Wood Splitter Hydraulic Questions

I somewhat inherited a wood splitter about 10 years ago. It’s a homemade jobber using the front end of a Volkswagen. 1 motor later and one hydraulic ram later and some other repairs here and there it’s been pretty good for what I have into it and is faster than my husky tractor supply wood splitter by quite a bit

My question for some of the hydraulic folks is I have no idea what is on it for a pump or how the hydraulics is set up. If the splitter can’t split the piece I have on it it will stall the motor unless I stop the ram in time. I think it is only a single stage pump. On a legit machine is there a relief valve or the likes in the pump, ram or both. I’ll get the pump number off the side if I can see it and try to look up what it is. The hydraulic ram I have no idea what it’s off of ,some other piece of equipment that was junk and they took the ram off.

Also the detent lever often does not stay locked on the way back making me waste time grabbing the next piece. Is there something I can fix in there or junk it and get a new one. God knows how old it is?

Thanks for any help.


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Pics help.

Sometimes the auto return detent can be adjusted.

There is a pressure relief built into the control valve. Some times it’s fixed, sometimes is adjustable. You want it to open and bypass just before the engine stalls.

If the pump is older, chances are it’s single stage.

 

I’m going out to split in a few. I’ll take some pics. If buying a new detent valve control unit would fix both problems then I think that would be money well spent as far as the pump I’ll have to look up what it is again I doubt it’s a two stage as well. I don’t want to put much money into it because I really would like to try a kinetic splitter especially the super split but want to keep this going also


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If it’s a single stage pump then you need a decent amount of power. About 18HP +
This is why you mostly see 2 stage pumps on common small splitters

 

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Well good news and bad

Bad: the pump is a single stage, but doesn’t look huge. The engine looks like an 8 horse maybe. Which is a good start.

Good: that is a standard Cross brand valve. The same one I have. The acorn nut on the back side of the valve is the return detent assembly. It has a screw that presses on a spring with a ball bearing. That bearing falls into the grove in the spool. Tighten up the screw under the acorn nut and tighten the jamb nut. And make sure you do it when the oil is warm.

The second part is under the cap (the one with two bolts facing forward) on the intake side of the valve. That is the relief valve. Most likely it is fixed at 2000psi. They do offer adjustable or fixed pressures if you want to change it.

The reason your engine is stalling, is either the pump requires more horsepower then the engine is making at 2000psi when the relief opens. Or the relief is stuck closed. You can open it up and clean out the check ball that is in there but be careful. Under the cap is a big bolt that holds in the relief spring. It will shoot the check ball across the shop and dump oil of the floor. It generally takes one horsepower per one gpm. But that’s a generality.

If you install a simple pressure gauge inline on the input side of the valve you see when relief either opens or pukes the engine.

 

Roger that! The motor is a 11 or 12 horse predator harbor freight motor. I will tighten down the screw under the acorn nut first. I think I’m following on part #2. Are you saying the 2 screws that hold the cap to the actual handle? If so once I look in there they will either be an adjustment or there won’t? I have access to a pressure gauge we will try that also



thank you so much


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I was mistaken by the two screws. I am talking the round cylinder next to the valve handle. That is where the pressure relief is.

 

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OK because I’ve had that open before and yes there is a spring and a ball and a pin. I didn’t see any adjustment screw or anything. does that mean that it’s fixed in the motor possibly isn’t overcoming the 2000 PSI Mark? I will open it up again and check


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You shouldn’t have to open it. If you dead head the cylinder, do you hear a hissing noise before the engine dies? The sound of oil opening the relief? At a 2000psi system pressure. The pump should be 10gpm or more to kill the engine.

Or just ditch that pump for this one.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/Hydraulics/Hydraulic-Pumps/2-Stage-Log-Splitter-Pumps/22-GPM-Dynamic-2-Stage-Pump-9-7970.axd

You’ll be better off.

 

I always bought my splitter parts from Splitez. Mom and Pop place and dude is very knowledgable about hydraulics

 

Thanks guys. Let me start by fixing the return Detent that’ll make me really happy and then I’ll decide if I’m going to ditch the pump. when I can’t get through a piece I’ve never noticed any hissing but I will listen again. There isn’t too many pieces that I’ve had a hard time going through and if I do it one that’s tough I move the piece to the outside a little bit and I start splitting it from there on the outside


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http://www.splitez.com/log_splitter_wood_splitters.html


If you wanted to take a peek.

 

Yes yes I do lol


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Oh Great ....wood splitter porn.


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That's downright dirty. We just bought a used TW-3HD and I'm cleaning it up and pulling maintenance. Our other two splitters need work. Seeing that site has convinced me to go ahead and fix the hydraulic one. The kinetic one is being modified (raised) so that I don't continually lean over.

I don't see the issue with three splitters, I have double digit saws and I split all that I cut.

Shea

 

No need for justification here brotha! I’m thinking of adding a third myself. My old man splits with me sometimes.


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The justification is to reinforce myself. I don't know that all three will ever be ready to go at the same time, too many irons in the fire and such. It is nice to dream though.

Shea

 

I have a Northern Tool log splitter. It was my Dads and we have split a lot of wood with thus thing. My Dad no longer "needed" it so I bought it, negotiated price $300. After paying the first $100.00 he said "just take it and take care of it". This weekend I changed the hydraulic oil and the filter. It works real nice except the auto return. It will automatically start to return but sometimes it kicks out randomly. What do I need to do to fix this?