How To Protect Your Hydraulic Cylinders From Rust
A hydraulic cylinder is a piston that slides within a cylindrical body. A rod attached to the piston passes through a seal at the end of the cylindrical body and moves in and out to do useful work. The Piston rods on most hydraulic cylinders are highly polished plated steel. They must be uniformly smooth to provide a good seal with the cylinder body. A common problem with hydraulic cylinders is rust and pitting of the cylinder rods. If equipment that incorporates hydraulic cylinders is stored outside with the cylinder rods extended, the rods are exposed to weathering. Eventually, the rods will begin to show specks of rust that develop into pits. Once rusting and pitting occur, the rod will destroy the cylinder seal the next time it is activated. Once pitted, it is virtually impossible to restore a cylinder rod to an acceptably smooth condition through repolishing. This problem of cylinder-rod pitting is most common with hydraulic cylinders on equipment that is both stored outside