Need some advice getting an air cylinder apart

[MBTcustom]

I've never seen this style of retainer before. I've tried to find a picture online of something similar with instructions of how to get it apart, but no dice.
I have three of these air cylinders and the seals are in need of repair. Two if them are still very strong, but the third is leaking pretty bad. Needless to say it's problably a lot cheaper to rebuild the seal packs then to buy new units.
Only problem is, I have no idea how to manipulate these caps into coming off the cylinder. Have any of you ever seen anything like this? If so, what tool(s) do I need to get these babies apart?
Thanks for any help!
146976
146977

[bstone5]

Looks like a spanner wrench with a hole in middle will unscrew the nut.

I have repaired some similar cylinders, will need some identification to get the repair parts.

I got parts after I found out who made the cylinders.

I got parts from Motion Industries here in Houston.

[MBTcustom]

That's what I thought at first too, but if you look close, you will see a spring retainer of some sort in one of the "spanner wrench slots". You cannot unscrew the cap. It has no threads.

It's held in with some strange form of ring clip, with those slots being the only access point.
I almost think that with the right tool, twisting the cap either compresses, or expands the spring allowing the cap to be removed, but I really have no idea how that would work.

I get the idea that you look at something like this, and you either know what it is and how it works or you do not, and I am of the latter opinion.

[Sweetpea]

Tim, it looks to me that the spring clip is definitely holding it.

It appears that as you twist the ring in the proper direction, it will "pull" the clip, and you should be able to twist it out.

OR

I'm a dunce... (It's happened before)

And hopefully somebody else can help!

[MBTcustom]

I had the same thought and I tried that. The problem is, it looks like it needs to be pulled pretty hard while twisting in order to work the cap off, and no spanner I have has any pulling powder.

[Menner]

it looks to me that if you used a flat head screw driver to pry the ear of the clip towards the opposite side it would shorten the clip and release the end cap the other end of the clip is probably captured
That is my WAG
Tony

[country gent]

I have seen these before. I dont think the clips are actually springs but very soft steel and the ears will need to be straightened to remove, similar to a cotter pin. Have seen them with a round pin that goes in thru a hole in the side and into the groove. 2 or 4 bolts thru end caps. Look at it very clos;y and see what it looks like. We used to take a cresent wrench and drill a pin hole in each jaws side to make and adjustable spanner.

[Mal Paso]

it looks to me that if you used a flat head screw driver to pry the ear of the clip towards the opposite side it would shorten the clip and release the end cap the other end of the clip is probably captured
That is my WAG
Tony

Can you see a groove inside the cylinder in the slot, next to the tab?

Good one goodsteel!

[Plate plinker]

The other end is sealed?

ive come across this before where you can see the clip but you don't remove that because it comes out as a unit.

[MBTcustom]

These caps are on both ends and they are identical configuration. I tried to get ahold of the dog leg end that you see in the RH slot in my pictures, but it is very stout and cannot be easily gripped. I tryed manipulating it with most of the tools I have that could get in there and I struck out. I was really hoping somebody here would tell me to quit being stupid and buy such and such a tool and get on with life. I don't even know what you call this!:confused:

Tomorrow, I'm going to try to use the cylinder itself to push the cap while I twist with a spanner wrench.
I really have no idea why they did it this way. Most of the air cylinders I have dealt with in the past have had a simple snap ring clip that was easily removed with the proper tool. This looks like a proprietary way to teach people like me new cuss words.

[tigweldit]

It's already broken, so you can't screw it up. I'd go with the spanner wrench and a dead blow hammer, after letting it soak overnight in Kroil oil. Good luck.

[MBTcustom]

It's already broken, so you can't screw it up. I'd go with the spanner wrench and a dead blow hammer, after letting it soak overnight in Kroil oil. Good luck.

Negative. Every time I think I'm in that spot and "home free" I find there's always a way to screw it up worse. LOL!

[DougGuy]

It LOOKS like if you took a pair of duckbill pliers and grabbed that tang, pulling it and twisting it might pull the snap ring out of the groove in the cylinder and into the groove of the piston and allow it to come out.

[MtGun44]

Tim, Try putting an 'appropriate sized' straight bit screwdriver into the right side slot (top pic) under the tight angle and twist the blade counterclockwise. This should pull the tail of the spring clip and likely let you tip the edge of the cap up a bit. May need to pry the opposite side wire radially straight inward at the same time with a small screwdriver, which may let you pry upward on that same opposite (no tail) side, starting it out.

[doc1876]

I will have to assume that there is no access hole on the back by your thumb?

[snuffy]

That is actually a square "key" that fits in a slot both in the cap and that round part. I've seen that type of fastener in external hydraulic and air cylinders. I never saw one internal like that, I suspect it may be impossible to get it out.

You can try to take it apart. The trick is to grab that ear, pull towards the inside and twist it out of that slot at the same time pulling it out from around the cap. The key is not a spring, it's pretty soft mild steel, so it should be able to bend enough to come out.

If you ever see that type of key used on an external cylinder, there's a slot that allows access to the key right at the end of the cylinder where the rod gland is. You need to identify where the key starts AND ends by turning the gland with the cylinder in a vise. Get a scribe or some tool with a sharp tip,(very narrow screwdriver), under the end of the key. Turn the gland while holding the end of the key up so it comes out of the cylinder tube instead of going on inside of the tube. The other end is a hook that fits in a hole in the gland. A full 360 degree turn will end up with that hook coming out of the gland. The the gland and piston will pull out of the tube.

Similar method on the internal application you have. You have a lot less room to work though, I don'y know if it can be done.

FWIW, I worked for 6 years fixing hydraulics, and took a fluid power-pneumatics course. BUT I never saw one like that!

[montana_charlie]

If you will tell us the brand and model numbers on one of the cylinders, maybe one of us can find information on the internet.

I know you said that you tried, but some folks have a different style of searching ...

[MBTcustom]

MC, that would have been the very first thing I did, if I knew that information. Unfortunately, the model number and manufacturer were on a sticker that has been wiped clean on all three cylinders over time.
I spent the first three hours searching for images of air cylinders, looking for something that looks similar to this but to no avail.

The good news is that I figured out how to get them apart, and it's absolutely ingenious. There is a totally innocuous looking cover on the side of the unit that if removed via two small screws reveals an equally innocuous looking hole near both ends of the cylinder. With this cover removed, a steady twist of the spanner wrench will cause a strip of spring steel to literally "squirt" out the side of the housing till all that is left is that hook you see in the pictures above. By pushing the cover downward, the strip of steel is removed by pulling it through the hole, and once it is out of the way, the cover is removed by pushing it out with the cylinder.
Once the trick is known, it is a very simple matter to disassemble the entire assembly in a matter of seconds. All the internal seals are simple O rings bolstered on both sides by fiber or bronze bushings. The design is simply brilliant.
I just wish I knew who made these things because it would be nice to be able to get replacement shafts, seals, etc etc, but like I said, all of that seems to be fairly commonplace.
Looks like I'm in business.

[montana_charlie]

Well ... alrighty, then ...

[dragonrider]

Tim you may have something similar to this type of cylinder. Check it out,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KGhZgwmgMI