Tool for Hydraulic Cylinder repair Question

[Cumbres]

I had a loader cylinder start leaking around the packing on the main loader cylinder. Never worked on one before but thought it would be an interesting project. So using the modern learning method I found a youtube video and watched it.

That video showed that it was difficult to get the center seal on the piston into place. They ended up buying a $140 tool to get that on. Not having the luxury of the tool (nor was their specific one in stock) I jumped in to do the project. Very carefully and with great difficulty I was able to work that seal into place.

So my question, is there a cheaper tool out there or a "trick" to make getting that seal in place easier? I didn't damage mine but I was afraid I was going too.

Other then that specific problem I found the project was actually not very hard and was enjoyable. And most importantly was able to use my tractor to clear snow yesterday and not worry anymore about hydraulic fluid spurting past the packing.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[GeoHorn]

Which video did you watch?

 

[Cumbres]

It was on the Kevin Robinson channel.

 

[Henro]

It was on the Kevin Robinson channel.

Look forward to watching that video later.

Did you use the Kubota seal kit for the rebuilt? How much did it cost? (OH! I know the answer! I also have a B2910...about $60 per cylinder when I checked, for a curl cylinder).

Curious because I decided to have someone rebuild both my loader curl cylinders, and it cost me $40 (maybe less) over what he Kubota seal kit would have run me delivered.

I think it is great you did the job yourself. Perhaps you should do the other cylinder. I first notice one cylinder leaking and a few days later the other was leaking too.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I think the 'trick' is to heat that ring in hot/boiling water to soften it.

 

[GeoHorn]

Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a “tool loan club” so we could make a security-deposit on the tool and pay the USPS Priority Postage and borrow tools such as these for, say... ten-days round-trip...

 

[D2Cat]

This will cover all your bases. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3pcs-Hydra...087909?hash=item5dbeaed725:g:rTIAAOSw~Vhf8LQe

 

[Cumbres]

Curiouss because I decided to have someone rebuild both my loader curl cylinders, and it cost me $40 (maybe less) over what he Kubota seal kit would have run me delivered.

I think it is great you did the job yourself. Perhaps you should do the other cylinder. I first notice one cylinder leaking and a few days later the other was leaking too.

I believe it was about $45 for the loader arm kit. Not the curl bucket.

 

[Cumbres]

This will cover all your bases. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3pcs-Hydra...087909?hash=item5dbeaed725:g:rTIAAOSw~Vhf8LQe

I actually have a set of those and they were useful. This is what the guy in the video used to get that one ring on the outside of the piston.

Fluid Seal Ring Installation Set J-46620

Fluid Seal Ring Installation Set J-46620

www.freedomracing.com

 

[D2Cat]

I guess I'm confused. You mention a tool costing $140, and ask for one costing less. When I post a link to a $35 set of tools you say you already have them, you used them and they were useful. Restate your question.....please.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I guess I'm confused. You mention a tool costing $140, and ask for one costing less. When I post a link to a $35 set of tools you say you already have them, you used them and they were useful. Restate your question.....please.

2 different tools. You posted the tools to insert the internal seals. His video was for tools to install the external seal ring. My manual gives the sizes to make the tools - they're different for every size piston. I put mine on by hand.

 

[Cumbres]

I guess I'm confused. You mention a tool costing $140, and ask for one costing less. When I post a link to a $35 set of tools you say you already have them, you used them and they were useful. Restate your question.....please.

your tools were for the inside rings. I was curious of options for installing the center seal on the outside of the piston. I didn't make myself clear. Sorry.

PoTreeBoy: I didn't realize there were measurements in the manuals to make tools to aid in getting that seal on. I will do some searching. Thanks for the tip on heating the ring in boiling water. Didn't think of that at the time.

 

[GeoHorn]

Yes, it’s the external piston seal that concerns. THAT is the tool which would be specific to particular sizes of pistons and would be most expensive.
The inside seals don’t even need a tool.... simply folding the O-ring is not difficult.

 

[bucktail]

Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a “tool loan club” so we could make a security-deposit on the tool and pay the USPS Priority Postage and borrow tools such as these for, say... ten-days round-trip...

My boss belongs to a tool library. For a hundred bucks per year he can check out any tools they have. Not sure what their selection is like.

 

[GeoHorn]

My boss belongs to a tool library. For a hundred bucks per year he can check out any tools they have. Not sure what their selection is like.

What is the address and info on that Tool LIbrary please..?

 

[lugbolt]

toss the ring into hot boiling water and let it heat soak, I let it soak about 10 min.

have everything ready.

take ring out, use a small rounded shank screwdriver to prys it over the piston and into it's groove. It is going to swell a little. Don't have a heart attack yet.

once it's in it's groove correctly, take the package that the cylinder kit came in (plastic bag), wrap it around the piston and put a hose clamp on it to tighten it. LIGHTLY. You don't needa get carried away. Just enough to make the ring relax to a somewhat normal size/shape. It's still gonna be a little on the big side even after removing the clamp, but the bore of the cylinder is usually tapered to help you get the piston/ring assembly installed. I have never once had a problem doing this in 30 years of dealing with 'em.

I did have one guy bring me some aftermarket chincanese or Taiwanese or whatever 3rd world country it was kit that I tried to install and the ring just broke with almost no pressure on it. Piece of feces. I went to my stash and got him and OEM kubota kit and it went right on without problem.

honestly the biggest problem is getting the gland out. Threaded glands can become rusted and if they do, a lot of times they ain't coming out. When it does come out (with lots of force) it ruins both the bore and the gland, rendering the cylinder assembly scrapiron.

Grab a hammer, a house building hammer works (I have a 16oz) and tap the cylinder where the gland threads into. You will see the end of it, that part unscrews (usually). About 1 to 3" in is where the threads are. Tap around the outside of the cylinder in that general area; this helps loosen the ferrous to nonferrous metal seizure that almost always happens. Then grab your big plier and unscrew the gland. Forget about the pin spanner. 90% of the time you pay good money for the pin spanner just to bust off the pins the first time you try to disassemble a cylinder so I quit trying and went back to pliers or pipe wrench, usually groove joint plier.

 

[Cumbres]

toss the ring into hot boiling water and let it heat soak, I let it soak about 10 min.

have everything ready.

take ring out, use a small rounded shank screwdriver to prys it over the piston and into it's groove. It is going to swell a little. Don't have a heart attack yet.

once it's in it's groove correctly, take the package that the cylinder kit came in (plastic bag), wrap it around the piston and put a hose clamp on it to tighten it. LIGHTLY. You don't needa get carried away. Just enough to make the ring relax to a somewhat normal size/shape. It's still gonna be a little on the big side even after removing the clamp, but the bore of the cylinder is usually tapered to help you get the piston/ring assembly installed. I have never once had a problem doing this in 30 years of dealing with 'em.

Thanks for the detailed response. The suggestions here are certainly better then buying a rarely used expensive tool.

Cumbres

 

[GeoHorn]

Unless I was rebuilding EVERY cylinder on the tractor I’d not buy that tool... I‘d first take or ship the cylinder to a rebuilder or to the dealer.... or buy an aftermarket replacement.

Very recently (last month) I had a leaking cylinder on an asphalt compactor-roller which dates back to ‘87. The mfr’r still makes that same equipment but uses a different supplier for the steering cylinder. The original cyl uses clips which must be cut to disassemble it and They no longer sell the original clip or cyl seals and only offer the newer replacement cyl for over a thou$and buck$.
I went online and found an almost identically featured cyl (3” bore, 30” retracted length, 50” extended length, 1” pins in clevis-ends ...which only required also purchasing their 1-1/4” to 1” reduction-bushings for $8.... and BACK IN BUSINESS! .... and for less than $210 including shipping... had it in two days and a 15

-minute installation was done!

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[bucktail]

What is the address and info on that Tool LIbrary please..?

I think it's in Minneapolis somewhere. He told me that he'd check out anything I needed if they had it but it would be an hour and a half round trip. We're both working from home most of the time so meeting at work is rare.

 

[GeoHorn]

An afterthought about this repair occurs to me: If the only reason for re-sealing the cylinder is because it’s leaking from the end... then there is little reason to replace that difficult seal on the piston at all.

Just replace the O-rings on/in the piston and on the end-piece and get-on-down-the-road. Any internal leakage at that piston will likely be resolved by the o-rings alone...and any other will be insignificant and inconsequential anyway.