Taking Apart Stubborn Hydraulic Cylinders

[ClappedOutBport]

Our Massey Ferguson backhoe that you can see in other videos needed some front end work (kingpin bushings mainly), but we figured while we had the steering cylinders off, we would rebuild them. Unfortunately a standard pin spanner wasn't up to the task. So I ended up having to make a special tool to disassemble them, and they ended up taking over 350 Ft-lbs to come apart!
The cylinder had four 1/4" spanner holes spaced on a 1.6" hole pattern and were about 1/4" deep. I used non-harded pins that unfortunately, bent a little, but they got the job done.

 

[Provincial]

I have found that the third pin makes it difficult to line up all the holes/pins. This may because the gland nut is drilled in a manner to keep the opposite pins in alignment, but not all four. In other words, two sets of opposite pins, not precisely aligned between sets.

I use Grade 8 bolts for this application.

Sometimes it is necessary to rig up a way to hold the wrench/pins into the gland nut. I have used a hydraulic press for this, among other options.

 

[ClappedOutBport]

I have found that the third pin makes it difficult to line up all the holes/pins. This may because the gland nut is drilled in a manner to keep the opposite pins in alignment, but not all four. In other words, two sets of opposite pins, not precisely aligned between sets.

I use Grade 8 bolts for this application.

Sometimes it is necessary to rig up a way to hold the wrench/pins into the gland nut. I have used a hydraulic press for this, among other options.

Agreed two would have been preferred. But I don't think two would have held up. I bent the first set of three so bad they had to be replaced. This gland nut was well drilled, all 3 lined up just right.

I never even though of 1/4" grade 8 bolts, great idea.

Have you taken apart a lot of cylinders of this style?