Still chasing leaks on my 3600. Right steering cylinder was leaking pretty bad around the shaft. Ordered kits from this site and decided to attack the worst one this morning.
First problem was I didn't have snap ring pliers that had small enough tips to work on the snap rings in the cylinders. A quick trip to town and Wholesale Tool turned up a Channellock 927 which came with both straight and 90 deg .039 tips, well worth the ~$20.00.
I left the cylinder on the tractor, loosened the two hydraulic lines so the fluid could get out, removed the bolt on the tie rod end and was just able to get a thin wrench on the flats at the end of the shaft to be able to unscrew the shaft from the end.
Snap ring out, brass star washer out and dust seal out, no problem.
Next came the plastic insert which I poked and prodded for at least an hour before I was able to get it out. Managed to get one side started with a pointy scribe but couldn't get it out far enough to do anything and the other side was hung up and wouldn't budge. After poking it with a couple pointed scribes and working it out as best I could I was finally able to wiggle a small flat blade screw driver in behind it. Other side was still stuck tight and wasn't budging.
Held it our far enough to be able to cut through one side with a utility knife. Clamped a small set of vice grips to one of the cut ends to hold it out and to use as a handle. Between that and the small screwdriver I was able to work my way around it and finally it was out.
All of this was done with the rod all the way into the cylinder so as to not scar up the rod except on the end where it doesn't normally need to seal anyway.
This left the last seal, which is a real metal, rubber and spring seal, problem is it's a little bitty sucker that is much too small for any normal seal puller, at least nothing I had would work. Back to the pointy scribe and worked on the rubber coating till I could see the metal body. Centered the scribe and used a small hammer to poke a few holes around the seal and deform it enough to be able to dig it out.
Cleaned everything up and checked to make sure I didn't put a bur on the cylinder surfaces. Lubed the new seal up with hydraulic fluid and found a piece of tubing I just happen to have that was a perfect fit for a seal driver. Seal is in and seated, new plastic insert driven home with the same piece of tubing. Dust seal, fit well but the new star washer wouldn't quite go over the shaft. Decided to use the one that came out of it. Snap ring and screwed the end back into the tie-rod end same way I got it out.
I still have the pump apart for a new filter and can't start it anyway because I have the brake cross shaft out but am hopeful my first steering cylinder rebuild will be a success.
First problem was I didn't have snap ring pliers that had small enough tips to work on the snap rings in the cylinders. A quick trip to town and Wholesale Tool turned up a Channellock 927 which came with both straight and 90 deg .039 tips, well worth the ~$20.00.
I left the cylinder on the tractor, loosened the two hydraulic lines so the fluid could get out, removed the bolt on the tie rod end and was just able to get a thin wrench on the flats at the end of the shaft to be able to unscrew the shaft from the end.
Snap ring out, brass star washer out and dust seal out, no problem.
Next came the plastic insert which I poked and prodded for at least an hour before I was able to get it out. Managed to get one side started with a pointy scribe but couldn't get it out far enough to do anything and the other side was hung up and wouldn't budge. After poking it with a couple pointed scribes and working it out as best I could I was finally able to wiggle a small flat blade screw driver in behind it. Other side was still stuck tight and wasn't budging.
Held it our far enough to be able to cut through one side with a utility knife. Clamped a small set of vice grips to one of the cut ends to hold it out and to use as a handle. Between that and the small screwdriver I was able to work my way around it and finally it was out.
All of this was done with the rod all the way into the cylinder so as to not scar up the rod except on the end where it doesn't normally need to seal anyway.
This left the last seal, which is a real metal, rubber and spring seal, problem is it's a little bitty sucker that is much too small for any normal seal puller, at least nothing I had would work. Back to the pointy scribe and worked on the rubber coating till I could see the metal body. Centered the scribe and used a small hammer to poke a few holes around the seal and deform it enough to be able to dig it out.
Cleaned everything up and checked to make sure I didn't put a bur on the cylinder surfaces. Lubed the new seal up with hydraulic fluid and found a piece of tubing I just happen to have that was a perfect fit for a seal driver. Seal is in and seated, new plastic insert driven home with the same piece of tubing. Dust seal, fit well but the new star washer wouldn't quite go over the shaft. Decided to use the one that came out of it. Snap ring and screwed the end back into the tie-rod end same way I got it out.
I still have the pump apart for a new filter and can't start it anyway because I have the brake cross shaft out but am hopeful my first steering cylinder rebuild will be a success.
