bad crome on cylinder rods?

Willl · Sep 20, 2006

JerryG said:
If it gets into your system, you can have a very expensive problem. It can plug valves, passages and spools as well as play havoc in your hydro is you have one.

Fix it. ASAP.

MadReferee · Sep 20, 2006

If the rods are chromed, rechroming will not fill the pitting. The chrome thickness of the typical chromed rod is only .0005 inches which isn't very much. And if you sand down the rods until the pitting is smooth you will have a "wavy" rod which will probably cause fluid leakage.

The correct way to repair the rod is to fill in the bad areas using the spray weld technique. Then sand down so the rod is perfectly round, then rechrome if you can find someone who can do it correctly. This is not your normal automotive chrome on cylinder rods.

However, the best advice is to leave it alone unless it's causing fluid to leak.

N80 · Sep 20, 2006

If he leaves it alone, won't those big pits tear up the seals, etc?

turbo36 · Sep 20, 2006

MadReferee said:
If the rods are chromed, rechroming will not fill the pitting. The chrome thickness of the typical chromed rod is only .0005 inches which isn't very much. And if you sand down the rods until the pitting is smooth you will have a "wavy" rod which will probably cause fluid leakage.

The correct way to repair the rod is to fill in the bad areas using the spray weld technique. Then sand down so the rod is perfectly round, then rechrome if you can find someone who can do it correctly. This is not your normal automotive chrome on cylinder rods.

However, the best advice is to leave it alone unless it's causing fluid to leak.

My experience has been to have the rod re-chromed and then ground to size, works and looks like new.

Ask the Expert (hard chrome): Industry Standard for Re-Chroming Hydraulic Cylinder Rods

George2615 · Sep 20, 2006

For a temporary fix sand with emory cloth (sometimes called plumbers cloth) and fill the pitted areas with liquid steel available at auto stores. Allow to cure then sand off excess. I've used that technique at work on hot water centrifugal circ pump shafts that were pitted like that until the new shaft ordered came in then rebuilt the pump.

Other than that you'd have to take it to a machine shop for the spray weld repair mentioned before.

schmism · Sep 20, 2006

i cant figure what caused the damage... as its only on one side (perhaps the otherside was already changed out?)

thats the main FEL cylinder. as you see it in the first pic means the bucket is like 5' -6' off the ground...

so yes i usually store the FEL with rods run all the way in.

it gives me the impression of what crome looks like if you spall it off by dripping hot weld (or cut) slag on it.

MadReferee · Sep 20, 2006

turbo36 said:
My experience has been to have the rod re-chromed and then ground to size, works and looks like new.

Ah, but take a close look at the original posters rods. Those are not tiny little pitts, they are large and deep. The only way to properly repair those cylinder rods is to spray weld, re-grind, and re-chrome.

Soundguy · Sep 21, 2006

I agree.. that rod looks terrible.. looks like something was banging into the rod.. etc.

If it is pitting.. and you can't retract the rod when not in use for long periods, rub a thin layer of grease down the rod. You can get tubes of food grade grease if you are worried about drpping excess on the ground.. or otherwise just retract and then wipe the wiper area free of grease on the first retraction.

Soundguy

BTDT · Sep 28, 2006

I think Hannon Hydraulics does this kind of repairs. They have a place in Dallas, but I think they are in several large cities around the U.S. I would just replace the cylinder with one from Tractor Supply or some such place. You can just replace just the rod and seals, but it would be just as cheap to replace the whole cylinder. If you talk to the service manager of some large equipment co., they might be able to send yours for re-chroming when they send some of theirs, but don't know price or downtime needed. Rental co.'s get into this a lot with people hooking chains over cylinder rod rather than bucket etc.