Small "nick" in splitter ram, how to fix

[firewood guy]

I have a Swisher Log Splitter that a friend put a nick in the Ram with an ax. It is quite small nick but look like it has a small leak. Does anyone know how to repair it. I don't want to replace the whole ram. It is a fairly new Swisher splitter.

Thanks

Like others have replied, if the seal isn't already ripped, use a very fine-cut file to deburr any high spots. And there will be high spots.. the metal displaced from the ding had to go somewhere! As for filling the "valley" , I am a true believer in the miracle of J-B weld, available at any Napa. Just make sure the area to be filled is oil-free,has a slight "tooth" to secure the resin, and file it flat to match the profile of the ram. Good luck!

 

[stlburner]

not exactly sure what you scenario looks like but if it is like an enerpac hydraulic ram. a nick on the ram does not matter. the hydraulic oil never goes past the seal at the base of the ram. and therefore the the seal cannot be punctured. now if you crack/nick the inside wall of the rams shell you can have a problem. not sure if that makes sense or if applicable. but i am a repair technician of enerpac hydraulic rams. the wiper seal at the head of the body of the ram just cleans off the excess oil and can be replaced easily.

 

[kevin j]

On motorcycle fork tubes with very light rock damage, I use the flat stone, then very fine cloth. Once it is flush and smooth, clean it with ether (starting fluid) or alcohol. (don't spill the rest of your drink...... actually, just isop, but attempted humor) then use superglue to fill the dip. when it is hardened, fine cloth it again til it is flush with the surface.


how big is it?

 

[D.Marsh]

I would recommend using a fine stone as well. Many times when we would find a nick in the chrome on cylinder rods, the chrome would chip (minute, but still a chip) if we tried to file it, depending on the depth of the nick. Of course, this is depending on how thick the chrome is plated on the rod, and the quality of the plating. If it raised a burr and the splitter is still in service, it will eventually shred the rod seal as it cycles past if its similar to the splitter cylinders I used to machine. However if its stoned down smooth the seal should be fine, and should be a minimal leak. Filling it with JB Weld and smoothing it down is a good idea I'd never thought of before seeing it in this thread, I'll have to remember that trick.

 

[southpaw]

I would do what the guy in post # 18 said .......makes practical sense of the situation. Good reply by him.

 

[Frank Boyer]

Use a fine stone the remove the high spot. I have used silver solder to repair a larger ding in a rod. The repair lasted a few thousand hours on a back hoe.