Old Lift Cylinder Rod Packing

[OldFart187]

My tractor has an old Lord front end loader from the '60's. The lift and tilt cylinders are 2-1/4 bore and have screw in rod gland caps compressing cylindrical rubber packings 2-1/8 OD x 1-3/8 ID x 1 long. I suspect they're 90 durometer Buna-n. I can't seem to find packings of the correct size. Any suggestions?

 

[Jim.ME]

My tractor has an old Lord front end loader from the '60's. The lift and tilt cylinders are 2-1/4 bore and have screw in rod gland caps compressing cylindrical rubber packings 2-1/8 OD x 1-3/8 ID x 1 long. I suspect they're 90 durometer Buna-n. I can't seem to find packings of the correct size. Any suggestions?

Where have you checked with? A shop that rebuilds cylinders? A place like Baum Hydraulics?

 

[OldFart187]

Not Baum, though I'll give them a try. I did check with a hydraulics parts distributor in Oregon with no luck. No dice at Mc Master. No hits on Safari/Google.

 

[OldFart187]

Tried Baum; no luck.

 

[DanielW]

I get a lot of my packing for old cylinders from these guys. Not necessarily the best place, but they have lots of variety, good prices, and fast shipping:

Inch Sealing

The Inch Sealing collection includes a range of high-performance sealing components designed to meet inch-based piping and mechanical system standards. This collection features O-rings, gaskets, and other sealing solutions engineered for reliable leak prevention in fluid, gas, and vacuum...

shop.forcesinc.ca

 

[OldFart187]

They said they don't have packing seals.

 

[Jim.ME]

They said they don't have packing seals.

Post some pictures of these with some dimensions.

 

[OldFart187]

Here's the cylinder end cap and screw in gland nut. The end cap screws into the cylinder and is sealed with an o ring. The packing in the end cap is 2-1/8 OD x 1-3/8 ID X 1 which you can see inside the end cap. The assembly procedure is to screw the end cap into the cylinder, tighten the nut to squeeze the packing against the rod and end cap housing, cycle the cylinder a few times, then snug up as needed to eliminate any leaks. I haven't removed the packing since it didn't come out easily and I am afraid of damaging it before I get a replacement. The existing packing is a bit rough on the ID, otherwise I'd reassemble it as-is. I'm not sure of the material. Could be leather or rubber. It was suggested that a replacement should be Buna-N which is compatible with oil and 90 durometer to withstand the pressure. It might be a stack of flat washers squeeze together undistinguishable from one piece.

 

[OldFart187]

Here's an overview of the disassembled lift and tilt cylinders. Except for length, they're all the same.

 

[shaun wallace]

Looks like standard "VEE" packing.

 

[Jim.ME]

I believe if you pull it out you will find it is plain old Vee packing. That is what was commonly used in those cylinders and adjusted after installation as you described. Not O-rings or Buna 90 durometer. it will be rubber or such with a fabric material imbedded in it, some are just poly or other materials now.

Web search Vee packing. I bet if you ask you local hydraulic shop or Baum about Vee packing and they will have it or can get it. McMaster and many other places have it. They need the bore for the OD and rod for the ID. There will be a compression ring at the bottom of the stack and a heavy female ring at the top to capture the Vee shape. You need to tell them how many vee rings there are between the top and bottom rings of the stack

 

[OldFart187]

Thanks, this confirms what I've heard from other sources. So far, standard stacks including the end pieces fall 1/16 short of my measured packing. Perhaps a shim washer might be used. I'm still looking for the right kit. There are a lot of materials to choose from. My system operates under 2500psi which should be duck soup for most of them.

 

[Jim.ME]

Thanks, this confirms what I've heard from other sources. So far, standard stacks including the end pieces fall 1/16 short of my measured packing. Perhaps a shim washer might be used. I'm still looking for the right kit. There are a lot of materials to choose from. My system operates under 2500psi which should be duck soup for most of them.

If a stack is too short, you get extra rings to add to the stack. A new stack should be taller than what you have, as it will not have been compressed. I would suggest counting the number of rings in the old stack, not going by measuring its height.

 

[tom upton]

Here's an overview of the disassembled lift and tilt cylinders. Except for length, they're all the same.

Just an observation, but as you probably allready know it looks like you may need a couple of those rods rechromed, or replaced? Also check for wear on your rod bushings.

https://herculesca.ca/product.php?pd=Y&pid=3266&productcode=VS13706X125

Here is Hercules vee packing kit for your cylinder. That size should be pretty common from most seal places ?

 

[OldFart187]

The stack you referenced is 1.25 thick but the gland is only 1" deep. The price with shipping for the four cylinders is around $300 just for the rod packings. This after I paid for sandblasting the old paint off, another $160 to a hydraulic shop to loosen the caps and gland nuts and before replacing the piston seals which are even more problematic. Looks like $1000 is getting close. Ouch! I'm not trying to make it work like new, only to be reasonably functional. At this time, new cylinders are looking better. I can replace them all for about $800. Ouch again.

 

[Jim.ME]

Find a local shop that rebuilds cylinders and talk to them. Take one of the old packing stacks and the cylinder end cap and gland nut with you. They should be able to fix you up for considerably less than $300. If you find a stack with the right OD and ID but too tall, you can leave Vee rings out, if need be, to adjust the height.

You might try Baum and the others again, asking about Vee packings not your earlier description.

 

[OldFart187]

Did that already. They're the one that took the caps off for me. Their estimate was $1200 for the four.

I will try Baum again. I did get a quote from Hercules for about $200 with shipping for the rod packings so a little progress is being made.

 

[Andy Wickiser]

Did that already. They're the one that took the caps off for me. Their estimate was $1200 for the four.

I will try Baum again. I did get a quote from Hercules for about $200 with shipping for the rod packings so a little progress is being made.

If you're still looking here's some catalog info from Zatkoff. I think your size is Mold Number V216. I believe the cross section should be 3/8" so from the table a 3-Vee stack should be 1". I got the 3/8 from an old Baum catalog but Baum no longer has your size, it did at one time. I've purchased Vee packings from Zatkoff in the past but I went in person to their Toledo location which is local to me. If you reveiw these pages carefully a lot of information is given including what to do if stack is too short for your application.

 

[OldFart187]

Thanks. This is very informative. I'll give them a call. For 2500 psi table 2 recommends a 4 -5 vee stack which is higher than my 1" gland so I'll need to talk to a rep to figure it out.

 

[MeanGene1]

They are also called "chevron seals"- I got the stackable set for the bucket cylinder of a Wagner loader from this guy, who is very very good https://www.wkhydraulics.com/