Surprise.....or not

[DirtHauler]

Been having leak down problem with my loader lift cylinders for awhile now and just figured it crud caught between the seals and the cylinder like what happened to the bucket cylinders and would clear sooner or later but just got a little worse. So yesterday I decided to tear them down and clean 'em out before working it this weekend.

Took the left side apart and found a little bit of crud but nothing to cause leakage, reassembled. Dismantled the right one and Surprise . . . found the cause of the leak-down!

Sure glad I had two piston/seal assemblies in cabinet (just in case I ever needed to rebuild the bucket cylinders) sure saved me some time, now it works like new. I'll have to order a couple more to keep on hand.

Whatca' think, factory screw-up or over worked?

 

[JoelD]

Great pictures and thanks for the post. I'm no expert, but looks like faulty from the start, packings should last long time, that's what bypass valves are for.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Wow, that's nasty. How did the cylinder bore look? That bothers me that they are both rolled in the same spot.

 

[Highbeam]

You've got some nerve pulling apart hydraulics. Those things scare me.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Can you post a pic of the seals off the piston? Looking at them from the top and 45 degrees batween top and side view in the last pics.

 

[laurencen]

does these seals look sort or wrinkled, this will happen if they are exposed to solvents sometimes, maybe a cleaning liquid when it was installed, it causes it to go soft and swell up, anyone put brake fluid in a clutch, my son put it in the GM, weeks later it had issues, the seals looked similar to this

 

[DirtHauler]

The cylinder bore was fine! Cleaned it out real good with spray brake cleaner and compressed air, lubed it up with hydraulic oil and put 'er back t'gether.

There ain't no reason to be scared to pull a cylinder apart, it's simple, now a spool valve or pump might be another matter.

I bought the piston/seal assemblies, that way all I had to do was impact the nut off and on and not mess with trying to stretch them soft plastic cups, spacers and wear sleeve on but since I have two pistons I may just buy the rebuild kit, if possible and rebuild these as spares.

Next project down the road..........rebuild the draft arm lift cylinder, should be fun!

 

[Wayne County Hose]

If you have to stretch the seals, heat them in a bowl of water in the microwave. I like about 150 degrees. If you still have trouble, heat the piston in an oven, helps keep the seals warm. 120 degrees at the most for the piston, otherwise it's too hot to handle.