Hydraulic cylinder repair in Woodland, CA
Reseals, rebuilds, honing, rod straightening and rechrome for farm, construction, truck and forklift cylinders. Pulled at your site or dropped at the shop, tested before it leaves, priced off a published table.
A hydraulic cylinder repair in Woodland costs $350 to $900 for a reseal on a cylinder under 3 inch bore and $1,000 to $3,000 for a rebuild on 3 inch bore and up, plus $400 to $1,500 if the rod needs rechrome or replacement. The cylinder is the most rebuildable part on a machine: a barrel, a rod, a piston, a gland and a set of seals, and unless the barrel is scored past honing or the rod is bent beyond straightening, it can be brought back to working pressure for a fraction of a new one. At Capay Hydraulics every cylinder is opened and inspected before a number is confirmed, honed and resealed or fully rebuilt in the Woodland shop, and cycled at working pressure on the bench before it goes back on the machine.
Symptoms that mean the cylinder, not the pump
- Bleed-down under load: a loader bucket or harvester header that sinks overnight, a boom that creeps with the engine off. Piston seals are bypassing.
- Weeping at the rod: oil film on the rod, a drip at the gland. Rod seal and wiper, and a look at the chrome that wore them.
- Slow or jerky stroke on one function only: if the other functions are strong, the pump is fine and the cylinder or its valve section is the problem.
- Visible rod damage: pitting from a wet winter, a bend from side loading, scoring from grit past a worn wiper. The rod is going to take the new seals with it unless it is fixed first.
- Cracked rod eye or clevis: common on ripper and chisel lift cylinders in the Dunnigan Hills. A field weld usually fails again; a proper rod rebuild does not.
How a cylinder rebuild goes here
- Pull it or drop it. The truck pulls the cylinder at your yard or field (trip fee applies) or you bring it to Woodland (no fee). Cap the ports and the lines.
- Disassemble and measure. Gland out, rod and piston out, barrel bore measured for wear and scoring, rod checked for straightness and chrome condition.
- Confirm the number. Reseal or rebuild, and whether the rod needs chrome. This is the call before any parts are ordered.
- Hone, polish, replace. Bore honed, rod polished or sent for chrome, new seals, wear rings, piston and gland as needed. Metric, SAE and older imperial profiles from stock.
- Test and return. Cycled and held at working pressure on the bench, then reinstalled or picked up. One-year workmanship warranty.
Cylinder repair prices
| Job | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Cylinder reseal (new seals on a sound rod and bore), small bore under 3 inches | $350 to $900 | Seal kit availability for the make, gland condition, and whether the rod needs polishing before new seals go in |
| Cylinder rebuild (honing, rod work, new piston and gland, seals), large bore 3 inches and up | $1,000 to $3,000 | Bore honing, rod straightening, piston and gland replacement, and test-stand time. A scored barrel or a bent rod moves this toward the top |
| Rod rechrome or new rod (added to a rebuild) | $400 to $1,500 | Rod diameter and length, chrome shop turnaround, and whether a new rod ships faster than rechroming the old one |
| Forklift mast or tilt cylinder reseal | $400 to $1,100 | Lift cylinders on a triple-stage mast take longer to pull than a tilt cylinder; chrome condition on the rod decides seal life |
| Dock leveler or compactor cylinder repair | $500 to $1,500 | Pit access, whether the power unit is also weeping, and how long the dock has to stay out of service |
Full table, trip fees and premiums on the cost guide.
Cylinders we see most around Yolo County
Farm
Tomato harvester header lift and boom, rice bankout cart dump, shaker clamp and boom, sweeper head lift, ripper and disc lift, loader lift and tilt, tractor steering and three-point. See farm equipment.
Construction and trucking
Excavator boom, stick and bucket, backhoe swing and stabilizer, skid steer lift and tilt, telehandler extension, dump and transfer hoist, liftgate.
Warehouse
Forklift mast lift (single through triple stage), tilt, sideshift, steer; dock leveler lift and lip; compactor ram. See forklifts and docks.
Water and municipal
Levee excavator and dozer blade cylinders, drain gate actuators, sweeper and refuse truck packer cylinders.
Cylinder repair questions
How do I know if my cylinder needs a reseal or a full rebuild?
You mostly cannot tell from outside, which is why we open it first. Weeping at the gland with a clean rod is a reseal. Bleed-down under load with a scored bore, a bent rod, or chrome flaking is a rebuild. We look, then quote, then proceed.
How long does a cylinder rebuild take in Woodland?
A reseal with the kit on the shelf is usually one day. A rebuild with honing and a new piston is two to three days. If the rod goes out for chrome, add the chrome shop turnaround, typically four to seven days, and we tell you that before sending it.
Can you rebuild a cylinder the dealer says is obsolete?
Usually. Seals are sized by bore, rod and groove, not by brand, so we can kit most older Deere, Case, Ford, Massey and construction cylinders from stock seal profiles. Pistons and glands can be machined when the originals are gone.
What is the difference between a small-bore and a large-bore price?
Three inches. Under 3 inch bore is $350 to $900 and covers most implement lift, steering, tilt and small loader cylinders. Three inches and up is $1,000 to $3,000 and covers boom, bucket, hoist, shaker clamp and bankout dump cylinders, where the parts are bigger and honing takes longer.
Do you pressure test after a rebuild?
Every one. The cylinder is cycled and held at working pressure on the bench before it leaves, so a leak that would have shown up in the field shows up here instead.
Price a cylinder
Tell us the machine, which cylinder, the bore if you know it, and the symptom. A photo of the tag helps. Or call (916) 848-2246.