I have an adjustable gland nut wrench I have used on the rear bucket cylinder and on the swing cylinders. But the Boom and Dipper cylinder are bigger with like 7/16 or 1/2 in pin holes and the wrench I have the pins are too small and it twist and slips off. Does anyone have a recomendation on a larger/stronger wrench with larger pins for these 2 cylinders. Some of the cylinders have been rebuilt at some point in time and whoever did them must of bought locktite by the gallon, they dipped everything in them when reassembled.
I used the pins from 7/16 lynch pins in place of the ones that came in the wrench. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-lynch-pin-7-16-in-s070901tsc-268789 Last time I did the crowd I put a couple of flat washers between the pull handle and the wrench so the square drive didn't protrude out the back. I strapped it onto the gland with a ratchet strap and used the loader on my John Deere to push down on the pull handle. Hydraulic persuasion is the way to go on gland nuts.
Make your own, for funsies. All the cool Kids are doing it. I’m building one today for something similar. Still gotta glue it together.
If you need the style of wrench in this image. It is a copy of an OTC 1266 Gland Nut Wrench It available for about $50. The pins in it are replaceable. 0 on EBay and Amazon.
I drill new holes in old spanners and then use drill blanks for the pins. Works great.
I have the OTC tool. The holes are 7/16" in the tool. The 2 adaptors that come with the tool are both stepped down. I replaced them with 2 dowel pins that I purchased online. They work great. The holes are still a bit larger on some of the cylinders on the E series. You could get a larger bolt and turn it down a bit to 7/16" if you need. I was able to crack all on mine lose once I peened the cylinder barrel. The strap that NH575E shows in the pic is a great addition to keep the tool parallel.
In my case placing the flat washers over the square drive between the pull handle and tool made the tool sit flat against the gland. Once strapped in place it remained secure with no flopping around.
I have the OTC tool too. I just turned a bunch of custom pins in the lathe for different sized cylinders. Guessing stepped pins can be bought from somewhere like McMaster-Carr.
I don't have the skill or equipment to make the tools or pins. I did pick up a couple a 7/16 pieces to make the pins out of them to use in my OTC tool, this should work in at least the dipper cylinder but my boom cylinder is for sure 1/2in pin size but maybe the 7/16 will be good enough.
I'm half tempted to make a few sets of various sizes for a few bucks.
I was able to do all of my cylinders with the 7/16" dowels and the stock OTC pins. They were not tight on all of the cylinders, but worked.
I'm sure, but the idea of undersized pins just irks me, as a 30+ year machinist... Us crusty old, picky machinists cringe at even the thought of an egged out pin hole.
I've thought about adding a new hole pattern to my gland nuts with tapped holes. Stick a bolt through the gland wrench no more swearing taking them out.
That sounds like a great idea. If the holes are still round just tap what's there with a bottom tap. I originally made a pin wrench to fit my stabilizer glands and put three allen head bolts in it with the heads of the bolts going in the gland holes. The wrench itself was strong enough but my handle didn't cut it.
Someday, I will have a lathe, someday! I get what you are saying, but without a lathe to make them correct, one is stuck doing what one has to do. I guess the cylinder could be taken in to a hydraulic shop for repair, but have seen them use a pipe wrench and bugger up the gland entirely...not cool!
Me too. Even worse!
The last time I took a cylinder to a shop that is exactly what they did. Pipe wrench with 3 guys on a 8 foot extension. I drove a 100 miles round trip and paid $80 for that crap thinking they would have a proper setup to loosen the nut. That charge was just for loosening the gland and taking the rod out and removing the piston.
Before I had a gland wrench, I took a cylinder to a hydraulic shop and they used a pipe wrench on it. It was so badly damaged that I replaced it with a used one from a salvage yard. I figured that if they were that stupid they probably did a sorry a** job of resealing it. Afterthat experience I bought a gland wrench like the one in post #4. I have used grade 8 bolts (cut to fit in) my gland wrench when I lost the OEM pin(s)
Well I guess I lied, ended up getting a 1/2 bolt and cut the head off, put it in the drill and used grinder and file to make some studs that would go into OTC tool and be 1/2in size for gland nut. Hillbilly ingenuity
I would say you solved your problem quickly, logically, and cost effectively Good Job
Cordless drills make a decent lathe occasionally.