I really like your temporary "fix" for this problem, in a pinch that would be a great solution until it can be done right. But that leads me to think, is this something that could be done on our machines that don't have trunion wear issues as a preventative maintenance step? By that I mean one or twice a year, put a piece of tin or thin sheet metal like done in the pics above to act as a "wear plate" to keep the actual trunion from wearing (as fast)? When this piece of tin wears, simply replace it and you're on your way, seems a lot easier than removing the hydro to repair it. Hmm...got me thinking now
Anywho, good job on the temp fix. It does look to me like it's been welded on once before as well. And no, that slop isn't normal. When you fix this the correct way, simply buy new springs and end caps and replace it all. It'll cost you about $12 for parts, I know, I just ordered them
Also wouldn't be a bad idea, while you're in there, to shim the plate with a thin washer if you have any slop in it. There's plenty of resources for this issue out there, and plenty of knowledgable people here who will chime in to help. Good luck, welcome, and congrats on the machine!
