I just bought a 94 case 580sk And as if your sitting in the tractor facing the backhoe the left swing cylinder is leaking hydraulic oil and part of the seal looks like its gone. I'm very mechanically able, I've just never rebuilt a cylinder though. Should I remove the cylinder or is it easier to rebuild while still on the backhoe?
I leave the barrel on the machine. Knock the pin out of the rod end and just rebuild cylinder and reinstall.
I've never rebuilt a cylinder... what's all it take?
It takes a spanner to get a hold on the gland to screw it out. A person could get lucky and grip the gland with a big pipe wrench, but there ain't much meat there to get a hold of and you might bugger up the aluminum gland a bit. And you need to at least pop the gland loose before you remove the pin that attaches the rod to the swing post. Once you get gland loose, remove the pin that attaches rod, start machine and retract the rod from the swing post pin boss. Shut down machine, disconnect lines to cylinder, screw gland out, pull rod out of cylinder can. It's been a long time since I've done a Case, but on some machines I've done the swing cylinder won't pivot enough to allow pulling the rod without hitting the swing post. Hopefully that's not the case with yours. Once you do get the rod out, stick the rod eye back in the swing post, put the pin in to hold it, place blocks under the rod piston to support piston, use a breaker bar and socket to pop the bolt loose that holds the piston. Keep in mind that many times that bolt is retained by thread locker. Most importantly, that cylinder should have a sheet metal screw that prevents gland from turning, be sure to locate and remove that screw before turning gland.
Thanks that was highly helpful. I have some spanner wrenches laying around I'll have to see if I have any that fit if not I'll have to build one.
None were quite big enough, so I'm going to build one out of some 3/4" bar stock I have laying around and a couple 1/4" bolts.
I was able to do both of mine on the hoe. I had to use a pipe wrench to break the glands loose even after tapping around the gland. Now breaking the nut is another story. Was a SOB to break loose even after heating it up.
Ya the bolt that holds the piston on is going to be tight . Might have to use a large multiplier bar.
Is there anything wrong with using an impact gun on it? Seems much quicker and easier..
Big impact will work if you got one with enough power and can hold the cylinder. Pinning the shaft back on the machine works well if you can get at it.
Glad you got it sorted out i was about halfway through typing a proceure like willie when my phone died and i kind of forgot about ya sorry. The last one i did i was able to get lose with just a half inch gun but did some the other day on a track loader the one inch gun wouldnt touch and i had to make a striking wrench. Two good hits with a 20pounder and it came off by hand the rest of the way but that is kind of like comparing apples to oranges
Well I'm hoping 725 ft lb 1/2" gun will do it since that's all I have at home. I need to call Monday and see if w w equipment is going to give me all the stuff they said since they only did a half ass service.
If i remember correctly my half inch gun did fine when i did one the last time
I have another question about this process. When you go to retract the cylinder isn't the other side cylinder going to swing the boom toward the cylinder your trying to repack? Or does only one function for each way? Hopefully be getting the repacking kit soon.
What I did was unpin both and just did them one at a time.