Dented cylinder

[6sunset6]

Add on grapple. This is the second time I have damaged something. First time I tore up the top of the bucket. This time I dented the cylinder. Not an expensive cylinder 2 x 6 2500 tie bar. But you know Can I fix it.? Has anyone here ever ironed out a dent in a cylinder wall? Make an aluminum plug with a tapered lead and turn it into the cylinder? I will probably spend 10 hours trying and it will leak when I get it back together and I will buy one anyway.
I have to fix the grapple so this does not happen again. It needs hard stops on each end of the motion so the cylinder is not doing the stopping.

 

[J_J]

Perhaps the geometry is not correct for that cyl. There are cyl stops that limit cyl movement.

Can you show us some pictures of the problem area.

 

[Soundguy]

pic of the damage too while you are taking requests..


soundguy

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Let me guess....the cylinder gets damaged by banging it into things? Seems like the most obvious possibility to me, since the cylinder is mounted right on top of the bucket / thumb. I'd probably make up a shield for the cylinder since it's happened twice.

 

[kennyd]

Buy a new cylinder and spend your time fixing the root cause of the problem.

 

[RickB]

Buy a new cylinder and spend your time fixing the root cause of the problem.

Best answer yet.

 

[chad22]

Buy a new cylinder and spend your time fixing the root cause of the problem.

Yeah unless it was a really expensive cylinder then I would just buy a new one and be done with it.

Chad

 

[kennyd]

I just looked at the picture...that cylinder is mounted 180* backwards from most all grapple cylinders, is there a specific reason for that?

 

[J_J]

The grapple cyl, as Kennyd pointed out is installed upside down. The hoses are at risk of being jerked out or damaged. The cyl should be mounted so the hoses move as little as possible.

 

[wdchyd]

About the only cheap way is to buy a new piece of honed tube (Bailey Rod & Tubes) they sell it by the inch, square it off on a lathe and deburr....

The piece of honed tubing may cost almost as much as a new cyl though....

I like the idea of getting to the root cause......:thumbsup:

 

[6sunset6]

I have absolutely no clue why I mounted the cylinder like that, I wondered myself from time to time. I think what happened was I had the bucket curled all the way to dump with the grapple open. Cylinder completely retracted. I was trying to close it over a log. With that jaw it is the only way I have found to be able to close on a log. What happens is the grapple gets forced further open by down bucket pressure. There is interference between the jaw and the cylinder. I need to do 3 things , Buy a new cylinder, make the jaws longer and put a hard stop on the jaw motion.
Picture tomorrow of the damage. The fixes will have to wait a month. I have to go on vacation. Bummer.

 

[6sunset6]

Pictures
Obvious problem is the mechanical motion can go past the cylinder . Hard stops will fix it, The rod also bent right near the end. That would have had to happen first to allow the grapple bar to hit the cylinder.
BTW the FEL lift cylinders are also 180d reversed as seen in the last picture. They came from the factory like that, do you think I should turn them around?

 

[kennyd]

BTW the FEL lift cylinders are also 180d reversed as seen in the last picture. They came from the factory like that, do you think I should turn them around?

No, they are not reversed IMHO. They are that way since the hoses come from the loader frame. In other words-the hose do not move as the cylinder extends to raise the bucket.

 

[nickel plate]

I would not attempt to make the "THUMB" jaws longer as that would screw up that model's designed geometry between the length of the jaws and the length and angle of the hydraulic cylinder pin bases. The "THUMB" website shows several different grapple lengths that vary in shape and angles-see if you can swap yours out with a ready made longer product or just buy a new one and sell the other in our classifides section.
Here is what I'm in the process of installing-see that the grapple teeth close in an "over bite" position and not inside the bucket.

Leave the tractor FEL cylinders alone as they are properly installed.

 

[2458n]

This is a nice set up! Every part looks to fit together well and it appears that it would be a pleasure to use.. Congrats

 

[wdchyd]

6sunset6,

Is it my imagination or are those hyd rods close to collision...

 

[J_J]

wdchyd,

I think you are right. if the bucket is rammed into something, there goes a bent cyl rod. I think I would install a mechanical stop limiter on the bucket.

 

[6sunset6]

6sunset6,

Is it my imagination or are those hyd rods close to collision...

Yikes Never noticed that before. I have had that set up since July 07. Came from the dealer like that.
Must just miss because the rods are not scored. Scary. I bet it is closer with the Skid steer plate than with the original pinned bucket. Have to look at that I think. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[GE222]

wdchyd,

I imagine the chance of a collision with the right conditions will easily happen. I agree with JJ's idea of a mechanical stop for the bucket.

 

[6sunset6]

More pictures There is no damage to the rods. By the time the rods are close enough to hit there is no motion left, it is just press . Lucky. You can see that there are welded beads on the contact pads on the loader arms. Obviously the factory caught the problem and attempted to fix it with a short term solution. You can see in the last picture depressions worn in the pad on the quick attach side. Solution is to weld 1/4 maybe 5/16 thick pads on the loader frame side.
I would suggest that any one with a NH 240 / 250 or other curved arm loader to take a look at their machines.