ground so i can be lower to the ground ..You know safety first ..
I've learned long ago not to talk about how I repack cylinders. Most people highly recommend having professionals do it. I'll let people make up their own minds.
My previous reply to this thread was because of necessity ....I wathched my hyd. man dawg one to the floor and use a 3ft. pipe wrench in a 100 ton press !!! [coming out from around the corner] dammit boy ...Oh he charged 400 to pack it ..
FWIW, the shop I take my bigger cylinders to uses a 12' cheater bar with two guys on the end of it. Not 4000ft/pounds but they don't come appart.
One trick I use whenever possible is I leave the barrel end of the cylinder on the machine when rebuilding it.I think it saves some time & trouble also helps when breaking the gland nut loose as the barrel is held by the pin .Just got done repacking boom cylinders on the excavator,swung the house over the side & let the boom cylinders down on some cribbing on top the track.Used a one ton chain hoist attached to the boom to lower the cylinders & pull the rods.Now if the barrel is scored or damaged it would have to come off. Also have made allot of cylinder tools over the years,spanner wrenches ,ect. Here we were repacking an outrigger on the crane,she all had to come appart ,no shortcuts that time.
I dog them down with a chain vice or two depending on the cylinder size and then use a pipe wrench up to 60" long. I load up a skid on the fork lift and then use that break the gland loose by droping weight on the pipe wrench handle. It generally works but does tend to make your coworkers duck for cover....:beatsme
Little cylinders do in the field with 1 inch impact. Big ones send to the shop were we have the proper tools.
My old man made a tool that fits in the reese hitch on his service truck. Its low to the ground for little oil mess and makes it easy to handle since its not waist high. All it is, is a pin welded to square tubing and he keeps it in his truck at all times. Very rarely do we take them anywhere to get rebuilt.