A little more progress. Yesterday I was able to steal a little time and hitched the cylinder up with the chain hoist. Wasn't that hard, but I was being careful and deliberately slow. It's a heavy cylinder and can be dangerous handling it alone.
Looks like they fought the cylinder a little, at the shop. Battle scar here.
Going back where it came from, little by little.
No time to put the pins in, left it so until this evening.
The plan was to try and put the pins in today after work. Aligning the holes is not an easy task because the dipper slouched in after removing the cylinder. But the 644 came to the rescue and pulled on the bucket until the holes were aligned. Upper pin first.
Had to pull the boom back completely. Then in goes the pin. Lots of wiggling and realigning with a crowbar and other tools.
Sometimes no matter how careful you are you screw up. Turns out the lower pin was too short!
because it should have been in the upper position of the boom!
Luckily it was not so bad to pull them out and set things right.
All in all it took about three hours. Here it is, not that exciting a picture for most, but for me it is the picture of a fixed hoe and I am pleased within that.
. I like it!
nice job Eugen, glad to see you got it back together. Not an easy job by yourself. 
slow and careful is the way to go with the big stuff. 
no more mow it's time to blow 
