Volvo EC15 B - Offset-ram leaks

[wowe]

Hello,

the Offset-Ram of my digger leaks. You can see the oil film arround the pushrod at the O-Ring:

IMG_0291.jpg

At the pushrod you can see this bump - itīs about 3/10mm high

IMG_0292.jpg

About the repair I have following questions:
- Must the complete Ram be removed? At the point, where O-ring is located there you can screw out the end part of the Ram. May be this works.
- The bump is obviously the cause of the damaged O-Ring. So this bump must be removed. How can be made a smart repair without replacing the pushrod?

Regards wowe

[Muz]

I'll post a pic of one of mine tomorrow, the rod looks like the surface of the moon

With blistered chrome, if you spot it early enough you can knock it down and use a flat file to smooth it off, then buff with some fine emery cloth. The file wont damage surrounding chrome as it is too hard, but using this method, you will be surprised how much life you will get from the cylinder. I use it all the time for scored bucket rams, from machines that have come off hire.

To do a decent job here, you will need to split the cylinder and take out the damaged rod, remove the seal pack from the end and the cap and take it to a good machine shop who will make a copy of the rod profile, cut off the boss eye and re weld it to the new rod. If you give them the end cap and the bottom seal pack they will get copies for you to re seal the whole ram, This is the cheapest method to do this kind of repair by far ... however .. if you do what Ive mentioned above, you could then just reseal the ram and it will last you ages as long as more chrome doesent come off and you rip it through the seals before spotting it the chances are it will happen again, some of volvos chrome work is shameful .. so the long term fix is to replace the rod, but if you dont use it much, I'd just reseal it and keep an eye on it for more chrome bubbles

[wowe]

Q1: The ram has a removable cap, so its sufficient to remove this cap to get the pushrod out and let the cylinder mounted?
Q2: Must the hydraulic oil be bleed or not?
Q3: Volvo sells only a complete sealing kit for the whole ram. Is it possible to get the single parts from a third party? Or are the parts Volvo specific?

Regards wowe

[Muz]

Q1: The ram has a removable cap, so its sufficient to remove this cap to get the pushrod out and let the cylinder mounted?
Q2: Must the hydraulic oil be bleed or not?
Q3: Volvo sells only a complete sealing kit for the whole ram. Is it possible to get the single parts from a third party? Or are the parts Volvo specific?

Regards wowe

Did you digest anything at all from my post dont know why I bother sometimes ?

[Mattir]

Did you digest anything at all from my post dont know why I bother sometimes ?

Yes. Offering free help to people in need is somehow natural for individuals with a humble mindset. Equally, people think very differently which is reflected to the questions they have. In getting the problem solved the ambition for perfectness or gettings things done as cheap and easy as possible is reflected as well. ”The best” solution can vary among us humans.

[wowe]

@Muz

Did you digest anything at all from my post

Muz, of course

dont know why I bother sometimes ?

Honestly - not in this case...

Muz, you can be sure that I am very impressed of your knowlegdge and your readiness for helping. And of course I read it. But I am a human had have own ideas, so I take a suggestion from you and change a little bit for my special case to get the best solution for me.

As I read your answer, I had two possibilities for me: A very lowcost one and a well done one.

Low cost: I remove the stain at the pushrod and fill it up with an epoxy base material. And the damaged parts of the sealing kit must be changed - but if possible only the damaged and not the complete set. The sealing spare kit by Volvo contains about 20 parts - the price for digger parts are very high and Iīm a privat man. I must pay the bill, not a company. So I asked, if the parts of the sealing kit are "standard" parts, which I can buy the only damaged at a specialized dealer. If possible I will make the whole repair by myself.

well done:
I take your suggestion and change it a little bit. Inspired by your idea to cut the hook, i searched in the internet an found hard cromed standard parts with different diameters which are exact for such hydraulic repairs. My idea is at the "well done" solution to buy such a blank pushrod, give it to a local mechanical workshop to make the thread on it. The hook of the old pushrod is cut by myself and welded on the new one by myself. concerning the seals I have the same work as at the "low cost" solution.

This is my mind. Maybe you can now understand my questions better.

All the best Muz... wowe

[Mattir]

Have a bit similar case with the bucket ram. It has a longitudal dent and the pushrod stays wettish. But as long as the bucket does it`s job, will do nothing on the ram.

In my case, i guess the optimum solution would be to remove the ram and mail it a specialist and take the nitropills to survive the bill.

Wowe, I follow what your solution is going to be.

[wowe]

I tred to remove the front cap of the ram - but no chance. I think I must make the ram hot and cooling the cap to remove it. But at first I must remove the whole ram.

[Muz]

I tred to remove the front cap of the ram - but no chance. I think I must make the ram hot and cooling the cap to remove it. But at first I must remove the whole ram.

Just get a big stillson pipe wrench onto it if you dont have a 'c' spanner .. you will mark the end cap, but you can grind that back once you are done Dont heat it !


IMG_0129[1].jpg

Heres one of mine still running without any significant leaks

[wowe]

Dont heat it !

Do you have a special reason for this opinion? I read, that another who want to open the ram, used a 2m lever and nothing moved. So they made the ram hot and cooled the front cap down and the cap was removable. This time I tried to open the installed ram. Maybe it would be better to remove it from the digger.

About your pic: You have many damages. I have only one, but this one damaged the seals.

[Mattir]

Just get a big stillson pipe wrench onto it if you dont have a 'c' spanner .. you will mark the end cap, but you can grind that back once you are done Dont heat it !


[ATTACH=CONFIG]4098[/ATTACH]

Heres one of mine still running without any significant leaks

Someone has tried to dig with the pushrod or it has been attacked by a pack of rodents

[Muz]

Do you have a special reason for this opinion?

Just my preference .. dont fancy damaging paint and seals if I dont have to. Ive pulled apart rams 4 times that size without ever needing to use it ... just needs a bigger wrench and more elbow grease .. if all that fails I phone my machine shop

[wowe]

dont fancy damaging paint and seals if I dont have to.

I agree. But at least one seal is defect. And then I need to buy the complete set. Thats the reason, because I asked if the seals are standard parts to get only the damaged it from a dealer. From Volvo I only get the complete set.

Ive pulled apart rams 4 times that size without ever needing to use it ... just needs a bigger wrench and more elbow grease

Thats also a question of the eqipment.

if all that fails I phone my machine shop

Haha - but this is a joke.... or not????

[Muz]

I agree. But at least one seal is defect. And then I need to buy the complete set. Thats the reason, because I asked if the seals are standard parts to get only the damaged it from a dealer. From Volvo I only get the complete set.


Thats also a question of the eqipment.


Haha - but this is a joke.... or not????

Yes you will probably have to replace a set of seals .. its not worth going in there just to do one ring

[wowe]

Yesterday I mounted the ram from the digger away. In the mounted state, there was no chance to open the ram. I took a very good privat offer and bought a big and stable c wrench. Today I fixed the ram at my workbench and used a 1m lever - but the only one which moved was the vice . I made the ram hot - about 100 degree with a electric fan - but this was insufficient for a success. And I wonīt use an open flame. I read that another one makes the ram so hot that the ram was glowing red. But I will not do this. Now I consider to welt a 2m long angle steel at the front cap and fix it in a big vice of a friend. I will not use a big pipe wrench, because I donīt have one and with such a tool you can only downgrade the cap.