• Hydraulic cylinders may leak, bend, or otherwise be damaged, requiring repair.

• The repair process involves carefully breaking down the hydraulic components, restoring damaged parts, and reassembling the system.

• Getting repair services from a professional technician will help reduce your costs and extend the service life of your equipment.

Hydraulic cylinders are highly effective components for generating, controlling, and transmitting power in fluid-based mechanical systems. Typically, hydraulic components have good service lives and are quite reliable. However, they do require periodic upkeep and maintenance. Plus, from time to time, a hydraulic cylinder may crack or otherwise require repair. Knowing the signs of damage and addressing them promptly will help you maximize your equipment service life.

Signs Your Cylinder Requires Repair Services

There are a variety of signs that indicate your hydraulic system is in need of repair. If you notice any of the following, it is time to take action:

• Leaks: The most common sign of damage is an external leak of hydraulic fluid. This can present as a clear stream of fluid, the cylinder “weeping,” or gradually pooling fluid below the hydraulic system.

• Visible Cylinder Damage: Sometimes, you will be able to see cracking or distortion of the cylinder. This can represent a significant amount of damage to the hydraulics.

• Bent Rod: When hydraulic components are subjected to too much pressure, rods can bend. In some cases, this may be a relatively minor bend that requires measurement to check. However, you may notice imperfect operation.

• Weld or Seal Damage: Periodically checking the seals and welds where parts of the system meet each other can reveal damage. Anything that looks damaged or out of the ordinary in these areas is likely a sign that a repair is necessary.

• Low Pressure and/or Performance: Sometimes, the hydraulic system’s behavior is the best indicator of a problem. If the pressure in the system at rest is under the expected threshold or the system is simply performing poorly, it can be a sign of an issue.

Click here to see all the services we provide. 

How Do I Know if My Hydraulic Cylinder Is Leaking?

Leaks are the most common issue with hydraulic components. Naturally, the easiest way to tell that a cylinder is leaking is by seeing hydraulic fluid coming from it. However, this only happens during the most severe leaks. You may also notice some build-up of fluid on the outside of the cylinder. This is a little more subtle but a sure sign that further investigation is needed.

You can use soap and water in a spray bottle to help determine if there is an active leak. Another way to determine if there may be a leak is to closely inspect the seals and welds, as these are the most likely areas to leak.

If you suspect that there is a leak, you will need to remove the cylinder. Then, measure all the diameters carefully to ensure proper alignment.

What Causes a Hydraulic Cylinder To Leak Down?

If you experience leaking from your hydraulic components, there are a few possible explanations. The most common reason for leaks is that the seals are worn or due to be replaced. A loose piston nut and dirty hydraulic oil are both other possible explanations. In more severe situations, the cause may be internal damage to the cylinder. Leaking also sometimes happens when there are metal particles in the fluid due to damage or grinding.

Typically, major leaks will not happen if hydraulic components are well maintained and never used for excess loads. However, damage sometimes happens unexpectedly. Thus, careful inspections are important.

The Hydraulic Repair Process

If you believe that your hydraulic cylinder may need repair, the process will start with disassembly. The key to a successful repair is understanding where the problem originated from. Any repair process should include the following:

• Careful and complete disassembly of the cylinder with specialized tools to avoid damage.

• High-precision measurement of the components to ensure that they are within tolerances.

• Replacing all internal and external seals as needed (usually, all of them unless they have been replaced very recently).

• Replacing any worn or damaged components.

• Restoring chrome-plated surfaces as needed.

• Restoring or replacing worn mounts.

• Honing barrel tubes or replacing barrels.

• Precise reassembly of all components.

• Comprehensive testing of the hydraulic system to ensure proper function and to check for any missed leaks.

In other words, the process for repairing a hydraulic cylinder is very in-depth and requires both specialized tools and expertise. It takes a lot more than just patching the leak or changing the seals to fix the problem properly. Fortunately, a Texas Hydraulic & Equipment team member can provide reliable repair services for your equipment.

Should You Replace Hydraulic Cylinder Seals Yourself?

In nearly all situations, you should not attempt to replace the hydraulic seals yourself. There are two reasons for this. The first and foremost is that, when performing a hydraulic repair, it is not enough to simply replace the seals. These may be the most obvious area of damage; however, there is always a reason the seals failed, which may have nothing to do with the seals themselves.

If you simply replace the seals, perhaps viewing this as a more cost-effective option, you will likely end up with the same problem again in the near future. Instead, it is essential to identify and correct the issue.

This ties into the second reason not to replace the seals yourself: it requires an experienced eye. Even if you have all the right tools, identifying the exact cause of the problem can be challenging. It is often easier to find the symptoms of the problem than the cause. Thus, you may end up simply doing patchwork.

In short, it is typically best to trust a professional repair technician to do the job for you. In many cases, you will save money in the long run, and you will almost certainly improve the service life of the part.

When To Choose Professional Hydraulic Cylinder Repairs

Unless you have a trained and knowledgeable hydraulic repair technician on staff, paying for professional hydraulic cylinder repairs is probably a good idea. A professional repair technician will have the tools, knowledge, and experience to fix the problem right the first time.

For most organizations, hydraulic repairs are about more than just the equipment’s maintenance costs and service life. Downtime means reduced productivity. Plus, a critical hydraulic failure could even damage other assets. In other words, this is no time to be taking chances. Call for a professional service appointment when you see a problem.

Save Time and Money With a Long-Term Repair by Texas Hydraulic & Equipment

Texas Hydraulic & Equipment, LLC is a Dallas-, Mesquite-, and Desoto-based hydraulic equipment specialist. Contact us for service whenever you have a problem, whether it is a damaged cylinder or anything else. We can perform thorough testing, careful disassembly and reassembly, and reliable repairs. When you choose us, you can be confident that we will fix the problem correctly. Set an appointment today to get started.

Click here to see our service areas.

Still learning? Visit our blog to get more of your questions answered.

Featured Image: Ilya Platonov/Shutterstock