Chuck, Don't disagree with anything you said. The seals I replaced were probably the simplest ones in the unit requiring no special tools. As I alluded to in my post, it was a simple rebuild with no mitigating issues.
I chose to not replace the main piston seals. Fortunately, they seem to be doing well. The unit is still holding about 500-600 psi after over 48 hours. -- Dennis C. Touche' 35-1 #83 Mandeville, LA On Mon, Jan 8, 2024 at 12:50 PM CHARLES SCHEAFFER via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > FWIW, I tried to rebuild my backstay ram two summers ago and learned the > hard way, I didn't have the proper tools to do it myself. I wound up > taking the thing to a local shop and they finished it for me. I got a > rebuild kit from Offshore Spars and followed the detailed instructions that > Dennis shared and got all the specific seals on the rod and piston but > couldn't get the piston back into the cylinder. A new seal jambed on the > inside threads of the cylinder. Desperate, I took it to the shop and they > looked at it, ordered a new $15 seal which took a few days and installed it > while I waited, the next Saturday. > > IIRC, the parts were $120 and the guy charged me $50 for ten minutes > work. Plus, I gave him $20 to look at it. Not bad. > > I'd rather use my local shop that has all the tools and ram expertise. I > only tried to rebuild it myself that time, because the front office said > they couldn't get to it for a month and I would have missed a month of > sailing. > > I learned that at my local hydraulics shop, during the week, the women in > the front office schedule the jobs and everything waits for months. On > Saturday, the front office is closed and the workers in the back, are happy > to help people in distress. > > Another thought, the O-ring seal at the top of the ram is an easy DIY > project because that seal lives in the top cap that unscrews from the > cylinder. You still have to follow the instructions to work on it, to be > safe, but it is a simpler job than rebuilding the whole unit which has > multiple seals inside. My local shop repaced that seal fifteen years back > for $35 and then bench tested the unit to #4000 for me, to prove that was > the only thing needed. This time around, I thought I should rebuild the > whole unit for peace of mind. > > Tip: This is the best time of year to check your hydraulic rams and get > them fixed. Don't wait, like I did, till Spring. > > Chuck Scheaffer, Resolute, 1989 C&C 34R, Annapolis > > > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and > help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > Thanks for your help. > Stu
Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
