Hydraulic cylinder - hard time opening

I am repacking cylinders on a 723 ford BH. One is resisting all efforts at dissasembly. I know the packing is toast as it will drop the stabilizer leg down in about an hour. Will there be any damage If I apply the smoke wrench to loosen it up? I really can't afford to go from bad to worse!

Thanks!
jb

Thanks, I think that may have been part of the problem. Also, I think it had some locktite, was rusted, full of dirt and painted over and down the threads!

The "trick" was getting a buddy over and while I did a military press with the cheater bar, he tapped the gland nut with a brass drift after it was heated. Finally got it all apart.

It has been all put back together wiith new packings and seal.

Thanks!

jb

I guess in my ignorance I havn't explained the problem very well. First the cylinder has a screw in gland on the top and the is a second gland nut that screws into that. The screw in gland and gland nut are both mocking my attempts at disassembly. The rod is quite easily mobil, but it won't go anywhere until I get that stinking gland off the top! My workbench with the vice is bolted to the wall, er should I say used to be bolted to the wall. I used a long cheater and basically yanked on it real good and that ripped the bench off of the wall, but did nothing for the gland.

Here is a picture of a cylinder that came apart nice. The stubborn one is just like it, only together.

jb