Georgia Iron
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2012
- Messages
- 887
- Location
- USA - Georgia
- Occupation
- Concrete building slab and grading contractor
So, I have a Case CX160 excavator that has a tensioner issue. It loses grease out the end of the cylinder. I have taken it off the machine and was inspecting the rod. I could not get the rod out of cylinder, I put 150 lbs of air on it, it did not move and it was stuck, I believe this is because it got pushed up into the cylinder when we compressed it with the boom. Upon checking the rod it has different dimensions. I ended up using my 10k grease gun to push the rod back out.
I was looking atordering a new piece of rod at 2.59 but the movement made me question that and it is that size now so not seeing how that will help other than to remove the rough area
The rod measure 2.59 inches on the first 6 inches of rod that is inside the cylinder. As you move towards the end of the rod it grows in size all the way to 2.90 inches.
It gets tight and will not go into the cylinder. It gets tight at about 2.61 inches. If you pull it all the way out (maybe 2" still in the bore) it looks like it has about a hairs width of clearance and some movement in the bore. It seems like too much. Once you slide the rod into the cylinder at midway point it gets tight. In order to push it in any further, I had to use a shop press. It only went in a few more inchs and then bent a 1/4 plate in half so it was way too tight. Had to use grease again to push it out. It was so tight a 16 lbs hammer didn't do much pushing it in.
I am thinking that the end had mushroomed over time, this seems to effect about 6"s of the rod. I don't know how much clearance you should have between the metal, for the o-ring to work right. It is sealed with an o-ring and a backup ring. If the rod is the same size further in the mushrooming should not even matter because it will not get pressed in that far. But the slight movement worries me and I am wondering if it will loose pressure again. It has probably never been serviced. But it has moved enough that the o-ring is worn and half the backup ring was missing. The chrome has wear in that area where it tensioned too. The oring and backup still felt good but they seemed ground off, like the worn spot in the cylinder ate them up.
Have you ever seen the dimensions on the track adjuster rods change like this?
I was looking atordering a new piece of rod at 2.59 but the movement made me question that and it is that size now so not seeing how that will help other than to remove the rough area
The rod measure 2.59 inches on the first 6 inches of rod that is inside the cylinder. As you move towards the end of the rod it grows in size all the way to 2.90 inches.
It gets tight and will not go into the cylinder. It gets tight at about 2.61 inches. If you pull it all the way out (maybe 2" still in the bore) it looks like it has about a hairs width of clearance and some movement in the bore. It seems like too much. Once you slide the rod into the cylinder at midway point it gets tight. In order to push it in any further, I had to use a shop press. It only went in a few more inchs and then bent a 1/4 plate in half so it was way too tight. Had to use grease again to push it out. It was so tight a 16 lbs hammer didn't do much pushing it in.
I am thinking that the end had mushroomed over time, this seems to effect about 6"s of the rod. I don't know how much clearance you should have between the metal, for the o-ring to work right. It is sealed with an o-ring and a backup ring. If the rod is the same size further in the mushrooming should not even matter because it will not get pressed in that far. But the slight movement worries me and I am wondering if it will loose pressure again. It has probably never been serviced. But it has moved enough that the o-ring is worn and half the backup ring was missing. The chrome has wear in that area where it tensioned too. The oring and backup still felt good but they seemed ground off, like the worn spot in the cylinder ate them up.
Have you ever seen the dimensions on the track adjuster rods change like this?
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