Hydraulic Cylinder Rebuild - dast I try it?

[picker77]

The steering assist cylinder on the drag link of my L295DT is leaking after only 26 year's use. You just can't get good stuff these days.

(1) Are rebuild "kits" for things like this usually available?

(2) If so, is this a job for an average shop do-it-yourself guy? I can follow directions, have a pretty decently equipped shop, and can do most basic stuff, but I've never seen the inside of a hydraulic cylinder other than drum brake stuff. Is this a job better left to the pros, and if so, what's a guess at the probable cost?

 

[MMILLER]

Hydraulic cylinders are not that bad to rebuild assuming you can get the rebuild kit. I rebuilt 3 cylinders for an old international 2400A I had. See if you dealer can give you a parts print for components this should give you an idea of what is involved.

 

[markct]

well basicly the things that could be a problem are, getting the gland out, sometimes they thread in and require a chain wrench, or a big hex or a pin spanner wrench, if you have a chain weench and the capability to make a simple spanner wrench or hex wrench, altho on your sized cylinder it may not be that big and a regular adjustable may work if its infact that type of gland. next thing that often causes trouble is the nut on the end of the rod, usualy a hex nut, sometimes a very large one, on a 5 inch bore cylinder i just did at work it took a 2 3/8 socket and a 1 inch drive breaker bar with a 10 ft pipe and two guys on it to turn it free, again on a smaller cylinder this is likely not as big of a deal. next thing that there is to go wrong is cutting or pinching a seal. this can happen to anyone, but with practice and lotsa assembly lube the chances are reduced but it still happens from time to time. another thing that takes creativity and or special tools is honing the tube, i have a engine cylinder hone that i made a long extension for and it works very well. now occasionaly you will get into a scored or pitted tube or rod that requires repair or replacement. i have made new rods at home from used cylinder rod stock i have saved, this is pretty simple, but ya must have a lathe or course so its outa the scope of some do it yourselfers. well now that i have told you all the things that can go wrong, you can now hopefully make a decision as to weather or not ya wanna try it, worst that happens is that ya have to take all the parts to a hyd shop to have them finish it. but a small cylinder like a steering cylinder is within the scope of most weekend mechanics with basic tools. the bigger cylinders often take tools and gruntwork most home shops arnt up to

 

[picker77]

Hmmm.... It's a small cylinder, maybe 2-1/2" or so, but I don't want to do this twice (once at my place and once at a commercial shop). Sounds like something I should probably drop off to get done by the pros. Besides, I have no idea if Kubota even has a kit, and a real hydraulics shop would probably have all the right sizes of O-rings, seals, hones, and such on hand. Besides, I need to have a new pair of steering hoses made up at the same time -- the originals are pretty cracked and brittle, although they don't leak yet. I might as well kill all the birds with one rock. Guess I'd better get a move on, pretty soon all the shops around here will be backlogged for a month or more as people fire up for spring. Thanks for the info.

 

[PineRidge]

Once you get the cylinder apart you should be able to take the o-rings and glands to most any good bearing distributer for a match up.

 

[markct]

well 2 1/2 bore probably would require 3/4 drive tools to take apart, not too big of a deal, and once you have it apart, installing the seals is pretty simple realy just make sure the new ones match and pay attention to what goes where and facing which way when ya dissasemble them. other than that just make sure its all lubed up good and push it back together. but if ya have your doubts, then take it to a shop, reason i usualy liked to do them myself was it was faster than taking them there and waiting a week or so

 

[RobJ]

Really pretty simple changinf out the packing. If you DIY it's faster because you can just leave it on the tractor. Even under the front maybe easier than removing those hydraulic lines. Plus you can use the current mount to hep hold things while you loosen the nuts.

Done a couple in my BIL's jd350. Nice becuase they are easy to get to, bad because the rods need replacing and he won't do it. So we put in the $18 kit every year or so.