Another tale from the junk yard

Al Smith

Mac Daddy
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Mar 6, 2005
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Northern Ohio
This is about old hydraulic cylinders .The older style were made to be rebuilt forever it's just very few do it .They are 3000 PSI rated but built differently than a modern cylinder .The shaft seals for example were made originally with preformed rope seals but standard valve packing will work just as well.The type used on big high pressure steam valves .
You just get the correct size,this was 3/8" and cut the rings at a 45 degree angle,pound them in with the gland nut and drown them with penetrating oil then stuff the next one in and do same .They will wear out in time but it takes a long time .The hydraulic oil keeps them supple and they do weep but not leak .These were squirting about a half pint of fluid like a hill billy spitting tobacco juice every time I tilted the cylinder.20 minute job,now it doesn't leak.

Good ole Ollie is running like top though .Second gear,uphill spinning the tracks and never missed a beat .Not bad for an old fart much like myself .
 

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If I'm ever in the position of being both exceedingly wealthy and needing a brilliant fixer to keep all my old school mechanicals running right, I'm going to hire Al at twice whatever cost he desires, to take care of my stuff :).
 
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It's just trivia stuff I picked up from turning wrenches since I was young .I've got tricks my dad taught from real "old school " stuff done in the late 30's .Very few people have ever heard of them but not too many work on stuff that's 50-70 years old .I had an old guy that was 80 years old tell me how to hob a worm gear wheel on an engine lathe and I did it .After first doing a lot of calculations of course .Thank goodness for pocket calculators .
 
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I wish the monsoons would stop so I can lay down the stone pad for the shipping container .Too damned wet,you can't grade mud .If the rains keep up the farmers will have to plant rice .
 
Well that's no good, cause I'm headed your way Monday. I won't want rain outs....
 
For the cylinder, do you take out all the old packing and make completely a new one, or just add a new ring of rope and compress it on the old packing, squeezing this one tighter?
 
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You pull the old ones out .This only had two and they were smashed thin .I'd imagine they started out about 3/8 thick and wore down after many years in service to less than 1/4" I couldn't screw the grand packer in any farther .
That "rope" by the way is graphite impregnated material commonly called a "Chesterton" seal .It was in fact made by the Chesterton company one of the oldest seal manufactures in the United States .They are still business making specialty products .
Another thing to keep in mind this was before they chrome plated the cylinder rods .They can rust but the weepage of the seals lubricate them but it does wear out the sealing material .My Caterpillar D4's have six rings and 5" cylinders with 2" rods .

The Oliver crawler with 3" lift cylinders is very fast on the blade action .The Caterpillars with 5" cylinders are slow as a snail .They can hog out the dirt but are a pain in the butt to shoot grade with . Most people can't as a matter of fact .I can because I've operated old antiques for decades .In a way I guess I am one now myself.
 
Thanks Al.
I can't even level with a shovel, so, with a dozer ...
I tried with a mini excavator once, like one ton and half, but it was a pita and the result wasn't motivating:D
 
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The old timers used to say you run a dozer by the seat of your pants .If your ass goes up the blade goes down .That and you watch the side of the blade .One hand on the hydraulic controls and the other on the steering handles .
 
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Further elaborating many designs have been used through the years for steering .The Oliver uses a planetary differential .Meaning as you brake one side the gear train slows which speeds up the other side making one track turn faster than the other .It keeps the power on both tracks but cannot "zero" turn .The Old Cats had mechanical steering clutches ,my 1943 D4 can zero turn by hitting the brake for that side and spin on a dime but it looses power on the turned track .Might get you mired in the mud on occasion .
The later designs used a combination of planetary and hydraulic assist clutches .More user friendly .Little ones like a John-Deere 450 had the brakes at the end of the track clutch travel,no need to stomp the brake pedal .Those little gems are a joy to operate with a 6 way tilt angle blade .Anybody can shoot grade with them after a few hours on the controls .
 
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