Bucket curl cylinder leaking

[bowenskye]

I would take it apart, and inspect the rod, and the barrel of the cylinder.
If the rod, or barrel are pitted, or scored, then the new seals will likely fail again soon.
Barrel scoring can be mitigated somewhat with honing.
Rods can be re-chromed, but again that adds cost
How much is a new cylinder?

 

[WM75Guy]

Rebuild is the best option. Lift cylinders are discontinued. Bucket cylinders are expensive, if one could be found.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

A local hydraulic shop may be the way to go. They may do the job including seals and labor for only a bit more than the dealer would want for parts. You could probably call for an estimate.

That's the route I would likely take, especially if you have no way to haul the tractor. It's generally not a huge deal to disconnect the cylinders from the machine.
I would agree with the suggestion to do both cylinders while you're doing it. Also, take the time to check the hoses. A local shop can likely build you new hoses for a fraction of the cost a dealer would give you.

 

[blehmann]

I was just on the phone yesterday with the Koyker parts dept. Both of my curl cylinder gland nuts are seeping enough to keep the front of the loader nasty. My dilemma is replacing the internal ring on the gland. My old arthritic hands just can't do that job without some sort of cheater tool. A new gland costs $110. A complete seal kit is about $60 and they don't sell a kit with just the piston seals, so buying a gland and seal kit gets pretty expensive. I'm looking pretty hard at buying the seal tool kit, even though it likely will be a one time use. Before I place the order I think that I will play around in the shop to see if I can come up with my own tool design for free.

 

[LoudonNH]

After 20 years of use and abuse, one of my bucket curl cylinders is leaking hydro fluid around the shaft. (I guess even tractors aren't immune from leaking shafts as they get older.)

Is replacing the seals a DIY task of should I just take it to the dealer? If I do take it to the dealer, I'd probably still need to remove the cylinder from the loader since I don't have any way to haul the entire tractor 40+ miles into town.

Should I just fix the one cylinder that is leaking or do all four curl/lift cylinders at the same time? It's the 14A loader if that makes any difference.

Take the cylinder to your local hydraulic shop to be resealed. There’s no need to disturb any of the other cylinders.

 

[neilpaku]

If you outsource it, take it to an hydraulic shop, not the dealer. It'll be faster (maybe even same day) and done well.

 

[JBF43]

After 20 years of use and abuse, one of my bucket curl cylinders is leaking hydro fluid around the shaft. (I guess even tractors aren't immune from leaking shafts as they get older.)

Is replacing the seals a DIY task of should I just take it to the dealer? If I do take it to the dealer, I'd probably still need to remove the cylinder from the loader since I don't have any way to haul the entire tractor 40+ miles into town.

Should I just fix the one cylinder that is leaking or do all four curl/lift cylinders at the same time? It's the 14A loader if that makes any difference.

I did my own on my Kubota L3130 with the LA513 loader. The first one took 2-3 hours, especially since I had never done it before. The seal kit was $200 for one cylinder. That was from the dealer. I also checked aftermarket, and they all wanted just as much for parts. The center hard seal was a major pain, and I didn't really see anything wrong with it. After fixing this one, the next cylinder decided to leak too, so here we go again. This time, I ordered the tools on Amazon, one was the spanner for the gland nut, and the other was 3 different-sized tools for the rubber seals. On the second cylinder, I left the hard seal in there and just replaced the rest of the rubber seals. (And on the 3rd and 4th cylinders too.)
I still used a pipe wrench to break the gland nut loose, as it works the best. Using the tools to manipulate the rubber seals in place makes that part a breeze. Watch some YouTube videos on that, and you will see. On the latter ones, I broke the gland nut loose on the machine, then removed one pin and drained the cylinder, then finished removing the cylinder and rebuilding it in the vise. As mentioned earlier, the first one took 2-3 hours, but by the 4th one, it was off, rebuilt, and back on again in 45 minutes. Definitely a DIY job. (PS, I have several leaking floor jacks with leaking seals that I am going to go after next.)

 

[lilranch2001]

I didn’t know about those tools for installing the internal seal thanks!!

https://a.co/d/0dKQPQps

The only reason I knew of them is because I watch C&C Equipment YouTube videos

 

[txhillcountry]

After 20 years of use and abuse, one of my bucket curl cylinders is leaking hydro fluid around the shaft. (I guess even tractors aren't immune from leaking shafts as they get older.)

Is replacing the seals a DIY task of should I just take it to the dealer? If I do take it to the dealer, I'd probably still need to remove the cylinder from the loader since I don't have any way to haul the entire tractor 40+ miles into town.

Should I just fix the one cylinder that is leaking or do all four curl/lift cylinders at the same time? It's the 14A loader if that makes any difference.

There are basically three routes you can go.. the entire DIY (you pull the cylinder off, you buy the rebuild kit, and you do the rebuild yourself. Definitely the cheapest, but the most labor intensive, and to make it easier a gland tool is helpful. Second option is to pull the cylinder yourself, and then take it to a hydraulics shop (NOT the dealer, way too expensive), and have them rebuild it, and then you reinstall it. Third option is the full service... you take it to a shop, dealer, etc.. and have them deal with the whole thing. That is $$$$. I always do the second option. For all the cylinders on my loader, they're pretty easy to access so I pull them myself, and then drop the cylinder off at a hydraulics shop for the rebuild. ALSO, while it's twice the cost, like others have said, if one side is leaking, you're probably not far behind on the opposite side.

 

[texaswren]

I don't know how DIY you are, so YMMV. I've overhauled several hydraulic cylinders, including one that had a worn-out eye that I had to cut off, machine a replacement for out of 4140 and weld back to the rod. It's not a difficult job (except for the one with the welding), but of course you have to have something serviceable to start with, i.e. the rod, cylinder and piston all have to be in good shape. There are a variety of seal types in cylinders, but all are available from other sources than the dealer, and at a fraction of the price. The one cylinder I rebuilt with dealer parts, when I was younger and ignorant, was over $100 for a seal kit.

A larger cylinder I rebuilt using parts from O-Rings and More, The O-Ring Store, and Ebay, and I think all the seals came to around $12. (yes, I'm cheap). It's hard to be sure exactly what it cost, because some of the seals (o-rings especially) had minimum orders, so I had to buy multiples. Consider, though, that you will get a dozen o-rings for a fraction of what the dealer charges for a single o-ring, and you'll be set for the companion cylinder for no extra money, when it needs it (it probably does, already). Even buying tools (pin wrenches, etc).

You don't need part numbers. Just measure the places where the seals go, measure the seals you take off, and you'll be able to get an exact match. These are ALL standardized parts, especially if your tractor is not forty-five years old like my CASE. Youtube videos can be very helpful, such as learning the trick about soaking piston seals in hot water to make them go on easier. It's also a great time to strip and repaint that cylinder in factory colors and inspect and replace flex hoses (if the rubber is cracked, don't wait—that means the outer wire is already rusting, and their pressure rating is cut in half).

 

[wallymortar]

I agree with the several comments above, i.e. DIY is labor intensive & you need to inspect the chrome on the ram. Any pitting or nicks in the chrome will ultimately ruin new seals, so you need to ensure the chrome is intact before replacing seals. Bucket cylinders are particularly prone to dings from rocks or other debris falling from the bucket & striking the rams. I can only speak for Kubota bucket cylinders but the cylinder heads on Kubota cylinders (part that screws into the cylinder tube that the ram guides through) are aluminum screwed into steel cylinder tubes. If they've never been apart, they are likely seized & virtually impossible to remove without destroying. In my case, I tried to rebuild a bucket cylinder on a 1998 Kubota L35 backhoe (TL720 loader) & that happened. Except for a few parts like seal kits, that cylinder & the cylinder heads are no longer available, thus I'm looking at a replacement aftermarket cylinder. The cheapest one I've found is $1200, so if you think you'll have problems DIY, I would suggest taking your cylinder to a qualified repair shop.

 

[Rafter H]

I just went thru same thing, but since they were all 20 yrs old I did all 4. The dealer will rape you on this so do yourself or ask at your local hydrualic parts place for someone who will do it. I don't understand why everyone says pulling cylinders off is a pain it seems no me. Also after I got done with this all the hydrualics worked like new including the 3 point on back! Internal cylinder leak is a real thing with old seals. They leak and bypass inside and you don't realize it

 

[lennypoulin]

After 20 years of use and abuse, one of my bucket curl cylinders is leaking hydro fluid around the shaft. (I guess even tractors aren't immune from leaking shafts as they get older.)

Is replacing the seals a DIY task of should I just take it to the dealer? If I do take it to the dealer, I'd probably still need to remove the cylinder from the loader since I don't have any way to haul the entire tractor 40+ miles into town.

Should I just fix the one cylinder that is leaking or do all four curl/lift cylinders at the same time? It's the 14A loader if that makes any difference.

Just fix the leaky cylinder. Remove the cylinder and take it to your local Hydraulic repair service shop. Usually very reasonably priced. They have all the right tools, gaskets, etc.

 

[Bob Gibson]

I watched a YT video and it looks doable. I'm sure after I get a quote from the dealer that will probably seal the deal which way I go. I'm always willing to try any job at least once myself.

I did the curl cylinders on my old Branson/Century a couple of years ago and it was easy, the cost for seals and o-rings was less than $75 at a local hydraulic repair shop, so I didn't even check with a dealer... The total time to remove and rebuild the two cylinders, with normal tools that most people have already, and then replace the cylinders was about hours. Most hydraulic supply stores will have the seals in stock or can get them in a couple of days here in the Central Valley area of California and you probably can find seal sizing information online for most equipment.

 

[MARK FROM LI]

I have done my own by myself on log splitters and loaders....it would have been easier if I had a helper, but it can be a 1 man job ...just measure the piston diameter and get the kit on amazon or ebay, but shop around for the best price...I have seen the same kit range from 11 dollars to over 40 ....you can also try Surpluscenter.com.....they have a phone# you can call if you think you need that ( they do have good prices, also) getting the end open can be tricky as there are a number of different ways that manufacturers secure the ends.....can you post a picture of where the piston goes into the cylinder and someone can tell you beforehand if there is a tick to getting it?....Probably a good time to change Hydraulic fluid and filter, too....not hard to do, good luck with it

 

[johneking]

After 20 years of use and abuse, one of my bucket curl cylinders is leaking hydro fluid around the shaft. (I guess even tractors aren't immune from leaking shafts as they get older.)

Is replacing the seals a DIY task of should I just take it to the dealer? If I do take it to the dealer, I'd probably still need to remove the cylinder from the loader since I don't have any way to haul the entire tractor 40+ miles into town.

Should I just fix the one cylinder that is leaking or do all four curl/lift cylinders at the same time? It's the 14A loader if that makes any difference.

On my Kubota B20 {'91 model} it is very easy to do and WAY less $ than the dealership.
I'd strongly suggest using OEM seals etc. as the cr*p from "elsewhere" may cost less, but you may also get to redo it sooner rather than later.
AND -- "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" has always worked for me. So, if the other one isn't leaking -- learn from the one that is {maybe go ahead and buy the seals for the other one just in case it happens on a weekend sometime} and do one as necessary. If you do buy the extra parts, make sure and write on the box what they're for as it may be quite some time before you need them and that keeps me from looking through a shelf full of parts to find what I'm looking for.
The "special too" necessary to remove the "end caps" off of mine {sort of like a tool to remove/replace discs on a 4" hand held grinder but way bigger} wasn't readily available so a big Pipe Wrench handled the task to remove/replace the end caps, then touched up the teeth marks with a Dremel Tool, filled with silicone and painted.

 

[KEEPONWALKIN]

After 20 years of use and abuse, one of my bucket curl cylinders is leaking hydro fluid around the shaft. (I guess even tractors aren't immune from leaking shafts as they get older.)

Is replacing the seals a DIY task of should I just take it to the dealer? If I do take it to the dealer, I'd probably still need to remove the cylinder from the loader since I don't have any way to haul the entire tractor 40+ miles into town.

Should I just fix the one cylinder that is leaking or do all four curl/lift cylinders at the same time? It's the 14A loader if that makes any difference.

I ran into a similar situation with my John Deere 410c backhoe. I had no issues with power just that the wiper seals had disintegrated and were starting to leak a very small amount of fluid. what started my journey was a blown outrigger hydraulic hose, and I figured if I was going to lose my hydraulic fluid while changing them, I may as well get the cylinders repacked. I did both outriggers/stabilizers and both lift cylinders as well as most of the hydraulic hoses. Long story short after a lot of frustration with the hydraulic shops and $4000($800 for hoses) later, for repacking I would have been financially further ahead just topping the hydraulic fluid up once a month! At $100/18.9l pail it would have been many many years to regain the cost associated with the repacking charge. To be fair John Deere uses metric seals that are not cheap to begin with, so had I done the work myself it would have only cost around $1800 but still......

 

[qualsite]

I bent my cylinder rod when a stray piece of firewood unknowingly wedged in there when moving some firewood. I took the cylinder off, disassembled it, straightened it, and put it back together with new seal kit, and it's been working fine for years. Actually, with the right tools and a solidly anchored vise, it was much easier than I was expecting, and quick once I got the seal kit online.

 

[hairyapple]

After 20 years of use and abuse, one of my bucket curl cylinders is leaking hydro fluid around the shaft. (I guess even tractors aren't immune from leaking shafts as they get older.)

Is replacing the seals a DIY task of should I just take it to the dealer? If I do take it to the dealer, I'd probably still need to remove the cylinder from the loader since I don't have any way to haul the entire tractor 40+ miles into town.

Should I just fix the one cylinder that is leaking or do all four curl/lift cylinders at the same time? It's the 14A loader if that makes any difference.

Being the adventurous type and having had my share of failures, I'd probably try it myself. That is if the parts are easily sourced and if the non consumable parts of the cylinder look ok. No big scratches or wombat bites etc.
Next choice is a specialty hydraulic repair shop or dealer, but I'd compare quotes based on a basic job meaning just consumable parts swapped out and maybe how long will I be without it. I found having hydraulic hoses made is usually cheaper than buying the parts and quicker too, as an example.
Next choice, if the quotes seem silly or there's more than rubber parts to replace, price a new cylinder. Search places like amazon or ebay or just do a general search for your particular part or one that id identical.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Many years ago, my Daddy told me that if you're mechanically inclined, and have a place to work, you can generally buy what ever specialized tools you need to do 90+% of jobs yourself. The cost of tools may mean you don't always save money the first time. But, you then own the tools for next time, and frequently the tools can be used for other projects.