White lithium grease on cylinder rods

[CutTheHolesOut]

I have a TLB and sometimes it goes many months without use. I used to wipe some grease on the cylinder rods if I knew it would be in storage for a while. Today I didn’t have any tube grease that I usually use so I sprayed on some white lithium grease. It occurred to me after the fact that it might damage the seals but I really don’t know much about it.

Is it generally safe to spray the exposed cylinder with white lithium grease?

 

[5030]

Cylinder rods are hard chromed and you should NEVER coat them with anything in storage because that coating (if it collects dirt can cause seal failure) if it gets pulled into the seals on retraction. Hard chrome plated rods never rust and if the do it's from wear and at that time the seals will leak anyway.

Have you ever seen any construction equipment sitting with the rods coated with anything? Of course not.

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

Thank you for the fast response. The reason I started coating them is because I noticed a lot of small rust pits developing on them. Nothing is really leaking yet. And being that I bought the whole TLB combo for less than a new hydraulic piston I was just hoping to extend the life without any costly repairs. Do you think it could be a good idea to wipe as much of the grease off as I can and go over the pits with some 1000 grit sandpaper? Or would it be better to just leave it as is?

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

It is also kept outside in the elements. I forgot to add that bit of info

 

[5030]

Most commercial construction equipment sits outside all the time anyway. I would disregard the pits and when the cylinder starts leaking, take it to a hydraulic shop and have them re-rod it and replace the seals. Coating the rods with anything will only hasten the failure.

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

Thank you. That is greatly appreciated

 

[oldnslo]

What brand of TLB is this? Some cylinders have used other materials for cylinder rods besides hard chrome plated.

Like 5030 not a fan of using grease due to collecting dirt but if you have rods that are rusting I would suspect either faulty chrome plate or one of the other materials that may produce surface rust.

 

[oosik]

I bought my first tractor - brand new in 1982. Ford 1700. I traded it in on my Kubota in 2009. None of the cylinder rods showed any signs of wear, pitting or rust. I never greased the rods.

Perhaps as oldnslo says - some other type of material for the rods or perhaps a poor job of hard chrome plating.

I agree - do not grease the rods. It will not extend their life nor the life of the seals.

 

[MechanicalGuy]

I have used fine steel wool to clean up rust on cylinder rods with great results

 

[Doug Vee]

I think the best way to store the cylinders if outside would be in the retracted position. All my gear is stored in doors, so I don't have that concern.

Doug

 

[YanmarFever]

Wax them with car wax, be sure to get it all off when done.
I know someone that lives near the ocean and has his tractor outside all the time.
His cylinder rods look great after years out in the weather, he waxes them..

 

[CutTheHolesOut]

TLB is all bolens from the 80’s. I don’t know how to tell if it’s chrome plated or 5030 but an uneducated guess would be plated.
The wax idea sounds interesting… what say you all about that?

 

[TerryN1]

I have a TLB and sometimes it goes many months without use. I used to wipe some grease on the cylinder rods if I knew it would be in storage for a while. Today I didn’t have any tube grease that I usually use so I sprayed on some white lithium grease. It occurred to me after the fact that it might damage the seals but I really don’t know much about it.

Is it generally safe to spray the exposed cylinder with white lithium grease?

As an equipment owner for over 50 years (18 different backhoes, tree spades, excavators, compactors, etc - all with hydraulic cylinders), I never need any oil on the cylinders which are used regularly.

BUT - on the equipment that may sit outside for months between uses, wiping hydraulic oil on the cylinder shafts prevents the tiny pits of rust from forming.

I had to learn this lesson the hard way back about 50 years ago when I had to use 600 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper to sand down hundreds of tiny rust pits that had already destroyed the cylinder seals and caused leaking on my old Ford Backhoe which had not been used for about 9 months.

I didn't inspect the cylinder rods before using the backhoe and it had hundreds of tiny rust spots that destroyed the 2 largest cylinder seals (Dipper and boom cylinder seals) Then I had to to replace several other cylinder seals on other equipment about the same time.

It was an expensive learning experience. If I have equipment that I know will be stored outside for a while - or notice I have something that has set for a few months without use, I will either fire it up and cycle every cylinder several times to apply the protective hydraulic oil on the cylinders (THE hydraulic oil has anti rust additives and is why cylinder rods don't rust when used regularly) - or ill grab my sealed container with hydraulic oil and a rag soaked in the oil and wipe all exposed cylinder rods.

Chrome is a coating over steel and it does rust - just ask any old car/truck collector about the need to wax those shiny chrome bumpers (I have many old cars and trucks that I don't have inside storage for).

These chrome bumpers will get tiny rust pits and then grow larger over time.

For the seals facing the sun, I spray lithium grease on the seal, as a sunscreen. I've rarely had to replace any hydraulic seals or cylinders since I started oiling the ones that are not used regularly. I've been doing this for at least 50 years now and I discovered using the spray lithium grease on the seals exposed to the sun about 40 years ago. Just a quick, light coating of spray lithium protects the seal and the critical area of the shaft that can sometimes rust due to trapped water at the seal in certain orientations.

I have a TLB and sometimes it goes many months without use. I used to wipe some grease on the cylinder rods if I knew it would be in storage for a while. Today I didn’t have any tube grease that I usually use so I sprayed on some white lithium grease. It occurred to me after the fact that it might damage the seals but I really don’t know much about it.

Is it generally safe to spray the exposed cylinder with white lithium grease?

 

[NibbanaFarm]

I have a TLB and sometimes it goes many months without use. I used to wipe some grease on the cylinder rods if I knew it would be in storage for a while. Today I didn’t have any tube grease that I usually use so I sprayed on some white lithium grease. It occurred to me after the fact that it might damage the seals but I really don’t know much about it.

Is it generally safe to spray the exposed cylinder with white lithium grease?

I don't know about hydraulic cylinders in particular. But I have used white lithium grease in automotive applications all my life. And I've lived in the salt sates of the northeast. It is the only wipe on/spray on coating that provides rust protection against salt. It doesn't wash off ever. After being on for years it will dry up a little. I've never seen it harm seals or rubber.

If you coat new brake lines with the stuff they will never rot from the outside. The wipe on stuff in the tub is better than the spray on.

 

[RHiebert]

Way back when my experience with this was mine, was instructed to - no matter how long such equipment was parked, retracting all cylinders was the correct way. Since then I learned that using synthetic hydraulic fluid was superior to petroleum based.

 

[JRP3]

If you have rust pits you might try applying phosphoric acid after sanding or wire brushing them. It will turn the remaining surface rust into iron phosphate and passivate the surface, slowing down future rust. I don't see anything wrong with using grease on exposed rods, just wipe it off before you use it.

 

[JRP3]

Way back when my experience with this was mine, was instructed to - no matter how long such equipment was parked, retracting all cylinders was the correct way.

With my backhoe that would mean the boom sticking straight up in the air.

 

[navyjoe]

My motor home has 4 hydraulic leveling feet. Almost all of use (as in tens of thousands over the years) have been told to use silicone spray before retracting after long camp-overs. The same is true on the rubber side flaps on the slide outs. In theory silicone conditions the seals, "washes of dust" but leaves no residue.

 

[charlessenf]

kept outside in the elements

Wow! When I bought my Kubota B7800, one of the first things I did was store it out of the weather - in the basement first. Then in the 'barn' *** workshop via a pair of home made doors just a few inches wider than the tractor. Later a lean to built onto the one side of 'the barn' long enough to shelter tractor and Bush Hog.

Of course, I don't use it that often. But I keep my cars garaged as well. I even have two trailers sheltered in teh basement.

****, I guess.

BTW IF you have never tired Internet Radio and are approaching Eighty, you might find this one station a gas! Intermissions often repeat old "What to do in case of Nuclear Attack" PSAs, the doomsday countdown clock, as well as old commercials: Radio Player

 

[charlessenf]

retracting all cylinders was the correct way.

Me, too! (& keep 'em clean as you can)