Mohawk System II Rebuild - cylinder help needed

[Jonohio]

Howdy folks,

I picked up a 1980s Mohawk System II 6000’ lift and I’m working through restoring it. I stripped and repainted most everything and got all my parts easily through Mohawk direct.

Now that things are painted I’m working on the cylinders, but they are proving challenging to disassemble.

I’ve removed the steel retaining rods (2x on main side & 1x on offside) but I can’t remove the caps. They don’t unscrew and appear to be pressed in, but I can’t figure out a way to get them to move more than 1/8”. They make a metal on metal clunk and stop.

I thought maybe I was hitting the gasket but it’s not budging.

Before I rig up something to try and force it out, has anyone else been doesn’t this path?

Pics are attached. Any thoughts?

 

[merkyworks]

Nice job

 

[Jaan]

Did you ever figure out how to get the caps off ?

 

[Jonohio]

Did you ever figure out how to get the caps off ?

Still fighting it…..I think I need to file the burrs off. Have yet to figure it out….

 

[Tools4Me]

I don't have any experience with Mohawk cylinders, but your post intrigued me so I did a bit of searching. I found a couple cut-away drawings and part lists for Mohawk cylinders. I couldn't find one for a system 2 lift, but Mohawk is a rather small company and they build a lot of their lift components in-house, so they likely share lots of parts between lift models. It appears that their system 1 and A-7 lifts both have cylinder end caps that are held in place with a gland retaining ring/key. Both cylinder drawings I found online use part number 025-002-132 for the actual retaining ring/key, so that same part might be used on your cylinders too. It is part number 6 in the provided cutaway drawings I attached to this post.

It looks like there is a circular channel cut along the inside of the cylinder sleeve near each end that the retaining ring rides in when the end cap is locked in place. When you lift up a small amount on the end cap you are feeling that retaining ring hit the edge of the cylinder sleeve channel it rides in, which completely stops any further progress.

I noticed in your first two attached images, there appears to be a slit cut through the side of your cylinder sleeve. Does that slit provide access to the retaining ring? I ask because I think I might see the retaining ring in your first image. You might be able to rotate the retaining ring from there until you can get to one of the ends. Then grab it somehow and try to minimize the retaining ring's overall diameter so it will release the end cap from the cylinder sleeve. Alternately, if the retaining ring can't be grabbed somehow and reduced in diameter, you could possibly reach through the cylinder sidewall slit and grab/yank, grind, or cut the retaining ring into pieces and remove it in stages so the end cap could then be removed. Then you would install a new retaining ring in when putting everything back together.

Parts for Mohawk System 1A Cylinders | SVI International, Inc.

Search by product type, make and model. Custom requests are welcome at 800-321-8173.

www.sviinternational.com

Parts for Mohawk A-7 Cylinders | SVI International, Inc.

Search by product type, make and model. Custom requests are welcome at 800-321-8173.

www.sviinternational.com

 

[Mgdoug3]

On hydraulic cylinders around the farm that have a similar groove and window, usually there's a snap ring with a hook that you roll in to lock the gland nut back on or roll out if you're removing.