Jackall ram rebuilding

[adam58]

I have a leaky Jackall ram on my YB. I know that I have to be careful not to bend or dent the tube. I used the bracket on the car to try and dissassemble it but the top fitting is too tight for the torque I'm willing to apply without knowing what I am doing. I also don't have spanner for the gland nut but probably can aquire one. I do have a set of new seals if i can get it apart.

I called Apple Hydraulics and they somewhat bruskly informed me that they don't touch these things.

My questions are: A) Can I rebuild it myself and if so, what are the potential pitfalls and B) What shop will rebuild it and at what price?

Steve, I think this one is in your purview but I'm earger for input from anyone out there!

Thanks!

Adam
'53 YB, etc.

[Steve Simmons]

I never rebuilt the rams on my YB but I know it's been done. I've heard from others that it's fairly tricky but not to bad. You may want to inquire at a hydraulic shop. Orme Bros. in Reseda comes to mind. Gene may have rebuilt the ones on his SA Saloon so perhaps he will chime in here...

[adam58]

Thanks! I asked Orme Bros. about them when they rebuild the flex hose for me last week. They only do hoses - not the hydraulics themselves. I'll keep poking around the industrial rebuilders.

Adam

[Martin Keller]

I have a leaky Jackall ram on my YB. I know that I have to be careful not to bend or dent the tube. I used the bracket on the car to try and dissassemble it but the top fitting is too tight for the torque I'm willing to apply without knowing what I am doing. I also don't have spanner for the gland nut but probably can aquire one. I do have a set of new seals if i can get it apart.
I called Apple Hydraulics and they somewhat bruskly informed me that they don't touch these things.
My questions are: A) Can I rebuild it myself and if so, what are the potential pitfalls and B) What shop will rebuild it and at what price?
Steve, I think this one is in your purview but I'm earger for input from anyone out there!
Thanks!
Adam
'53 YB, etc.

Hi Adam,
Here is a link to rebuild your Jackall Rams.
http://www.iamo.org.uk/Service%20sheets ... system.pdf
Hope this helps.

[Steve Simmons]

Nice find!!! Adam, if you need parts or tooling manufactured let me know.

[adam58]

You guys rock! I don't know how I missed that article but it's perfect! Martin, you'll never believe this, but my car must have a "Keller" connection. I bought it from a gentlman in PA by the name of Jerry Keller. He is the one who brought it into the US and restored it.

I guess I will learn how to do these. I think there is a huge (like 2-foot-long) crescent wrench at my Mother-in-law's so i will go retrieve that tomorrow. Steve, if I need tooling, I'll call you.

I'll provide progress reports - good OR bad....

Adam

[Martin Keller]

You guys rock! I don't know how I missed that article but it's perfect! Martin, you'll never believe this, but my car must have a "Keller" connection. I bought it from a gentlman in PA by the name of Jerry Keller. He is the one who brought it into the US and restored it.

I guess I will learn how to do these. I think there is a huge (like 2-foot-long) crescent wrench at my Mother-in-law's so i will go retrieve that tomorrow. Steve, if I need tooling, I'll call you.

I'll provide progress reports - good OR bad....

Adam

Hi Adam,
Make sure you put some good penetrating oil on them before you start to take them apart and let it sit at least a day. One that I know that really works is straight oil of wintergreen. You can get a small bottle of it at most drug stores as it is used as a rub when mixed with alcohol for sore muscles but works well for loosening old rusted things. I learned this while in the Navy and having to take apart things that were beyond what you would think are repairable.
Hope this helps and if you need a good Machineshop I know of one that is very reasonable and has done work for me in the past.

[adam58]

Okay,

I have everything apart except that I cannot get the foot off the piston. I tried the drilled block trick in the article Martin found but it still spins. The shaft needs to be re-hard-chromed which I can get done IF I can get the foot off.

Does anyone have HUGE bench vice and/or a strap wrench that migh hold that dude without spinning?

Oh, and I need a souce of copper rings too.

If I can do this successfully and source the parts, I would not mind buying the tooling so I can do these for other folks as well.

Onward!

Adam

[Steve Simmons]

What do you mean by huge? The width of the opening or just strong? I have a very strong Wilton vise but the opening is only 6.5".

[adam58]

Hi Steve, That opening is fine. How beefy is the mounting and how wide is the jaw? Are you home tomorrow?

[Steve Simmons]

The vise is mounted to a Gladiator-style workbench. I've been meaning to bolt the workbench to the wall because it moves a lot but I haven't done it yet. How much torque are we talking about here?

I do plan to be home tomorrow but will have a couple places to be, so let me know if and when you would want to come by. I don't think I have anything to safely grip that sleeve so BYOW.

[adam58]

A friend of mine who is a retired prototype machinist will take a crack at it on Thursday. He has a shop including a lathe at his home in Mar Vista.

I'll report the results - good or bad.

Adam

[adam58]

Okay, so today I drove the thing over to a friend's house. He has a full machine shop in the back.

After trying the wood block clamp trick with a REALLY BIG vice, we tried chucking it into a lathe. Then we got serious. First we trued the top edge of the foot where it holds the copper gasket for the piston rod. That made it perpendicular to the piston itself. Then we turned a .020 groove in the piston right along the newly trued surface. We started shallower than the thickness of the tube and then cut in .005" increments until we exposed the whole copper washer.

After that, it took almost nothing to unscrew the foot. There was zero corrosion - the whole issue was the press fit into the copper washer!

Next, Jim used the lathe to cut the compressed washer out of the groove in the foot and then he trued and smoothed the end of the piston (which is now about .020" shorter than it started).

Now I have to get the piston shaft dressed and re-hard chromed and find appropriate washers for reassembly.

Whew!

Adam

[Martin Keller]

Hi Adam,

Glad to hear you were able to get it apart and not destroy it in the process.
Post some photos of your car and the jackall while your at it as I think their are folks out their that would like to see your ride.

[adam58]

Hi Martin,

I left the jack foot at the machine shop so I'll take pictures as soon as reunite all the bits. Abigail is pictured nicely in 2 shots already posted. Go to the album "Vintage Motoring's annual Memorial Day Run, May 25, 2009" and see picture 8 on the first page and 15 on the second. She's a yellow and brown saloon - you can't miss her.

Cheers!

Adam

[Steve Simmons]

Post a photo in the "Post a photo of your ride" thread and it will go into the gallery!