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Best Way to Remove Surface Rust From Hydraulic Cylinder

B

BillinCentralMO

Well-known Member
I have a machine with surface rust on the piston of a hydraulic cylinder. The machine had been sitting at
the prior owners. Probably outside. Is there a good way to get that off ? Fine ( 0000 ) steel wool

and light oil ? Or Should I wait and see if it wears off. It is about the top three or four inches. I dont want to
scratch the piston. Thanks .
 
Do you mean the barrel or rod ???? Barrel can be honed to clean up if just on surface. If rod has rust spots and are ruff because has penetrated the chrome it will eat seals
 
Long strip of wet-n-dry 400 grit and penetrating oil for flushing. When you get it cleaned up you will have to keep grease on the chrome during the off-season, or the rust will come back worse. Just curious, what is it?
 
I have had good luck with a spray bottle of soapy water and fine steel wool. Kep it wet and keep rubbing until there is no visible rust , then wipe it down with a shop towel. I usually smear some grease over the surface and all is well. You may have to re grease it when done using it as the barrel removes it as the rod moves in and out. As another poster stated , do not use it as is because the rusted surface will rip out the seal.
 
It is a Genie Z45 /22 gasoline/ LP four wheel drive knuckle boom. And it is the handiest thing I have bought in a long time. Painting the barn just got a lot easier. We really like it.
 
I would put the rod and piston in a lathe and start with 120 g sandpaper and finish with 280 or 320.
I only need to polish my rods. Piston is never rusty.
 
I learned something when we had a couple cylinders on our Cat 307 excavator rebuilt. The chrome on the rod is porous and any nick will make the rust worse. This may sound silly, but think about it. Any cylinder left out in the weather will rust. If left long enough the chrome will start flaking off. I would shine it up using the finest sandpaper that will do the job and coat it in grease. When parked cover the exposed rod with grease. Best you can do without retracting the cylinder completely or storing it in a dry place.
 


Your title referencing surface rust tells me that the surface is still basically smooth with just small spots of rust. You want to clean it up without scratching the existing chrome, so like 300jk posted use the finest sandpaper possible, you could start with 1000, or fine steel wool, like 00. 320 sandpaper would ruin it.
 
It sleeps inside now 95 percent of the time. But I am going to grease them all. It has a lot of cylinders. I will have to count them out of curiosity. The thing is basically all cylinders.
 
whats this sandpaper stuff? its called emery cloth. also scotch brite pads work good for that, no scratching. can get them in course and fine.
 
A crumpled piece of aluminum foil. That is an old trick to restore the shine on a chrome bumper.
 
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