Huskee 22, ram cap, little screw with washer

[Highbeam]

I have a Huskee 22 bought in about 2011, it's been great. Right next to where the chrome rod goes into the body of the ram there is a little 1/4" philips head screw that holds a 3/4" washer. Mine shook loose and fell out. Luckily I found it in the sawdust and it threads back in but the washer doesn't lay flat. Is there a little groove in the ram body? What's this screw/washer for? The threads are deep and clean.

 

[Highbeam]

It looks like I stumped 43 viewers! I have an answer though in case you're curious.

I've been in communication with Speeco who is awesomely responsive by the way. That screw and washer does in fact need to be there. It is to prevent the end cap of the cylinder from being sucked into the cylinder when the wedge is retracted. The nice man said to put it back in tight with a drop of blue loctite.

I still don't get how that end cap can be sucked into the cylinder since the oil should pressurize that interior cavity but maybe if there is a chunk of wood on top of the wedge it could push it in. Oh well. I'm not an expert here and will happily put the screw back.

 

[blades]

sounds more like a set screw to keep cylinder cap from loosening up as normal hydro plumbing on that would be under low pressure to move ram back if your control valve has a forward- netural - return set up. if only a forward and netural then there would be springs to pull ram back to home position and the fluid would be drawn into that end of the cylinder by suction- like the little 4-7 ton electric units.

 

[salecker]

post a picture or it didn't happen

 

[paulnlee]

post a picture or it didn't happen

Yeah, I want to check my Speeco, hell I've got a safety pin holding the arm up

 

[Highbeam]

here's a photo. The washer doesn't usually sit flat like that though and is at an angle pulled down by the screw.

 

[paulnlee]

Too dark for these old eyes

 

[Highbeam]

Too dark for these old eyes

I can see it fine, maybe there is some software lighting enhancement possible? It is a black screw on a black ram.

Can you see it now?

 

[triptester]

The screw and washer are used as a safety device to prevent the end cover from being pushed in exposing the lock ring holding the cylinder together. The missing screw and washer would not cause the cylinder to fail.

 

[Sawset]

I'd be interested in some sort of schematic for these cylinders. They seem different than those say on ag equipment or excavators. Most others don't seem to have the small screw brackets on one end. And if they are removed, the end cap can be pushed?

 

[salecker]

That is the first cylinder that is made that way that i have seen.
Cheep lightweight built for a splitter.
A cylinder like that would not last on any type of machinery.My self i would not even run one on a splitter let alone buy one.

 

[paulnlee]

My Speeco 28 ton doesn't have one

 

[Highbeam]

There are bajillions of huskee 22 splitters out there and this hokey lightweight cylinder is not a problem. It just has this wonkey screw thing on it that we owners need to be sure stays in place. I searched and there were no other reports of it falling out or maybe people just don't think it's important. I sure as heck wouldn't allow this nuance from preventing purchase of a really good value splitter.

 

[Sawset]

I have an answer though in case you're curious.

That screw and washer does in fact need to be there. It is to prevent the end cap of the cylinder from being sucked into the cylinder when the wedge is retracted.

The screw and washer are used as a safety device to prevent the end cover from being pushed in exposing the lock ring holding the cylinder together. The missing screw and washer would not cause the cylinder to fail.

I'd be interested in some sort of schematic for these cylinders.

Seeing as though I have one of these now, I was curious how it's put together. In searching for an answer, it ended up the terms to look for were "hydraulic cylinder gland" and "retaining ring". And a whole world of hydraulic cylinders seals and methods of assembly opened up. What it all boiled down to were really four methods of retaining the "gland" or plug at the end of the cylinder -
1) tie rod assembly, where rods extend the length of the cylinder holding both ends tight
2) gland internally threaded, and using a spanner wrench to un screw the gland from the end
3) gland held by an internal retaining ring well in from the end, with the ring accessed either on the outside of the cylinder, or in one case through the low side port
4) gland held by an internal snap ring out at the end, accessed by pushing the gland inward enough to get a snap wring pliers on it, or, on some the snap rings are actually flat spirals that unravel and are pulled out with a pick. It appears we have the last variety, gland pushed in to access the internal snap ring out at the end, with the ring barely out of sight.

As far as the small bracket/washer and screws on the end, what I'm guessing is that for the application, splitting cordwood, all kinds of stuff can get lodged in and around that cylinder end, and push the gland end in before anyone realizes. Normally on things like scissor lifts and bucket loaders there is no debris pile up issue, so no reason to retain the gland "out" where it belongs. System pressure alone would keep it there.

Cheep lightweight built for a splitter.

Yah, that kind of works in our favor. If the opposite were true, I wouldn't like that as much. This type of assembly is used all over, not just splitters.

There are bajillions of huskee 22 splitters out there

I'll go with that. I'm still confident I did the right thing by choosing one, and expect to get a long useful life out of it.

 

[Sawset]

A possible representation of what we have:
http://www.princehyd.com/Products/Hydraulic-Cylinders/Welded/2500-PSI-2-1-2-4-Bores

The retaining ring is accessed by pushing the gland in, remove the ring, and the entire internal assembly can be pulled and rebuilt with new seals if needed.

 

[Highbeam]

So the only thing holding the gland out against that retaining ring is system pressure? And, of course, the little screw/washer that started this thread?

 

[Sawset]

From what I saw for rebuilding:
They pushed (maybe hammered) the end in a little to be able to get at the ring. Remove the ring. Then give the ram a good long hard yank, and the whole works came out.
To reverse it all and reassemble, they put in a split sleeve to cover any exposed grooves, slid in the works, removed the sleeve, insert retainer. Done.
So yes, the gland was held out with system pressure. All the others had some kind of bolting, or threading, or concealed retainer wire to hold the end firm.

 

[Sawset]

I think this thread is describing a little of what I'm finding, with the conclusion being the same:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/hydraulic-end-cap-removal.84156/

The solution came up at post #7

 

[Sawset]

The below site has a bunch of cylinders to choose from, with short descriptions on how they are assembled, and a listing of other things like wall thicknesses and rod diameters. I didn't really see a correlation between price and method of end retention only, but maybe more overall how toughly build they were. Narrow the search to splitter sized cylinders, and a range construction types and other choices comes up.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/Hydra.../Double-Acting-Hydraulic-Cylinders/?page_no=1

https://www.surpluscenter.com/Hydraulics/Hydraulic-Cylinders/Double-Acting-Hydraulic-Cylinders/?page_no=1&fq=ATR_Construction_Type:Welded&fq=ATR_Max_PSI:Over\+2500\+PSI&fq=ATR_HydraulicCylinderBoreRange:4\"\+\-\+4.9\"&fq=ATR_HydraulicCylinderStrokeRange:24\"\+\-\+29.9\"

 

[Davenshe]

Thanks, Sawset! Will take note of those links.