Snap ring removal difficulty-HELP!!!

[rickcact]

A coworker gave me this hydraulic cylinder and was going to repack it.

I cannot get the snap ring out of the slot. I tried many many time with my snap ring pliers but every time I think I got it, the pliers slip off. Maybe I need heavier duty pliers, but was trying to get away from having to buy something I will only use once. An ideas? The slot is about 3/8 inch deep to where the snap ring is.

 

[Sparkfarmer]

http://www.wihatools.com/300seri/346serie.htm

 

[metaleltr]

Try grinding a cheap pair of needle nose to fit.

 

[Steevo]

The harder part is pulling on the ram while holding that snap-ring compressed.

 

[Zeke]

You might be using the wrong tool . For that the prongs should be slanted towards the center so as to not slip off, Or the prongs are too small in dia.

 

[larry_g]

Are you squeezing the ring into the end cap and then trying to pull ram and end cap all together? That is how I think it should come apart. Some times a three handed job. You may have to grind a bit of a notch in your tips as shown on the Whia link. If you do not have ratcheting pliers you may want to hold them closed with some visegrips.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[mtnkrake]

I did the grind the needle nose trick and that worked perfect for me.

 

[rickcact]

I'm going to try grinding a set of needle nose pliers down to size tomorrow. Ill let you know how it goes.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[FriendOfYours]

Tap on the points lightly with a hammer until the ends mushroom. This gives them a ridge that will bite into the snap ring

 

[pstnbly]

You may have to apply inward pressure to the cylinder end cap to free up the snap ring

 

[zeebad1]

I just dismantled a cylinder like this a month ago. They are not fun!!

Make sure that you flush the groove out with brake-clean & compressed air so the snap-ring has plenty of room to collapse.

I have a pair of Hi-Tech brand locking pliers. They are the best option that I have found, if working by yourself.

I usually pull the shaft all the way out, so the piston is against the end cap, place a long pin through the clevis on the end of the shaft, and hammer on the pin while holding the pliers tightly. If the snap ring is collapsed, the end cap will pull out.

The last one was a real bear, and took another hand to get the job done.

 

[bgott]

Sometimes you need to take an awl or a pin punch and a hammer and pop the holes the direction you want them to go. Loosen stuff up, that ring has taken a set.

 

[Sureshot]

File the inside of the pliers a little so it stops slipping off.

 

[rickcact]

*UPDATE*

Ok I got the snap ring out. I borrowed a larger set of pliers from a friend.

I did something very very bad to get the cap to move though. I used compressed air to unseat it. I also had to tap the outside of the case to get it moving. Once it moved, the ram part flew, I mean LAUNCHED out of the case, straight into a 12 pack of Sam Adams in which about 4 of them took one for the team and saved the other 8. I was not hurt.

DO NOT EVER USE COMPRESSED AIR TO DISASSEMBLE A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER!!!!!

I was lucky the case and ram had a place to go when they separated.

Rick

 

[larry_g]

*UPDATE*

Ok I got the snap ring out. I borrowed a larger set of pliers from a friend.

I did something very very bad to get the cap to move though. I used compressed air to unseat it. I also had to tap the outside of the case to get it moving. Once it moved, the ram part flew, I mean LAUNCHED out of the case, straight into a 12 pack of Sam Adams in which about 4 of them took one for the team and saved the other 8. I was not hurt.

DO NOT EVER USE COMPRESSED AIR TO DISASSEMBLE A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER!!!!!

I was lucky the case and ram had a place to go when they separated.

Rick

Makes quite a noise doesn't it?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[purplezr2]

*UPDATE*

Ok I got the snap ring out. I borrowed a larger set of pliers from a friend.

I did something very very bad to get the cap to move though. I used compressed air to unseat it. I also had to tap the outside of the case to get it moving. Once it moved, the ram part flew, I mean LAUNCHED out of the case, straight into a 12 pack of Sam Adams in which about 4 of them took one for the team and saved the other 8. I was not hurt.

DO NOT EVER USE COMPRESSED AIR TO DISASSEMBLE A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER!!!!!

I was lucky the case and ram had a place to go when they separated.

Rick

Use a non compressible fluid next time, hence the reason places do hydro testing, instead of compressed air testing.

 

[Steevo]

I'm glad nobody got hurt, because you could seriously mess someone up by blowing the end off a cylinder with air pressure.
The safer option would have been a come-along pulling on the rod with the base chained to a fixed object. A lot less stored energy that way.

 

[jimp]

*UPDATE*

Ok I got the snap ring out. I borrowed a larger set of pliers from a friend.

I did something very very bad to get the cap to move though. I used compressed air to unseat it. I also had to tap the outside of the case to get it moving. Once it moved, the ram part flew, I mean LAUNCHED out of the case, straight into a 12 pack of Sam Adams in which about 4 of them took one for the team and saved the other 8. I was not hurt.

DO NOT EVER USE COMPRESSED AIR TO DISASSEMBLE A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER!!!!!

I was lucky the case and ram had a place to go when they separated.

Rick

I aways put rod end back on the machine and use cyclinder like a slide hammer. Comes off easy most times. Glad you had no major damage.

 

[Erampu]

Dammit, man! Four innocent beers paid the ultimate price for your folly. How can you live with yourself????