Bradco Stabilizer Cylinder - Need advice

   / Bradco Stabilizer Cylinder - Need advice #1  
H

HarleyMonster

Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
40
Location
Temecula, CA
Tractor
Kubota L47 & L3200
I have a Bradco 9HD and one of the Stabilizer Cylinders started leaking badly.

I took the cylinder to the largest (which might have been a mistake) hydraulic shop in the Southern California, Rupes Hydraulics.

I told the shop I just wanted a bandaid repair and did not need a full rebuild with a warranty because this hoe is only used occasionally.

They have had the cylinder a week and they say they can not get the gland nut off without damaging it. They have been soaking it in penetrating oil.

They want $467 just to force the old gland nut off, remachine the cylinder and make a new oversized gland nut. They told me it would probably take another $200 to rebuild the internals.

Online I found Ford Distributing and they post a new Bradco cylinder at $470, but I am afraid they will only sell to a dealer. It is the weekend, so I will call them on Monday. Anyone have experience with Ford Distributing? Will they sell direct?

It makes me wonder if the hydraulic shop is ordering a new one and telling me they repaired mine since the prices are so similar.

It sounds like the two prices are about a wash, but I would prefer a new cylinder for the same money.

Does anyone know of a online discount source Bradco parts? I will probably have to pay for shipping no matter who I order this cylinder from. If I order through a dealer there will be a couple hundred markup I am sure.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
   / Bradco Stabilizer Cylinder - Need advice #2  
HM,

If the gland nut is frozen you may have to spoil the hyd rod in order to save the barrel.....(you said "bandaid repair", meaning "Rod's Bad..??)

The way I'd do it (assuming I exhausted all other means) is to cut the hyd rod in the middle (you'll need a chunk of it later to pull the guts out) and hammer the remainder in to expose the gland nut to machine it off from the inside on a lathe....this way you save the cyl barrel......problem is you'll have to replace the hyd rod in doing so......if it needed a rod anyway then nothing lost.....(hyd rods are cheaper to make than new barrels)

If the hyd rod is "pristine", I'd then machine off the base plate on the back of the cyl barrel and undo the nut on the end of the hyd rod from the inside.....this will require some rewelding work added and possibly a new piece of feeder tubing on the side of the cyl ......

I'd rather do it this way cuz if the gland threads strip in the cyl barrel then rethreading the barrel with oversized threads is not as good as the originals...

Maybe the safest thing to do for now is to get the old cyl back, then you can check out available options (including buying new OEM vs generic replacement vs buying the new OEM gland, hyd rod and seal kit).....if nothing else it'll give you an education if the other side needs rebuilding....
 
   / Bradco Stabilizer Cylinder - Need advice #3  
I have a Bradco 9MD2 with leaking stablizer hydraulic cylinders. I have the rebuild kits from Ford Dist (very expensive) Now I removed the retaining ring, pulled the rod and piston out and started to move tne gland nut. It moved about a quarter inch out the stuck hard. Ok, I tried the other stabilizer and the same thing. THe gland nut will move in and out about a quarter inch but will not come out. I even used a cherry picker to pull it out and it moved the quarter inch then lifted the whole rug! The instructions sez to pull the o rings out as they appear in the slot that the retaining ring came out of, but problem is it will not come out that far. Both are clean and stop at the same place. Feels like i have missed another retaining ring!!
Any help would be appreciated.
 
   / Bradco Stabilizer Cylinder - Need advice #4  
I have the same cylinders and I have yet to get a gland nut loose. On the first cylinder I needed to rebuild, I gave up after making a 2 pin spanner wrench out of 1" square stock and put a 4' handle on it.....I just kept snapping the hardened wrench pins. I took it to two different hydraulic shops..... neither could get the nut loose. Ended up cutting the ends off the barrel and rod of the Bradco cylinder and welding them to a new cylinder I bought from YZOUTLET - | Hydraulic Cylinders, Gear Pumps, Logs-Splitter Valves & More!| . HORRIBLE DESIGN on these(!) Aluminum gland that is recessed in the barrel.....no way to grab the frozen glands except two 1/4" pin holes. I now need to rebuild another one and have had it soaking in penetrant for a month and plan on making a 4 pin spanner wrench ( drilling 2 additional holes in the gland). We'll see if that works?

If anyone knows the secret to getting these gland nuts loose, please tell us! :confused:
 
   / Bradco Stabilizer Cylinder - Need advice #5  
I have a Bradco 9MD2 with stabalizer cylinders shot. Spent the weekend trying to get them disassembled. Ended up installing on the vise and applying 100psi to assist while hammering with oak pin. It eventually popped out. Had to clean out the retainer ring space once the spring was removed, to clear all the crud out that was binding the gland as it came out.

Any one recommend where to buy cylinder kits for the Bradco 9MD2?
 
   / Bradco Stabilizer Cylinder - Need advice #9  
Cut the ends off and weld on to the best similar cylinder you can find with the same stroke.
 
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