Seal kits are used to close gaps between components in hydraulic cylinders. This is essential because the seals are responsible for maintaining hydraulic pressure and preventing the oil from becoming contaminated.

What signs should I be looking for ?

Hydraulic cylinder seal kits are essential when you suddenly encounter an unforeseen failure. Some seal failures are easy to spot, such as oil leaking from around the cylinder, while others are more challenging. A drop in hydraulic pressure, an overheated cylinder, loud clunking or banging noises, and higher-than-normal shaking and vibration are all signs you need to inspect your cylinder. Other potential signs of seal failure include: • Excessive Wear: Excessive wear is often caused by inadequate or improper lubrication and can eventually lead to tearing and discoloring of the seal. • Seal Hardening: Hydraulic cylinders operating in high-temperature conditions can experience seal hardening, eventually leading to cracks, tears, and rips. • Improper Installation: One common mistake during seal replacement is measuring the seal instead of the groove where the seal is placed. Using the wrong seal size can lead to oil leaks, contamination, or a drop in pressure that can affect the cylinder’s performance. • Contamination: Dirt, debris, sludge, mud, and other elements can build up in the cylinder and seal. If not taken care of, the problem will continue to worsen until these contaminants reach the piston and affect the cylinder’s operation. • Seal Fracture: Sudden impacts, shocks, or low-quality seals can lead to the seal fracturing (breaking), tearing, or ripping. How do I know what seals to order ? At MACS, we have thousands of seals already in kit format. By using the make, model and serial number of your machine, you should be able to identify the correct seal kit. Sometimes, there can be more than one seal kit for your machine because the original manufacturer have used different rams during the years of manufacture of the machine. In this case, you should always check the following : Piston rod diametre Bore diametre OEM seal kit part number We can also provide seals by size. Provide our team with a photo of the seal and the dimensions of the seal. Use our seal measurement guide BLOG to help you.

How to measure my seals

1. First identify your seal profile By looking at the cross section of a seal and match it against a seal profile chart. Download our seal profile catalogue here.
2. Measure the seal's Outer Diameter (OD), Inner Diameter (ID), width and height Often the dimensions are printed on the seal. If not, you can measure the seal using either a ruler, verniers or calipers. Take multiple measurements around the seal when measuring diameters, in order to apply an average measurement.
3. Measuring multi part seals Measure the OD, ID and width of the seal.
4. Measuring Bearing Rings When measuring Bearing Rings, take measurements including the gap.
5. Measuring O-Rings For O-Rings, measure the section using either a ruler, calipers or verniers.
   Always measure an O-Ring from it's internal sides. Alternatively, you can measure an O-Ring using a measuring cone. All measurements can be cross-referenced with an O-Ring chart.
6. Ordering replacement seals

Having the correct measurements can make ordering replacement seals easier. If you are still unsure, our knowledgeable team are always on hand to help you out.