3525 steering cylinder leaking

[cajunbull61]

I have a 3525 with a leaking power steering cylinder. I have the seal kit, looks to have some extra parts in it, but I'm having trouble removing the nut that holds the cylinder together. Anyone rebuild one of these cylinders? Any tips on taking this thing apart?

 

[duffer]

If you're talking about the nut that holds the cylinder together, you better have a BIG cheater bar available. I spent an hour with my friend a couple of days ago trying to loosen that nut/fitting on his New Holland cylinder. He took a 36" pipe wrench plus heat, and could not budge it. Ending up making a tool from a 1" diameter pipe, plus the 10' cheater bar, and me on the torch heating the cylinder up. After multiple tries, it finally broke loose. (We literally boiled the hydraulic oil in that end of the cylinder)

Bottom line is do whatever you have to do to loosen it. It's tough to bend the shaft, and since you're replacing the seal kit anyway, don't worry about how much heat you put on it, even if you destroy an O ring or seal.

 

[cajunbull61]

Thanks... I think Holy crapola, makes me wish I had just ordered a new cylinder. I think I'm going to need a bigger vise

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

If you're talking about the nut that holds the cylinder together, you better have a BIG cheater bar available. I spent an hour with my friend a couple of days ago trying to loosen that nut/fitting on his New Holland cylinder. He took a 36" pipe wrench plus heat, and could not budge it. Ending up making a tool from a 1" diameter pipe, plus the 10' cheater bar, and me on the torch heating the cylinder up. After multiple tries, it finally broke loose. (We literally boiled the hydraulic oil in that end of the cylinder)

Bottom line is do whatever you have to do to loosen it. It's tough to bend the shaft, and since you're replacing the seal kit anyway, don't worry about how much heat you put on it, even if you destroy an O ring or seal.

I just did one on a hay mower. Had a 48" wrench, 8' pipe, and 300 lbs bouncing on it. Finally broke, then screwed out by hand. I had to put another wrench on the Barrell because both ends screwed off. I have oil field around here, so I had a big pawn shop special chain pipe wrench also. That cylinder was tough. All the rubber parts were crumbs. Needed changing.