Help with Hydraulics

[Escapee]

I wondered on the off chance if anyone here had experience with Hydraulic rams.

I have a broken hydraulic ram, the eye has broken off the end and was originally welded on, I am wondering what material they are made of. ie: cast Iron, malable steel or plain mild steel.

Someone has done a bad job of repairing it in the past, it looks like it has been Arc welded and its very porous. It's either they used the wrong rods, not suitable for arc welding or they just did a bad job.

I am hoping to Mig weld it back on if possible, because my arc welding always looks like german measles.

Does anyone have any clues?

[TheDaddy]

I think if it were mine I would get some assistance with it
http://www.hydraulic-ram.co.uk/

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

I think if it were mine I would get some assistance with it
http://www.hydraulic-ram.co.uk/

Thanks for the link.

I take your point but I need to get it working again this weekend, if the weld broke again it would be unlikely to cause me any harm. The digger arm would not go left-right and if it started to swing I could drop the arm down as I did last weekend when it broke.

I also have the option of swapping it with the ram that controls the anchor, that one doesn't get quite as much use as the left-right one. When you are digging it just stops the machine slipping down a bank etc.

I would prefer to weld it back up (I'm sure I can do a much better job than the previous person did, even drill and tap for a new grease nipple where they just welded the old one up) and then keep my eyes out for a replacement ram.

I notice the company on that link says they have all material in stock, not giving me any clues though.

I can't help it. I'm a bit tight with money if I can do it myself.

[bmxbandit]

Originally Posted by Escapee

I wondered on the off chance if anyone here had experience with Hydraulic rams.

I have a broken hydraulic ram, the eye has broken off the end and was originally welded on, I am wondering what material they are made of. ie: cast Iron, malable steel or plain mild steel.

have very small experience... i doubt it's cast iron. the weld was very porous? hard to say, whatever was used it was probably a bad job!

i'd guess it's mig-weldable, and the worst you'll do is crack it again, and have to buy a new'un... but arc might give you a stronger weld.

meh, i'm not much help really! give it a try, and buy a new one if you break it

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by bmxbandit

have very small experience... i doubt it's cast iron. the weld was very porous? hard to say, whatever was used it was probably a bad job!

i'd guess it's mig-weldable, and the worst you'll do is crack it again, and have to buy a new'un... but arc might give you a stronger weld.

meh, i'm not much help really! give it a try, and buy a new one if you break it

Exactly what I was thinking.

I could weld it together with the Mig first, (because I know my Mig welding is strong) and then build it up with the Arc welder.

It's strange how pourus the material looks, it looks just like cast but I didn't expect it to be cast. If the worst comes to the worst it will break again and you can all say "Told you so"

Thanks