JD 146 Loader Cylinder Seals

[TexasRon]

No crud, there I was, getting ready to load equipment with my JD 2630/146, had just finished greasing the zerks and checking fluids, then fired the old gal up and got to doing checks with the engine running when all of a sudden....non-stop leak from the left lift cylinder.

The loader has a serial plate torn through but the following is legible: Made In Canada, unsure of the first numbers, the following in parentheses may be something else (5562)03864W

Local dealer quotes the seal kit at $97...does anyone have info on getting the parts cheaper or is that it, no alternates for a few rubber o-rings and such?

Also...any magic tricks on loosening the hoses from the piped portions? Seems it's either rust welded or some serious thread locker was placed in those. The pipe from the other end turns rather than the hose...I guess that could work in theory, just don't want to remove those if possible. I suppose it is not necessary to remove the entire cylinder as I planned to.

While on the loader, the right tilt cylinder pulls itself up over the course of a few minutes too. Any information on the seal kit for those would be great. Oh, and what do y'all do to maintain the piping/joints? I'll plan to wire wheel some of the rust and prime/paint unless that's not generally advisable.

 

[Jim.ME]

Here is a link to the 146 parts catalog.

146 Farm loader Parts Catalog PC1536

Use it to figure out which cylinders your loader has and get the seal kit numbers for the cylinders on your loader as they used a couple different lift and bucket cylinders, and they use different kits. (If you already have the kit numbers from your dealer, good). Use the kit numbers in a web search. I expect you will find a number of hits on those numbers including on eBay and Amazon.

Baum hydraulics shows some seal kits for the JD 146 farm loader in their catalog. You can call them. I have gotten kits from them for some of my JD loaders. The prices were less than half JD and things fit fine.

As for leaking hoses and fittings I take them apart and fix them; which may be just pipe sealant and tighten, new adapters and/or hoses as needed.

 

[TexasRon]

Finally got her running again for about 4 hours total in the last week after working the cylinder and filter issues.

I stopped to pull brush off the road I had been dragging while blading the road and noticed the tire had drops of fluid, followed that to the same cylinder that leaked last time and there she was draining oil again! What the heck?

Not as bad, just unfortunate further loss of diesel, a rubber hose the parts manual says shouldn’t be there was leaking like a sieve. Not even a fuel line and too large of a non-reinforced rubber hose must’ve been a temp fix by a prior owner, I guess I should have noticed that sooner.

Anyway, I’ll take it back to the hydraulics guy and see what he says on it leaking already. Any thoughts? Maybe I’ll pull the covers of the SCV’s off and fix those seals before putting her back in service.

I’ve noticed working her less than an hour doesn’t seem to regenerate the batteries as well. Too soon to tell if she’ll start after the 3.5 hour job where the seal busted again but I’ll probably take them off to get charged in the interim anyway.

Also replaced an alternator indicator lamp just in case, started cleaning the electrical up from the switch, used electrical cleaner and dielectric grease for the connections. Next to start reconnecting wires hanging loose according to schematics and getting lights back on her. Any recommendations on bridging cut wires from the harness? I’ll butt connector them and heat shrink the entire additions until I feel like replacing the harnesses entirely.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Commenting on your original year-old post, I would have my wallet out so fast at a $97 price point, the parts guy's head would spin. The seal kit for my loader at the dealer is closer to $300. Hydraulic guy wants $700 per cylinder to even look at them.

On why your seals failed so quickly, your cylinder rod doesn't look the best. If it's not mirror smooth it will go at the seals like a cheese grater.

 

[Jim.ME]

This is just my personal thought/practice. The first thing that tractor would get is a real good bath and cleaning before I started chasing more leaks and making repairs. It is much easier to see things if they are clean. From you pictures I would have a hard time confirming where all the places leaking oil are.

It appears someone cut the fuel line for some reason and patched it with a hose, maybe it had chaffed through. The proper size fuel line and mini clamps should hold without leaking the only pressure there is head pressure from fuel level in the tank, I know of a couple with fuel line hose on that line and they don't leak. Are you sure there is not a leak in the bottom of the tank?

As for charging is the fan belt in good condition, tight, and not oil soaked? What about the pulleys? Wire connections clean, bright and tight? What does a voltmeter show at the battery terminals when running at different RPMs?

As BarnyardEngineering said rough spots on the cylinder rods will shorten seal life.

 

[TexasRon]

Thanks Jim and Barnyard!

I’ve never heard of buffing the rod, is the only recourse to replace it, or?

Thanks for those tips, definitely she could do with a good bath. I’ll show a better picture of that hose tonight, honestly, as soon as I picked it up, based on where the “flow” was coming from, it was evident by the stream exiting. Trying to clamp it when I got her parked only worsened the situation so I put a big drain pan under it and will be using that 5 gallons of diesel for burning brush I guess…

I’ll pull the hood off tomorrow and check the full status. Might arrange for a trip to a car wash to really get out the gunk and junk. I think I read somewhere to presoak with purple power NOT from Walmart.

 

[Willow Lane]

Before you replace the seals again, have you checked on the cost of replacing the cylinder. I realize it's a different brand and function, but I recently had one of the steering cylinders on my NH T6050 start leaking, new seal kit $200, replacement ball joints on each end, $50 ea, so $300 total, plus my time and no guarantee I'll get it right. New cylinder, complete with the ball joints, $340. All of this from the NH dealer. The new cylinder is laying on the bench waiting for me to install it.

 

[Jim.ME]

Before you replace the seals again, have you checked on the cost of replacing the cylinder. I realize it's a different brand and function, but I recently had one of the steering cylinders on my NH T6050 start leaking, new seal kit $200, replacement ball joints on each end, $50 ea, so $300 total, plus my time and no guarantee I'll get it right. New cylinder, complete with the ball joints, $340. All of this from the NH dealer. The new cylinder is laying on the bench waiting for me to install it.

Prices do vary and can surprise you at times, it doesn't hurt to ask. It is surprising you made out that well. His 146 loader was built 1975 to 1992, so is about 30 years out of production vs 14 for your tractor.

Using the JD parts books and the local JD dealer's site what I see is; the two possibilities for the 146 farm loader lift cylinders, no longer show pricing in the system, it just says "Contact your dealer". It looks like those cylinders were only used for the 146 loaders. A dealer would need to do a system search to see if there was one setting in a warehouse or another dealer's inventory. From other JD pricing for more current similar cylinders, I would not be surprised if he would be looking at $1200 to $1500, likely more, if they can find one. Having a replacement rod made is likely his best bet or identifying which cylinder he has and checking salvage yards for a used cylinder.

Just some info on chances of a dealer coming through for him.

 

[matthies]

I think the inner seal was put in the wrong way. The oil is coming out perfectly around the shaft. The V is facing the outside not the inside.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I think the inner seal was put in the wrong way. The oil is coming out perfectly around the shaft. The V is facing the outside not the inside.

That would do it. Pressure from oil on the inside spreads that and makes the seal.

A wise man in the cylinder shop once told me the rest of the seals he could make out of a slurpie cup from the gas station that grooved seal in the head is the only one installed in the correct direction groove towards the oil that matters to prevent an external oil leak.

 

[Jim.ME]

I think the inner seal was put in the wrong way. The oil is coming out perfectly around the shaft. The V is facing the outside not the inside.

I understand what you are saying but for those that might not; to be clear, the seal inside the gland head may be in wrong or otherwise compromised. The "seal" visible when looking at the gland in the picture is called a wiper and intended to clean the rod before it retracts into the gland/barrel, this type of wiper arrangement is not intended to hold pressure. For that reason, the wiper's lip faces out, away from the cylinder barrel.