Oh man, I've got a tough one, piston bolt.

[ScottAR]

The seal inside I basicly folded it up and stuffed it in then worked around a section at a time. Make sure the skin colored seal (I forget the name) is pointed the correct direction. Needs to point towards the piston. Oil pours out the end if you do it wrong. Ask me how I know...

I work outside. (no shop) I layed all the seals out in the sun on a sheet of plywood and they were pretty pliable when I put them in.

Sounds like you broke loose the piston bolt like I did. My 200 lbs on a 6ft pipe and dad hitting with hammer. I believe Wayne County helped me at the time too.

 

[JL Sargent]

I cooked em in the mic. for a minute and that really helped. Got em pushed no problem really. I reassembled everything, installed the works back in the cylinder (which I left installed on the hoe) and everything worked out just fine. I cycled the dipper several times unloaded and no leaks!
Thanks for all the great help!

Ouch Scott, I bet the second time you took it apart really stunk! As far as Wayne County goes, yeah Andy has been alot of help on this one. Reading over previous posts, this ain't his first rodeo.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Thanks Andy.
The piston seals were straightforward as the replacements looked just like the originals (except for color). Basically there were 3 parts. The seal with a rubber ring under it and a bearing.

Ill give the microwave a try. Your right about the buffer seal, very tight space. How do you steer the seal in there, double it, scrunch it, or just keep mashing?:D

Sarge,

You can heat the seal as described, then fold it in half and get it started, then press it in with your thumbs. Try to do it quickly as the metal in the gland will suck the heat right out of the seal. Once you get it started, it will go. Now when you go to install the rod back into the cylinder, be very careful not to damage the piston seal. Place it in there with oil on it, wiggle it and push slowly. Don't be in a hurry. Sometimes they almost fall in, other times, it's a real pain. The Case cylinders tend to be on the easy side. On the wiper, you are sealing stuff out of the cylinder, make sure it goes in correctly. With most seals, you get one shot to do it right. You usually ruin them trying to get them out.
Good luck, Andy.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Man, I have to learn to type faster.

 

[JL Sargent]

One thing I did notice on the cylinder rod was a tiny rise. I'd describe it as a pimple about the size of this smiley faces eyeball. I could feel it under my thumb, so I took a small file and carefully took it down to flush. All else looked good. What do you do in those cases?

 

[Wayne County Hose]

A file is okay to take it down, then finish it with fine crokus cloth with oil on it. Always go around the rod, not up and down it. Any abrasive travelling up and down the rod gives a channel for oil to leak.

 

[JL Sargent]

Just to followup on this thread, I finished digging up the pine tree (12" dia.) with the backhoe this afternoon. No problems with the repacked cylinder.

 

[ScottAR]

The second time I took it apart wasn't so bad. I knew how already.
It was the outrigger cylinder so at least it was easy to get to.

The dipper cylinder is the hardest one I think. It's in an awkward place, it's the longest one, and the bolt in the end is the longest. Having a second tractor makes it a lot easier to lift it off.

This begs a question:
How hopeless a tractor guy are you if you use one tractor to help repair another tractor? Sure makes lifting those hyd. fluid buckets easier too.

 

[dfkrug]

How hopeless a tractor guy are you if you use one tractor to help repair another tractor?

"Hopeless"?! I would say the word is "spoiled"!

I usually have a 2nd tractor around for that purpose. Now I have only one
and it hurts!

 

[ScottAR]

Guilty as charged... Keeps me from hurting in all those places that are not supposed to hurt...