Engine hoist ram

[bricol]

As already said - highly unlikely a designer of such things would create bespoke seals - first thing you do is reach for the seal catalogue and pick what you need for the bore you have decided to use.

So take it apart, make a note of what goes where, find local hydraulic specialist, take the bits in and walk out with new.

 

[plewlandsbob]

I doubt they would have even made the seal, when new. That does not necessarily mean they are no longer available. Read the message very carefully. What you think they meant may not be applicable to your problem.

Let’s face it Clarke likely don’t actually make much of what they sell - they buy in and sell out.

As already said - highly unlikely a designer of such things would create bespoke seals - first thing you do is reach for the seal catalogue and pick what you need for the bore you have decided to use.

So take it apart, make a note of what goes where, find local hydraulic specialist, take the bits in and walk out with new.

I do not need seals. I have stripped ram down and rebuilt it. There is an internal crack , in it somewhere. I am an Agricultural Engineer. Hydraulic rams , pumps, valve blocks are something , I deal with on a regular basis.

It has been regularly overloaded , lifting tractor transmissions, weighing nearly a ton, at full extension, where it is only supposed to handle 250kg.

I know , it my fault for overloading it. I took the decision to use it like that and am fully aware of the risks and no one else , was at risk.

 

[Mikes]

I bought one of those replacement assemblies from a British seller. It was just the same as the one on a Clarke folding crane. This one also had a crack in the casing and I believe that the crane was knocked over by a vehicle whilst in the folded position and the crane hook was just in the wrong place to cause the damage. The replacement didn't work very well to begin with and the crane would creep down under load. After a bit of use it seems to have righted itself. Perhaps the release valve not seating very well. From memory, the whole assembly wasn't very expensive. I did try and buy another from the same company but they had stopped supplying them and all the ones that I could find had addresses in China.

 

[plewlandsbob]

I have a spare ram new for a SGS engine crane. I will get some photos tomorrow. Never used. I bought an SGS crane and it came with half of it missing. They sent a new one but wanted the old back. I "forgot" to send the ram back. Pay postage and its yours

Cool, send me a ,pm and we can sort out the details.
Thank you

 

[MattF]

mines a bit rusty on the extended end.

I know that feeling.

 

[plewlandsbob]

That will be perfect, for my hoist. Send me a message, with cost , etc
Thank you
Bob

 

[obd.tech]

I wouldn't despair at what you believe to be NLA seal kits. a few years ago I bought an old Swedish made engine crane, a G Power-Lift from a scrapper for very few notes, based on a failed seal/seals. i contacted the Swedish company who confessed that they stopped manufacturing engine hoists sometime in the 1980's, so couldn't help me with a service kit.
I dismantled the ram, measured the components, the main seal and the various 'O' rings and purchased them on-line. The main seal, which, basically was the only failed item cost £2.60 off Amazon (of all places). Crane/hoist now works perfectly. I've lifted a Harrison L5 with it and pulled an 8ft 100mmx100mm steel post set in concrete out of the ground.
Purchasing the 'O' rings proved expensive, only becomes on-line trade suppliers have minimum purchasing requirements. In the end I discovered that I didn't really need many of them.
The first picture is the replacement seal and the exploded diagram, the operating elements of the ram.
Give it a go, what's to lose?

View attachment 401548View attachment 401549

A Thank You! to BarrieJ
I have the same 1988 G Power-lift F750V crane, not used a great deal in my possession of the last 20yrs.
had to lift sons GTR transmission out of this Van and the Crane failed under the Duress :-(.
I thought this quality tool would out last me.
Wondered if Barrie could help me sort it out?
No external leaks, just wont hold a load of me pushing the ram down in the bench vice, like the return shut off tap is leaking back to the reservoir?
Thanks for BarrieJ's diagram of parts, the only i could find on my internet search!!
I tried to undo the 8mm hex bung (15) anticlockwise, and its so tight that i snapped a decent alun key off!
Is access 15 the pressure relief valve? thought it may have muck in the ball seating area?
What do i try next?

All help appreciated, as i need this great tool working for an imminent GTR Engine Rebuild.
Thanks

 

[eddie49]

To obd.tech: you need to get his attention this way:
Calling @BarrieJ

 

[obd.tech]

To obd.tech: you need to get his attention this way:
Calling @BarrieJ

Thanks eddie49 but no luck for me :-(

 

[SteveW1959]

I wouldn't despair at what you believe to be NLA seal kits. a few years ago I bought an old Swedish made engine crane, a G Power-Lift from a scrapper for very few notes, based on a failed seal/seals. i contacted the Swedish company who confessed that they stopped manufacturing engine hoists sometime in the 1980's, so couldn't help me with a service kit.
I dismantled the ram, measured the components, the main seal and the various 'O' rings and purchased them on-line. The main seal, which, basically was the only failed item cost £2.60 off Amazon (of all places). Crane/hoist now works perfectly. I've lifted a Harrison L5 with it and pulled an 8ft 100mmx100mm steel post set in concrete out of the ground.
Purchasing the 'O' rings proved expensive, only becomes on-line trade suppliers have minimum purchasing requirements. In the end I discovered that I didn't really need many of them.
The first picture is the replacement seal and the exploded diagram, the operating elements of the ram.
Give it a go, what's to lose?

View attachment 401548View attachment 401549

Hi Barrie, I have exactly the same ram. I have replaced the main seal and now need to fill it with hydraulic fluid. Can I ask you please, how did you refill yours?

 

[SteveW1959]

I wouldn't despair at what you believe to be NLA seal kits. a few years ago I bought an old Swedish made engine crane, a G Power-Lift from a scrapper for very few notes, based on a failed seal/seals. i contacted the Swedish company who confessed that they stopped manufacturing engine hoists sometime in the 1980's, so couldn't help me with a service kit.
I dismantled the ram, measured the components, the main seal and the various 'O' rings and purchased them on-line. The main seal, which, basically was the only failed item cost £2.60 off Amazon (of all places). Crane/hoist now works perfectly. I've lifted a Harrison L5 with it and pulled an 8ft 100mmx100mm steel post set in concrete out of the ground.
Purchasing the 'O' rings proved expensive, only becomes on-line trade suppliers have minimum purchasing requirements. In the end I discovered that I didn't really need many of them.
The first picture is the replacement seal and the exploded diagram, the operating elements of the ram.
Give it a go, what's to lose?

View attachment 401548View attachment 401549

 

[SteveW1959]

@BarrieJ
Hi Barrie, I have the same ram. Could you tell me please how you refilled the ram with hydraulic oil?
Thanks in advance.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I'm not familiar with that ram, but usually there is a little bung in the side of the reservoir - with the piston fully down, remove that and fill with oil until it starts to come out.


As an aside for anybody following the original topic, I did take my ram apart to repair it (see saga here).
It turns out that yes these are indeed special seals and not available from hydrualic spares places - you have to go to china to find them and it is probably cheaper to just buy a new ram.

 

[jmp49]

Also for the original topic, I re-rammed my engine crane with one of those generic chinese rams. The only downsides after several years of abuse (including lifting a jcb engine out which bent the beam of my hoist slightly...) is that the chinese ram isn't plated, its just a ground steel surface, so I leave it all the way home so the important bits dont rust, and secondly its a tiny bit less convienient to operate the lowering valve compared to the original remote one that was placed on the pump mounted nearer hand level. I just cut off the end of the chinese ram and formed it into solid eye that suited the crane and welded a steel U onto the arm itself, its nicknamed mr sketchy years ago by some friends and was pulled out of someones scrap pile about 30 years ago so it doesn't live a pampered life and I'm not posting a picture because it hasn't got any safer or prettier looking of late...

Recently I put a little manual crane on the bed of my master pickup, and I swapped the hydraulic ram on that for a air over hydraulic one so that if I'm somewhere with a compressor I don't have to pump and it gives a nice controlled lift. If I ever had to redo mr sketchy, I'd go with a air over cylinder because it makes life so much easier.