Loader Care of Hydraulic Rods

[5030]

While lubricating exposed hydraulic cylinder rods may seem like a good idea (to prevent corrosion) and it may, why? Construction equipment aka: backhoes and excavators sit for extended times with rods exposed, with no issue. Your cylinder rods are no different, just smaller.

Don't see the point myself but if it makes you 'feel good', go for it.

I guess it's like washing and waxing your tractor. I wash mine with a pressure washer to get the mud and chaff off and clean the windows and sweep out and dust the cab inside, but I've never waxed them since I bought them 10 years ago. Can't see the point. My tractoirs are for my business, They are tools.

Come to think about it, I never wax my car either. It's clearcoated.

 

[CalG]

I use Fluid film on shafts that are exposed and just sitting out. Rust starts as small dots and pits. I'm sure it has to do with who made the rod out of what.

 

[rswyan]

They are hard chromed, nit shiny (nickle chrome) like a bumper. They won't rust. I've never applied anything or did anything with mine and the tractors sit all winter

The pics I will supply (once I take them) are of a Kubota BL4690B backhoe with those "hard chromed" cylinders.

Multiple rust spots/pits on multiple cylinders.

Not greased.

 

[5030]

The pics I will supply (once I take them) are of a Kubota BL4690B backhoe with those "hard chromed" cylinders.

Multiple rust spots/pits on multiple cylinders.

Not greased.

Whatever. Maybe the hard chrome was compromised somehow. Cannot say it won't happen. never happened to me in 30 years of tractors and what about all those large construction hydra hoes that sit out all the time...nothing on those rods...except hard chrome.

Chinese cylinders maybe???:laughing:

 

[jenkinsph]

I checked my cylinder rods on my 11 year old 110 the other day. Clean and shiny chrome with no rust and no oil residue that I could find. The seals do a very good job of wiping the rods clean and this does not attract dust and dirt.

As far as storing the backhoe with the rods retracted that can work with a detached attachment. Not practical on a mounted hoe though, you would have the boom up the dipper fully raised and the bucket rolled out in the air. The stabilizers all the way up too, nothing I would do. Sounds good but isn't practical in use.

 

[MHarryE]

Hard chrome plating is micro-porous and will rust. Protection at the 3 companies I worked for (Caterpillar, Case-IH and AGCO) is light grease coat when the machine is stored for a long period. Because of the micro-porousity, the rod will retain oil in normal usage and rust will not be a problem. There are differing hard chrome types - cylinder manufacturers generally go with the microporous type in that the oil retained on the rod will reduce seal wear. I grease all exposed rods on my equipment got winter storage just like we recommended at the companies for which I worked.

 

[930ck]

I either retract the cylinder or put grease on the chrome rod when I store equipment that doesn't get used frequently.

 

[PILOON]

Some chrome cylinder rods do rust.

Many a snow plow cylinder shaft are badly rusted in a short time due to salty roads, and you should see some plow blades.

 

[rswyan]

Whatever.

Indeed.

Maybe the hard chrome was compromised somehow.

Clearly it was ...

This backhoe was stored outside for a number of years, uncovered, over winters, and was eventually moved into our polebarn which is unfinished (dirt floor), where it is has been the last several years, until I moved it out last fall and discovered the pitting.

Being relatively dry inside and with a dirt floor, it got covered with a fine coating of dust ... dunno ... mebbe that had something to do with it.

The rusting and pitting were on cylinders that were extended while it was stored of course.

Cannot say it won't happen.

Yup, you can't ...

never happened to me in 30 years of tractors

YMMV ...

and what about all those large construction hydra hoes that sit out all the time...nothing on those rods...except hard chrome.

What about them ?

You figure a piece of (very expensive) heavy-duty industrial equipment is going to get the same treatment as consumer grade product ?

And I wouldn't want to bet money that all the cylinder rods on large pieces of construction equipment sitting outside are entirely rust-free either ... generalizations based on flawed or incomplete observations being what they are ...

Chinese cylinders maybe???:laughing:

More likely a failure to RTFM ...

 

[rswyan]

Here's a pic of the one of the stabilizer cylinders:

There is rust/pitting on the other one but IIRC it's not as bad. There is also similar rust/pitting on the either the boom or dipper stick cylinder (probably dipper stick) but both of those are currently retracted and I ain't mounting the 'hoe and extending them just to take a pic ...

Needless to say, when I discovered this I was none too happy ... but it's my own fault for failing to follow the mfg's recommendations.