When you use hydraulic cylinders on the equipment you operate every day, eventually, you will need to have some hydraulic cylinder repair done to keep the machines running. In some cases, you may only need to do some minor maintenance, but the possibility that replacing the entire cylinder or rebuilding it with new hydraulic seals could become necessary. 

Bent Hydraulic Cylinders

Hydraulic cylinders are extremely strong, and bending a cylinder typically only happens if the load on the cylinder is too high or is at an angle to the cylinder. The cylinder housing generally is not where the damage occurs. Most of the time, it is the ram or piston shaft that bends, and then the cylinder will not operate properly. The bent rod will slide through the seal, but the angle is often so steep that the shaft will bond on the hydraulic cylinder body, causing damage to the seal, the cylinder body, and often to the ram or position shaft. A hydraulic cylinder repair service will need to take the cylinder apart and replace the piston and shaft if the cylinder is going to be reused. Never try and straighten the shaft. The steel used is heat treated for durability, and the stress of straightening the shaft will weaken the steel, or if heat is applied, the heat treatment can be altered, and the shaft will likely bend again.

Dents in the Cylinder Body

If you have a hydraulic cylinder with a severe dent in the body of the cylinder, you may need to have a hydraulic cylinder repair tech look at the cylinder to make sure it is performing correctly. A dent in the cylinder body often causes issues with the piston inside the cylinder, and even a small deflection in the cylinder wall can cause the piston to lose its seal to the cylinder. A loss of cylinder pressure resulting from a poor seal inside the cylinder can often cause the performance of the cylinder to fail. The dent can also cause the piston's travel to lessen, and the cylinder may not work correctly afterward.

Hard and Soft Lines

Every hydraulic system uses pressure lines to carry the oil from the pump to the cylinders. You may have a problem with the threads on the base of the cylinder if you are having trouble with a line connecting correctly to the hydraulic cylinder. Take the part to a hydraulic cylinder repair service and have them check the fitting on the cylinder and replace it if necessary. If the threads are severely damaged, they may not be able to fix them, and you may need to replace the hydraulic cylinder.