Cherry G703 rivet puller repair

[JoeE.]

I've got this Cherry pneumatic rivet puller. Very little use over the 25 years I've had it, and it was nearly new when I got it.
Coupled the air hose to it yesterday, and it wouldn't work right. Pulled 2 rivets and it quit working.
After a lot of cussing, trying to take the part of the riveter apart where I thought the problem was..I finally got it apart and found 4 o-rings in that part had decayed and fell apart. Hoping against hope, I put in o-rings I had laying around... it went back together easy.. but still didn't work.
I've determined that I should stop while I'm ahead.
Google shows me that these things are expensive, the repair kits are around $160, and to have one sent off and repaired is about $290.
I only find 2 places advertising that repair these things.
Anyone on here even use one of these things, or does anyone have any advice on getting it repaired?

 

[Ralph_P]

I have a cheapo I bought from Harbor Freight 30 years ago for $69. I'm happy with it. Still the same price today. They have other models from $39.-$159. The $159. model says parts available.

 

[JoeE.]

I have a cheapo I bought from Harbor Freight 30 years ago for $69. I'm happy with it. Still the same price today. They have other models from $39.-$159. The $159. model says parts available.

I never even thought about buying one of those. Would sure be cheaper! I guess the only reason to send this one off for repair would be vanity... no more than I ever need it... would be foolish. I think I'll go check that out.

Clicked on "new tools"... and the first thing to come up is that!!!

 

[JoeE.]

I have a cheapo I bought from Harbor Freight 30 years ago for $69. I'm happy with it. Still the same price today. They have other models from $39.-$159. The $159. model says parts available.

I read the specs and instructions for that riveter on their website... from what I read, before using it you have to "prime" it?
Add hydraulic fluid! That seems odd to me that it wouldn't be ready to run right out of the box. Or, are those instructions for if you ever have trouble.. it's how to get it back into operation?
Did you have to add oil to yours?

 

[Ralph_P]

The blue one (1/4") on their web site is the one I have. I've never added oil. I do put a few drops of air tool oil in the air inlet now and then.

 

[standardparts]

Yeah expensive and except in your case the problem usually head adjust.
If you don't have a manual:

https://www.blindrivetsupply.com/assets/images/gh703.pdf

Used the be a couple places in Wichita that had lots of aircraft tooling cheap...one was called "The Yard" might be worth giving them a call.

If you can find the part numbers you need do a search on Ebay using cherry and then the part number...usually there are guys who have surplus new old stock.

When the guns are working they seem to go forever......until they don't.

 

[stephen thomas]

If i had a genuine Cherry that worked fine when last put away, i'd clean it out and put it back together with all new O-rings and make sure the hydraulic parts were full of hydraulic oil.

Like others i could never justify a power puller until HF arrived. Got the bigger size and pulled close to 5 or 800 10-24 & 1/4"-20 riv-nuts with it. Also a couple thousand 1/8" steel rivets. Then put it away for a few months and it would no longer work. Eventually worked out that the O-ring to the air piston shrunk. I tried soaking it in brake fluid, marvel mystery oil, and ATF but it never swelled up. After running all over town, i did find a good slightly oversize O-ring at my bolt jobber. He had apparently received a couple big random cartons of NOS O-rings of all sorts of large sizes from some business he bought out to stock the bolt store. Gun works fine again.

smt