Massy Ferguson 1040 FEL

[RayIN]

Wednesday last I was trying to move a huge black walnut stump(is actually bigger than my 6' bucket) with my FEL and something made a loud ping like a bullet ricochet and the bucket dropped on the left side then back into the correct position.
I inspected everything I could see and the only thing i found was a nut missing from the left tilt cylinder. don't know where it went because the end of the ram is welded on the ram. The first picture is the right cylinder with the nut. The right cylinder has the spanner notched flat washer shaped nut missing. I've no clue where the missing nut went, as the trunnon is welded to the cylinder shaft.
Is this cause for concern?.

 

[Harry in Ky]

A cause for concern? Yes and no. That style cylinder will have a wire ring just inside the barrel that can be removed for cylinder disassembly once the head (seal gland) is driven back into the barrel far enough to to expose it. The missing nut is there to keep the head in place so it won't inadvertently work back on its own during operation. Said nut probably snapped in two and both pieces went flying. It's not really a major problem as long as the head is secure enough in place that it doesn't move. Replacing the nut would require total disassembly, installing the replacement nut onto the rod first then assembling the cylinder. (provided you can locate a nut) I think if it were me I would probably just wrap a hose clamp around the threads where the nut was with the hope that would be enough to keep the head in place. Put it back to work and certainly keep an eye on it for a while.

 

[RayIN]

Thanks Harry! I'll put a hose clamp on the exposed threads. It has already worked back in and now only shows 4 threads. I tried tightening it more and it still shows 4 threads.

 

[Harry in Ky]

In theory, there should be little or no effort being applied to pull the gland in other than seal drag as the rod moves in and out. The pressure is all on the inside which should push it out if anything.

 

[ConawayFarms]

Sounds like you sheared off the retaining nut on the tilt cylinder. I’d stop using the FEL until you can get that nut replaced, otherwise it might pop apart under load.

 

[RayIN]

Canaway, the end piece is welded onto the shaft, so lots of work just to be able to replace the gland nut; then we don't know if the shaft is bent. Speaking from experience lathe-work hourly rate is quite expensive, $110/hr. is a low price though.
Stopped at the ISSI hydraulic shop today and showed them the pictures. He said repairs, if possible, will be expensive, and likely total up to as much as a new cylinder made in Italy costs, that's approx. $300; a new MF FEL cylinder is ~$500 I'll just buy a new cylinder and use this until it fails. It needs some new hoses too. Oil will not leak out until the lever is moved from neutral, however new oil isn't expensive, around $50/5G.

A side note; the owner showed me a hyd. cylinder from the RR that had recently been a replacement. Someone had cut a downed tree that fell across the tracks, but didn't remove the tree enough for the locomotive accessories to clear.
The new, now broken, 3" cylinder shaft was snapped in two right in the middle.