Help? -- to reassemble hydraulic cylinder

[BukitCase]

Good luck - just check Homeless Despot's site, their aluminum flashing claims to be .012" thick.

When I've used that trick, I've had good luck cutting the foil long enough to be about 1" longer than the circumference of the barrel it's going into - I insert the foil "cylinder" into the hole, then spread the outer ends to turn it into a "cone" slightly, get the piston started/centered, then once the seals are fully engaged (normally this is in the "starter" or "forcing cone" area of the cylinder barrel) then pull the flashing/foil out.

As was mentioned earlier, a bit of "slickum", such as tri-flow, 3n1, hydraulic fluid can't hurt.

I agree, if your band-aid doesn't work long it seems like welding on a couple of "lumps" could save you a crap-load... Steve

 

[npalen]

A little bit of STP can make a huge difference when installing a rod or piston with tight seals.

 

[sox3]

I use a piston ring compressor for small engines. I have also used a high strength epoxy to fill the pits and then sand flush and polish. Never had a problem with it coming off.

 

[wdchyd]

When using the shim stock/hose clamp idea to compress, using dry ice to freeze the seal squashed in will help slide it past the leading edge (chamfer)......but be carefull to allow it to thaw out after insertion, just slide it in and walk away for a while....

Also, with the condition of the chrome rod I'd be looking deep in the barrel for rust and corrosion on the bottom where the seal sits when collapsed...it may need a hone job

 

[Sodo]

When using the shim stock/hose clamp idea to compress, using dry ice to freeze the seal squashed in will help slide it past the leading edge (chamfer)......but be carefull to allow it to thaw out after insertion, just slide it in and walk away for a while....

Also, with the condition of the chrome rod I'd be looking deep in the barrel for rust and corrosion on the bottom where the seal sits when collapsed...it may need a hone job

I had the good luck of a friend stopping by, who is a very experienced machinery repairman.
He told me how to do it and it went together EASY. I used a WD-40 can for the thin metal. But he said pop bottles work too, all you have to do is protect the seal from getting chewed by the worm of the hoseclamp.

First thing he did was check that the 2 chamfers were acceptable; to not damage the new packing. He said sometimes you have to smooth them out first. No other problems inside the cylinder, the bore looked all nice and shiny inside.

1) Put the packing seal in HOT water for a few minutes to soften it.
2) Take it out of the water, slide it onto the ram, wrap it with the thin material, and quickly squeeze it down tight as you can, while it's warm. Then put the snap ring on and let it sit and cool.
3) After a few minutes: Position it ready above the cylinder. You want to loosen the clamp, grease it up, and quickly insert it before the seal has time to springback to full diameter.

I did this and it worked like a charm, easy, and fast.