Barns hydro pump leaking

[blacklocst]

I've had my new to me splitter for 2 years and noticed a slow leak under the pump where the 2 main bodies attach. Finally decided to do something about it and pulled it apart where the 2 pieces mount together and noticed a thin film gasket was compromised where the leak had been. Tried looking on line to see if I can order this part but with no luck. Help please as I have about 1/2 cord of 1 year old 20" Shagbark Hickory rounds :msp_scared: to split.

P.S. I tried splitting the shagbark with the Fiskers but gave up after a few swings.:bang:

 

[RiverRocket]

You could probably just make a gasket..
Most auto parts stores sell Felpro gasket material...Just make a pattern and cut it out..
Good luck..

 

[blacklocst]

Now why didn't I think of that? :msp_biggrin: Thanks for the tip RR. Off to Napa...

 

[Fifelaker]

Take one of the castings and lay the new gasket material over it and tap around everything that needs cut with a ball peen hammer. Every hole will come out perfect

 

[blacklocst]

After dropping an O-ring in a bucket of oil and also losing a half moon shaped piece of metal that locks in the sprocket to the shaft I made my gasket(thanks for that trick Fifelaker it worked like a charm) out of 1/32" thick material the original was 1mil if thatput everything together fired up the splitter cycled the ram a few times and it all looked good. Tomorrow I'll try it on the Hickory and see how it holds up.

 

[blacklocst]

Happy Father's day to all. Well, I tried the splitter this morning and it sounds like the pump isn't kicking into 2nd stage:dunno: don't have the slightest clue to where to go from here.

 

[triptester]

A 2-stage pump consists of 2 pumps in one housing, a low gpm pump and a high gpm pump. The low gpm section sends fluid to the system all the time. The high gpm section has a bypass built-in that only allows fluid to be sent to the system at low pressue usually 600-900 psi. When the preset pressure is reached the high gpm section basically shifts to nuetral while the low gpm continues to send fluid to the system.

The low gpm section will build pressure until the relief setting in the control valve is reached, the engine stalls, or something breaks.

 

[RiverRocket]

My splitter was doing the same thing about a month ago....wouldn't switch to high pressure..
Turned out that the seals in my cylinder where shot and letting hydraulic fluid blow by..
I repacked the cylinder and it works like a new splitter.
One way you can check the cylinder for blow by is to retract the cylinder, put a billet of wood on the splitter then take the hydraulic line closest to the billet off of the cylinder then try to split the billet, if you have fluid coming out of the unconnected line you need to repack the cylinder..Hope this helps...good luck...

 

[blacklocst]

Thanks for the replies guys. Whats curious to me is that upon fixing the leak might have I created a cylinder Issue ?? I'm pretty sure that I packed the pump the right way. The cycle time is about right 6 sec out 5 sec in but, when it's trying to split a tuff round it just stops. Do I have a restriction somewhere?

 

[triptester]

Did you find the half moon piece without it the shaft could be slipping on the pump to motor coupling.

 

[blacklocst]

Yes, I did find it, But I'm thinking it wouldn't cycle if the key (half moon) was missing? I also found a pdf with an exploded view parts page on line of my pump. I'm gonna take it apart again to make sure everything is in place. I'm also gonna try what RiverRocket suggested if everything looks good in the pump.

 

[triptester]

One thing I found on the Barnes pump is that the gasket between the each section are color coded for proper thickness to have precise side clearance for the gears. If the clearance is off by a few thousands blowby will occur causing pressure loss.

 

[blacklocst]

Triptester, I was thinking about that last night I'm gonna go that route first and seeing if I could order a gasket from Barns.

 

[blacklocst]

Just an update on the pump I finally got the gasket in the mail thursday and installed them yesterday. I had to buy a torque wrench(70.00 bucks ) because it needs to be tightened to about 150 inch pounds.

The OME gaskets are .0005 thick, my home made one was 1/32". I guess in this case size does matter :msp_wink:. Put everything together pulled the cord on the Honda 270gx ,cycled the ram a couple times, threw a hickory round on, ram hits round, pump kicks into 2nd stage, round splits and falls on the ground! Life is good right now.

 

[blacklocst]

Just a few pics of the splitter, and some Shagbark Hickory after the repairs.

View attachment 302588View attachment 302587View attachment 302589View attachment 302590

 

[Patrick62]

nice splitter

congrats on your repair.
I would have skipped the torque wrench... IMHO. 150 inch pounds, 150÷12 = 12.5 foot pounds. Not super tight in my book. Whip a plain ol' 3/8 wratchet on there and give it a good snugging. would have been "about right". Roast me if you want to, that's what I would have done in this situation.

I'll take that nice load of wood tho... :msp_biggrin:

 

[blacklocst]

congrats on your repair.
I would have skipped the torque wrench... IMHO. 150 inch pounds, 150÷12 = 12.5 foot pounds. Not super tight in my book. Whip a plain ol' 3/8 wratchet on there and give it a good snugging. would have been "about right". Roast me if you want to, that's what I would have done in this situation.

I'll take that nice load of wood tho... :msp_biggrin:

Thanks, your probably right, but after things not panning out with the make my own gasket I decided to do things by the book. Nothing like buying a high price tool that your only gonna use once. And as for the wood by the time you drive here the ants and worms will have beaten you to it.