Removing a Hydraulic ram

On our Ballast Regulator, the front plough wings are operated by some Hydraulic rams.
One of which is weeping oil.
Easy job, remove the split pin, knock out the pin, repeat at the other end, disconnect the hoses and the ram is off ready to take away for overhauling.

Er NO
Nearly right.
One end freed off.
The other split pin off and that is it.
The pin rotates 360 degrees, moves up about 1/16 so free in the hole in bracket and cylinder end but it will not go any further.

The arc of movement in normal use is about 5 degrees as the ram moves a wing in or out.

All the usual persuasive tools including the 40 ton jack that just lifted the machine up in the air.
Thoughts are that the pin is ridged and is locking up on the ram end.
Any suggestions welcome.

 

Looks like it's stuck in the centre part of a spherical bearing. If all else fails to move it you will have to drill through the pin to get it to move.

 

Tried that.
Guess what? - Nothing. Somehow doubled up on the wrong response.
As for drilling we are looking at that with a Magdrill next week.

Thanks
Tried that.
Guess what? - Nothing.

 

Last job this afternoon was seeing if we could get the Magdrill over it.

This is the machine in action.

 

From the 'teeth' marks on the pin, it looks like you have tried rotating it, and failed.

In the last photo it looks like both the pin and the eye have lifted a mm or so. Can you shim the eye and then strike down on the pin (jack removed) to break the adhesion? The last thing you'd want to do is to fracture the casting. I've always wondered if those 'freezer' sprays. as used by Plumbers, might help in such a situation but have never tried it.

Failing that. If you can get a 1mm cutting disc, or reciprocating saw, to cut the 'head' off the pin, and then knock down, it is worth a try. As mentioned, drilling it out might be the ultimate solution. Easy enough for someone to 'turn' a replacement pin.

We've had a couple of occasions where, when removing Corridor Connectors. For the later sort where the head of the bolt is visible but inset, I designed a 'cage' which fitted over the bottom member of the corridor connector into which could be put a 15 ton jack. Some bolts came out. Some didn't. Of those that actually came out, with a struggle, the bolts, when cleaned up with a wire brush in an angle grinder, dropped back in 'neat as pie'.

 

Ploughman has already said the pin rotates so is effectively free. I take it you have looked at the obvious and eliminated a burr/damage on the underside of the pin where the split pin goes? Question: is there a rose bearing on this end of the ram, as well as the other end or even a simple bush? Is it the bearing that is rotating in the housing giving the impression that it is rotationally free but possibly seized in the bearing?

 

Another comment. You appear to be jacking off the floor so it is unlikely that you are putting much load on the pin, simply lifting the vehicle. The maximum load you will apply is only going to be half the weight of the regulator (if you get both wheel off the ground) and probably much less.

 

Am I right in thinking that there is a matching ram on the other side? If the pin in that one comes free relatively easily it might give you some clues as to what is holding this one in place. (I'm thinking here of Steve's suggestion that there might be a separate bush or bearing). If it's not free then it wouldn't be worth the time, effort or risk of damage to remove it...

Steve B

 

Thanks for that comment will take a look.