Merely ranting, not wanting advise repeated

[cityevader]

I've been suffering with a very hot running Harbor Freight 30-ton log splitter. By hot I mean 180*F (with multiple thermometers on the ram itself) after 1/3 cord of Oak in well under an hour...I think it's getting worse too.

I thank, and apologize to, those who gave advice in the past, of which I haven't acted upon.

I've hillbilly-style timed the stroke loaded vs. unloaded without much difference (I don't have a stop watch). And as soon as I can come up with some money I'm going to simultaneously relocate my valve to a better location and replace hoses/add fittings that can actually be removed so I can see if there is any bypass in the cylinder itself.
I also have a brand new valve I was going to install simply because I have it and it may possibly be the culprit (but just found out there is such a thing as an "auto-return" valve, I assume to retract after extension(insert drooling here)).
Hoses will remain 1/2" ID since all of the fittings are 1/2" NPT already.

Sorry again for "re-posting", and I haven't forgotten previous replies.....just ranting because I don't like the idea of being able to cook my breakfast on the splitter (although that could save time too!) and not asking for further replies unless they are dripping with sympathy and pity and volunteerism to come help split wood!

 

[mga]

in depth report by one user here:

http://www.**********/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/23743/P0/

note item #4 in post #13

 

[stihl sawing]

Don't know what temp it should be but the ram and cylinder on my speeco gets hot too.

 

[kevin j]

not to repeat, but to repeat !
ranting doesn't solve anything, this needs to be addressed.

many people think 'hot' when 120-140 but 180 is too hot.
Not immediate crisis, but needs to be addressed or there will be damage.

step 1-get a pressure gauge on the pressure line.

are you spending a lot of time going across the relief valve?

 

[Butch(OH)]

Warm/hot hydraulic oil is not necessarily bad because it keeps the moisture cooked out of your oil but it shouldn't get hot to the touch unless worked VERY hard. We may think we work our splitters hard but in the world of hard working hydraulics we are just kinda playing around unless we have 4 helpers and are splitting tough wood 8 hours a day. In other words I agree that you have a problem of some sort. I have zero(0) experience with the two stage pumps and lawn mower engined splitters so I am a bit out of turn here. The two stage pumps may add heat? Try running the motor at operating speed for 20 minutes or so but don't move anything, if the oil gets hot doing nothing I would think there is a problem with a restriction or the pump it self. Does the engine seem to run freely when your not moving anything or does it labor all the time? Pumps and cylinders that bypass under load cause oil heating. As a comparison my shop built splitter which uses a single stage Cessna pump can be run all day and the oil will be just luke warm. It doesn't even warm at all when splitting one big pick up load and I have troubles with moisture in the oil because I it doesn't get warm enough.

<IMG SRC=http://i30.tinypic.com/2h6h8q0.jpg>

 

[cityevader]

For now I'm slacking because it get dark soon ater I get home, so by the time it's 180* (only 40 minutes) it's time to shut down anyway. However, after daylight saving time, it'll be dark before I get home so lights will be set up and then i'll want to work longer.

Good idea about running the engine for awhile to see if it warms the oil.

I haven't seen any hole plugs where a gauge might thread in, so i assume there is a component from the expensive hose shop for that.

Again, as soon as I get money for hoses to relocate valve, I'm all over checking for cylinder bypassing.

Oh yeah, what is meant by spending time across the relief valve?
I rarely/never bottom out the cylinder at either end of stroke.

 

[mga]

some good reading on why hydraulics over heat.

180* isn't good and should be looked at.

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/article_detail.asp?articleid=680

 

[motoroilmccall]

Right angle adapters and up/down bushings add restriction, which in turn create heat. Straighten everything out as much as possible, if it still runs hot, it could be your pump. I put a cooler on my lines with our presses here at the shop for crushing beans, 1 cooler and a fan (mounted on the motor crank, pointing the direction of the cooler) and my temps dropped 85* down to below 100*F all the time.

Not saying its a must, but the cooler does its job, just keep it tucked out of the way, and build a box to keep around it when transporting.

 

[cityevader]

Just figured out what kind of fittings i'll be needing(can't go 3/4" because everything is already 1/2"npt) Northern tools has them much cheaper than the hose shop....now just need to mock up new position for valve and weld up some bracketry. New position will allow total elimination of the four right angles i've got now...and hopefully new valve i have will be the cure.

 

[kevin j]

I will bet that eliminating 4 EL90's won't make that much difference. Not 80F temperature worth anyway.
Nor will the new valve, unless the old one is too small or damaged and restricted somehow.
Adding coolers is only bandaid, best to fix the root cause. These circuits are so simple and fairly efficient.
Keep us updated.

k

 

[wkpoor]

How much oil does the reservoir hold? I think most on the market don't have large enough tanks IMO. At least for use in the summer. In the winter less oil may be better to get oil up to temp. My splitter has the opposite problem. Most of the time it runs too cool.

 

[johnzski]

How much oil does the reservoir hold? I think most on the market don't have large enough tanks IMO. At least for use in the summer. In the winter less oil may be better to get oil up to temp. My splitter has the opposite problem. Most of the time it runs too cool.

yeah, but your splitter is cool even when it's not working