Well, actually squirted once and gushed once...LOL About a year ago I repacked my cylinders, including the stabilizers. Fast forward and my driver side stabilizer cylinder started to leak around the threads of the gland nut. I had a kit, but didn't want to brake up a kit, so I took the O-ring and backer to a hydraulic shop, where I got a couple spares. Although I had the parts, the weather was good so I kept working, and filling the tank every day. A couple weeks ago I was working when the boom extend hose suddenly ruptured. Now I had a good mess . So, I got the hoe back to the house in preparation to make a new hose, and as my luck would have it, it was a 5/8" hose with 3/4" fittings on the end. I have been buying the ORFS fittings every time I order hydraulic stuff as most of my equipment has JIC fittings. And of course, I did not have the fittings. So I ordered them up, and I am all good. While my hoe was down, I figured it was a good time to fix that stabilizer cylinder...again. I was able to drive out the pin at the stabilizer pad and, with the cylinder in the machine, loosen the gland nut and sneak the new O-ring and backer in without taking the cylinder apart. The backer had a piece blown out, and the O-ring had some damage, presumably from the oil flowing across it. I was very careful to keep the gland centered on reassembly as I figure I damaged it on the last install. Well, Used it most of the day Friday, and my hoe seems to be happy once again I am happy because I don't have to buy any more oil for a while!
Does your hoe lift it's leg or squat to pee? Don't ya hate having to do something twice? I rebuilt my left stabilizer twice. The first time for leaking and the second time looking for the cause of slow operation. On the second time I could NOT get the gland loose even though I coated the threads with anti-seize. I ended up taking the cylinder to a hydraulic shop thinking they have the magic sauce to loosen it without damage. They put 3 men with a pipe wrench and a 8 foot pipe on it. After all was said and done the cylinder wasn't the cause of the slow operation and I had to loosen the gland a third time to replace that o-ring again.
I repacked a stabilizer cylinder three times over a lot months of use. I had a hydraulic shop reseal it the third time. It would still slowly creep from where I would set it. I took it off and mounted it on the side of the hoe and it held like a new one. It was spool leaking in the control valve. I bought a replacement section and haven't gotten the ambition to do the swap.
My fingers are crossed that I don't have to change the O-ring and backup ring again. If I do, I have spares tho.
My left stabilizer will creep down but it's not the fault of the stabilizer. The problem is in the control valve. When I was fighting the slow operation I found a little piece in one of the safety valve ports. It dawned on me after I put a new safety valve in and put the piece in where I found it. Stabilizer was still slow. Took the little piece out and stabilizer works normal but leaks down. Now I hook a chain on it when I park it.
That is wat I have been doing when the hoe is parked...this way it did not leak an oil.
I put up with a chain when for longer than I care to think about. Way toooo often I would forget about it and lower the stabilizer and break the dam chain.