Heavy Equipment Cylinder Rebuild in Iowa | Ames Hydraulics

Heavy Equipment Cylinder Rebuild In Iowa

Heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is a core specialty of our shop. Excavators, wheel loaders, motor graders, dozers, backhoes, articulated trucks, and other heavy machines all run big hydraulic cylinders — some 6 inches in diameter and longer, weighing 200-500+ pounds — and when a cylinder leaks the whole machine goes down. Our Ames, Iowa shop is set up specifically for large-cylinder work: heavy lifts, big benches, chrome-rod polishing capacity, and honing for cylinder bores up to about 8 inches.

Machines We Rebuild Cylinders From

Cat 320/336/349 excavators, Deere 200G/300G/470G excavators, Komatsu PC200/PC300 excavators. Cat 950/966/972 wheel loaders, Deere 644/744/844 wheel loaders, Case 721/821/921 wheel loaders. Cat D6/D7/D8/D9 dozers, Deere 700J/850J/950J dozers. Cat 140M/160M motor graders, Deere 670G/770G motor graders. Case 580/590 backhoes, Deere 310/410/710 backhoes. Cat 725/730 articulated dump trucks. Compact machines — track loaders, skid steers, compact excavators — are on separate pages. This page covers the big iron.

What A Heavy Equipment Cylinder Rebuild Involves

A heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is not a bigger version of a small cylinder rebuild — it’s a job that requires specific equipment. Big cylinders are moved on carts and hoists, not carried. Big rods are supported at multiple points during polishing. Big honing takes a big honing machine. Big cylinders take specialty seal kits from Kastas, Chesterton, Parker, and other heavy-duty seal manufacturers. We have all of this in-house.

The rebuild process itself: pull the cylinder from the machine (customer usually does this in the field or brings the whole machine in), disassemble on the bench, inspect the rod for pitting or scoring, polish or replace the rod, hone the barrel if needed, replace all seals with a matched heavy-duty kit, reassemble with new fluid, and pressure test on the bench at rated pressure before it ships back.

Rod Repair And Replacement

The chrome rod is the most vulnerable part of any big cylinder. Salt, dust, dirt, and moisture all attack the chrome plating over years, and once it pits past the wiper seal, the rod eats seals until you replace or repair it. Heavy equipment cylinder rebuild often requires rod repair — polishing to remove light pitting and re-plating chrome, or full rod replacement if the damage is beyond repair. New rods for common cylinder sizes are usually available; for very old machines we sometimes have to source or fabricate.

Barrel Honing And Repair

Cylinder barrels wear over years — the piston sliding back and forth polishes the bore, and eventually the piston seal doesn’t seal properly against a worn bore. Honing restores the bore’s cross-hatch pattern for proper seal engagement. On badly-worn barrels we sometimes have to install liners or replace the barrel entirely. Most heavy equipment cylinder rebuild jobs need at least a hone; deeper repair is case-by-case.

Seal Kits For Heavy-Duty Duty

Heavy equipment cylinders see higher pressure, higher cycle counts, and higher shock loads than smaller cylinders. That means the seals have to be up to it. We use heavy-duty seal kits — polyurethane wipers, thermoplastic backup rings, PTFE-loaded piston seals — from established manufacturers. We do not use cheap replacement kits. A heavy equipment cylinder rebuild done with the wrong seals will fail within months.

Pressure Testing

Every heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is pressure-tested on the bench at rated operating pressure — usually 2,500-3,500 psi depending on the machine — before it goes back to the customer. We test both extend and retract functions, hold at pressure for a soak period, and verify no external leaks and no bypass across the piston. If it doesn’t pass on the bench, we don’t ship it.

Cost Ranges For Heavy Equipment Cylinder Rebuild

Rebuild cost is a function of cylinder size, brand, and what’s damaged. Small heavy-equipment cylinders (3-4 inch bore, 2-4 foot stroke) run $600-$1,200 for a standard rebuild. Medium cylinders (4-6 inch bore) run $1,200-$2,500. Large cylinders (6-8+ inch bore) run $2,000-$4,500. Add $500-$2,500 for rod replacement or extensive barrel repair. Every heavy equipment cylinder rebuild gets a written estimate before we start.

Turnaround

Heavy equipment cylinder rebuild is typically a 1-2 week job. Standard rebuilds turn in 5-10 business days. Rod replacement or specialty seal orders can push it to 2-3 weeks. Priority scheduling available for critical fleet or contractor units.

Shipping And Drop-Off

Big cylinders ship well by freight. Crate the cylinder, tag it with contact info and machine details, and send it to our Ames shop. Or bring the whole machine in — we’ll pull the cylinder, do the rebuild, and reinstall. For contractors within roughly 60 miles of Ames we can arrange pickup and delivery.

Common Questions About Heavy Equipment Cylinder Rebuild

Can you rebuild an OEM Cat or Deere cylinder or does it need to go back to the dealer? We rebuild OEM cylinders. There is no requirement to send them back to Cat or Deere for rebuild. Our rebuild uses OEM-equivalent or better seals and is fully warrantied.

What if my rod is really damaged? Rod replacement is available on most common sizes. Very old machines with proprietary rods sometimes require fabrication, which adds time and cost.

Do you rebuild cylinders from tracked machines like dozers and mini-excavators? Yes on standard-size cylinders. Very large dozer cylinders (D10, D11) exceed our bench capacity and we refer those out.

How long will a rebuilt cylinder last? A properly rebuilt cylinder with quality seals typically runs 5-10 years of normal operation before it needs service again.

Get A Quote

Call or text 515-292-2599. Tell us the machine make and model, cylinder location (boom, arm, bucket, stabilizer, blade lift, etc.), and what’s leaking or damaged. We’ll ballpark heavy equipment cylinder rebuild cost over the phone.