BX Steer Cylinder

treskubotas

New member
Mar 19, 2019
2
2
3
scottsville va
I have owned a BX2200 for about 15 years, just as great a machine as has been created, imo. Recently the steer cylinder outer seals both began leaking...a lot. Interesting, so I ordered a seal kit, right? Wrong. This job has been maybe the absolute worst mechanical job I have done....and I began rebuilding my first car in 1963...and have been rebuilding and doing this ever since. The way the cylinder comes apart is interesting...you must drive the end cap inward about a quarter inch in order to remove the nasty little circlips. Small screwdriver under the ONE lip that lets you get hold of it. The two lips are ground differently so you can only grab the one side. That will allow the center rod and piston to be driven against the end cap and remove it. Removing the center piston to replace the inner Oring should be easy...but they did not chamfer the groove, so it must be driven off. Then you are faced with dissay of the end caps to remove dust seal and inner oil seal. You will pull your hair out to remove the dust seal, a normal looking seal with steel shell that does not want to come out of its house, at all. You may find that a large screwdriver can pry from the top side. Inner seal is just a mess since it is soft plastic of some kind and has to be warped back into its slot. AND of course, you have to fight all of the circlips back into their slots, AND the Orings on the end cap have to be fought back into the cylinder, AND it is not easy to get the plasticy oil seal over the rod when you reinstall the end caps on the rod. I put them on backward and let the new seal take a set, then quickly removed and put on in the correct orientation....the seal has a hard lip that does not play nice. Overall, if I ever have to do this again, I will order a new complete cylinder....the labor is not worth the tarriff.
 

jetattblue

Member

Equipment
BX1800; L2550
Mar 14, 2018
103
0
16
Arlington, TX
Thank you for posting this! My BX1800 has very slow leaks out of each end of the steering cylinder so this is on my "to do" list. I was about to buy that kit, but I may just replace it now.
 

Pepsiboy

Member

Equipment
BX2350D, FEL, MMM, Rear tiller
Oct 3, 2014
167
1
18
Shell Knob, Mo
I rebuilt the steering cylinder on my BX2350 about 2 years ago. Was quite the project, but with a little patience and a few cuss words, I got it done and back on. If it atarts to leak again, I'll rebuild again. With my limited budget, I can not afford the price of a new cylinder.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Dave