Genie S60 Boom Cylinder Rebuild
If your Genie S60 boom is drifting down on its own, weeping oil at the rod, or the platform won’t hold height under a load, chances are you’re looking at a Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild. We’ve done this job enough times on scissor and boom lifts running through Ames-area rental yards and job sites that we know exactly where the wear shows up first, and it’s almost never a surprise once we get the cylinder on the bench.
A Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild starts the same way every time: we pull the cylinder off the machine, cap the hydraulic lines so nothing drains into the boom or onto the ground, and get it onto the bench where we can actually see what’s going on inside instead of guessing from the outside.
How we do a Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild
Once the cylinder is off the machine and on the bench, the process is straightforward but it has to be done in order or you’ll be doing it again in six months. Here’s what a typical Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild looks like at our shop:
- Remove the cylinder from the boom and disconnect the lines
- Disassemble the cylinder, pull the rod, and inspect the barrel bore for scoring or pitting
- Measure and hone the bore if it’s within tolerance, or flag it for a new tube if it isn’t
- Install fresh head seals, piston seals, U-seals, and wiper seals sized to spec (we commonly run seal kits like the HS686-342 head seal, P-AA1062 piston seal, and MCU-1500-D wiper seal on this cylinder family)
- Reassemble, reinstall on the boom, and bleed the system to clear trapped air
- Cycle the boom under load a few times and check for drift, leaks, and smooth operation
We also check the rod for chrome wear and pitting, because a rod that’s scored will chew up a brand-new seal kit in a matter of weeks. If the rod is bad, we tell you before we button the cylinder back up, not after.
Common Genie S60 boom cylinder symptoms and failure causes
Most of the Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild jobs that come through our shop trace back to a handful of root causes. Knowing which one you’ve got helps set expectations for the repair:
- Boom drifts down under its own weight — usually a blown piston seal or worn barrel bore letting oil bypass internally
- Oil weeping at the rod end — typically a failed wiper seal or rod seal, often paired with rod scoring from dirt intrusion
- Jerky or hesitating boom movement — trapped air in the system after a seal failure, which gets worked out during the bleed step
- Visible scoring inside the barrel — the most common cause of a repeat failure, and the reason we always inspect the bore before quoting a straight seal-and-reseal job
Here’s the part we’re always upfront about: it’s really common for the other boom cylinder to blow out shortly after we rebuild the first one, since both cylinders have usually seen the same hours and the same dirt. If a rebuild doesn’t hold because the bore or rod is too far gone, you’re looking at a new cylinder instead, which typically adds $300 to $800 to the job depending on the cylinder.
How much does a Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild cost
A straightforward Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild — remove, rebuild with a fresh seal kit, install, and bleed — usually runs in the $600 to $1,200 range depending on parts condition and whether the bore needs honing. If the barrel is scored too deep to hone or the rod needs replacing, that pushes the job toward a new cylinder, adding roughly $300 to $800 on top of labor. We also charge mileage for on-site work — typically a flat rate for trips within about 40 miles of our shop at 210 Freel Dr in Ames, no trailer needed for most of these jobs.
For a full breakdown of what drives cylinder rebuild pricing across different equipment types, our hydraulic cylinder rebuild cost guide walks through the variables in more detail. If you’re comparing a Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild against other lift or excavator work we do, take a look at our excavator cylinder rebuild page or our hydraulic cylinder repair services for a sense of how the process compares across machines.
We’ve rebuilt these cylinders often enough to know the difference between a cylinder that just needs new seals and one that’s going to need a new tube, and we won’t quote you for the easy fix if the bench tells us otherwise. If your Genie S60 is drifting, leaking, or just not holding a load like it used to, call us at 515-292-2599 and we’ll walk you through what a Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild will run for your specific machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild take?
Most rebuilds take 1 to 3 days once the cylinder is on our bench, depending on whether the bore needs honing and how fast we can source seal kits. Rush jobs are possible — call 515-292-2599 to check current turnaround.
Can you rebuild the cylinder without pulling it off the Genie S60?
No — an in-place reseal isn’t reliable on this cylinder. We remove it, inspect the bore and rod on the bench, then reinstall and bleed the system so we’re not guessing at what’s going on inside.
Why did my other boom cylinder start leaking right after the rebuild?
Both boom cylinders usually rack up the same hours and see the same dirt and wear, so it’s genuinely common for the second cylinder to fail shortly after the first one is rebuilt. We flag this possibility upfront so it’s not a surprise.
Do you come to our site for the Genie S60 boom cylinder rebuild or do we bring it in?
Both work. We can pull and reinstall the cylinder on-site within about 40 miles of our Ames shop for a mileage fee, or you can bring the machine or cylinder to 210 Freel Dr for us to handle at the bench.
What if the rebuild doesn’t hold and I need a new cylinder?
If the barrel bore or rod is too scored or worn to hone and reseal successfully, we’ll tell you before finishing the job. Swapping to a new cylinder typically adds $300 to $800 depending on the part.
Written by Josiah Ragsdale, Ames Hydraulics