I need a little advice. I'm repacking one of the lift rams 6", on my Allis HD7-G track loader. I did this several years ago, and to put it lightly, it was about all one man could do out in the boonies, having to do it with the tube still mounted to the machine. Had to do it with the tube horizontal, and with the rod and piston weighing over 150 lb, I had to use straps to hold it up while trying to align and insert the piston. I was wondering if anyone has any tips for pushing the piston into that recessed bore, any type of clamp or slip ring. I don't think beating the rod/piston into the tube is the accepted method, but that's about what it took the first time, and surely shortened the life of the packing. Thanks
Use a cable come-along on each side. Attach them to the eye on the rod and the other end near the barrel eye. With your rod hanging in position from another hoist you can baby it in straight. Still helps to have a second set of hands. I feel your pain. I have a large boom cyclinder with a few scratches on the 2.5" diameter rod and about every three years or so it will start to weep so I need to change the seals but I do not use it enough to justify a $1,500.00 rod.
I used a method before similar to this, but the come-alongs would be even better; I can fit a pipe through the pin end of the rod and run a come-along to the top and bottom ends of the pipe. That might help with the weight, too. This time I'm going with genuine Agco packings, which for some reason weren't available 3 years ago when I packed these cylinders. I just remember fighting these things out in the hot summer sun. Thanks for your advice.
If I understand the question its not so much a matter of actually getting the ram into the cylinder as much as it is getting the piston started without messing up the new seal and packing? is this correct? I hit this on a case backhoe. Just could not get seal started and if we forced it whammo!!! torn up brand new 30 dollar packing. I finally resorted to using a regular ring compressor. you know the crank down band type to compress the rings on a piston and install into block. Coincidentally the same thing can be used to install the caterpillar duo cone seals.