Woods backhoe hydraulic cylinder disassembly help

[Peteg5]

I have a 1997 Woods 7500 backhoe that has a leaking dipper stick hydraulic cylinder. I have the new seal kit from Woods but cannot figure how to take the Spanner nut off to be able to get the piston out of the cylinder! When I use a spanner wrench the spanner nut just keeps turning so either this nut isn't threaded, or are the threads stripped? In the parts schematic the spanner nut doesn't look to be threaded and I do see there is a retaining ring but don't see the retaining ring on the actual assembly anywhere. There are no slots in the cylinder itself where there would be any retaining clips. Please see the attached pictures.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Leejohn]

There is a slot that has a wire like thing in it. See picture #1 on the bottom side. Turn the gland until you see the end of the wire, hook the end, raise up and turn gland and it well spin right out. Pull on shaft the gland and piston well come out. You might have to use the shaft like a slide hammer to get the gland out.
When you get your repair kit you might get some info how to put back together.

 

[Peteg5]

Thank you for the response. So there is no slot on the cylinder housing. Am I looking in the wrong spot? The only slots that I can see are the spanner nut grooves. I have attached two more pictures, taken at both sides.

 

[dfkrug]

I don't see any wire grooves either, and your pix are hi-quality.

Can you extend the rod fully and put some tension on it as you rotate the gland nut?
May have stripped threads as you guessed.

 

[Leejohn]

Boy it sure looked like one to me, but you are right there is none. Sorry!!!

 

[Peteg5]

No worries! So a couple of reasons why I don't think it is stripped threads is that in the parts schematic I don't see threads on the nut. Also I checked the other pistons on the hoe and they seem to turn the same way. Finally, it doesn't have that stripped thread feel when turning it, almost too smooth if that makes sense. Here's a parts schematic pic attached. If it is the "3b" clip that is holding it on then I don't know how to get to it.

 

[Peteg5]

I am all set. A member PM'd me and was nice enough to walk me through the process. You essentially have to vise the cylinder right by the spanner nut which squeezes the cylinder enough to hold the inner gland from turning so the spanner nut can then be turned.

 

[Ejinva]

Thanks for info above but I needed some help from a machinist friend. Here is what I learned from him: put cylinder in vise at a downward angle so the jaws just pinch about 1 1/2" of the cylinder at the end. I had but the cylinder in the vise with jaws pinching the complete length of the jaws - no good.
Next use a hammer and punch on the spanner nut. The impact of the hammer blows will then turn the spanner nut little by little. I had used a spanner wrench and turning it had turned both with no success.
Also, I had set the cylinder upright overnight with a heavy dose of penetrating oil just to make things better.
Very important: when you reassemble, just push the rod guide in far enough to see the clip ring groove! If you push it in too much the o ring on it will close off the cylinder hose connection and that will block movement of the piston! I did that. I tied cylinder to a tree & "popped the cork" to recover.