Old_School_Nut
ArboristSite Member
The story:
It all started out in roughly 1972 when my dad built a splitter but never finished it and it sat in the woods for over 30 years. it used a 9.6 hp Clinton engine and sad to say but the brand new engine was not much more than a solid block of rust when I got my hands on it a few years ago.. Eager to finish my dads project, I started project almighty splitter, but this time with a bigger engine!
The goal of this log splitter from the start was to build a splitter that was powerful, reliable, FUN, mechanically interesting, E85 compatible and easier on the back than a splitting maul.
And so I began with research. I wanted a old engine (40-50 years old), a durable one, one that is simple, with available parts (within reason). This led me to Wisconsin engines. After some thought I bought a couple of the locally made 2 cylinder engines used, then I bought another, and another from 3 different states (fun road trips)... after maybe 5+ engines I had enough to build one good engine, a Frankenstein of all the engines best parts. I then sent the cylinders out to get bored and have new bronze guides installed. After the valve job I then back cut the face of the valves and polished them, next is pocket porting!
The two cyl TJD Wisconsin engine I selected is over 54+ CI (bored out .010) this alone impressed my friends and eventually they thought with all this “overkill” (hey I split a lot of elm) I could as well add a turbo! Point taken! I then set out and bought a IHI RHF3 turbo from a 3 cyl diesel, it should be a perfect match for my little 2 cylinder, even with my low engine rpm's of 3,600 RPM (hydraulic pump limits RPM)
The oil feed from the turbo will come from a tank that is connected to the engine oil sump, this is so I can use my auxiliary pump (also locally made) (1 GPM 600 PSI max at 1,800 RPM) to also filter my engine oil (non military variants of the engine had no oil filter) the baby oil pump will be driven via extended mandrel on the flywheel end (where the hand crank start is) to allow for a belt. The belt will drive the oil pump via a shaft sitting on 2 pillow blocks mounted on the same frame as the engine, this shaft will then have a lov joy on the other end. This will allow me to drive the oil pump without putting a side load on the pumps shaft, and thus hopefully increasing pump life, pump RPM will be adjusted via pulley ratios.... I just have to find a relief valve now....
The engine is all forged internally minus the pistons... oil spray and splash lube, taper roller mains and automotive type rod and wrist pin bearings... lucky for me I can machine, I have access to a 4 axis mill as well as a 2 axis as well as lathes, which I have used a lot already on this project. I am old school and don’t trust batteries so I took the distributor off and am right now making an adapter for a Fairbanks Morse magneto to mount behind the generator (driven via generator armature and a coupling made out of a TH400 tranny yoke and output shaft) this is possible because the generator is gear driven much like aircraft engines... the engine also has a Rockford clutch so I can disengage the pump in the winter when I want to HAND START my engine! Yes it has an electric starter (6 volt ‘cuz I dig 6 volt), but hand start is nice to have when you split wood in the back 40...
Other than that I have a huge 5 X 30" rebuildable hydraulic cylinder and a 28 GPM 2 stage barnes pump, I calculate a 10.07298493 sec cycle time on the fast side of the pump operating at peak efficiency and a max push of 29 tons (don’t listen to log splitter manufacturers claims most are way off). That makes for an average of almost 6 inches of travel per second. to Limit the speed (for safety and for ease of use I got a flow control valve to adjust cylinder speed from 0-6 IPM.
the hydraulic tank will be made like a race car oil system with an air/oil separator, but because of its large volume I have it planned to have an internal valve to divert the just used oil back to the tank outlet, this should keep the warmer oil circulating and thus faster cycle times....
To Do:
-I still need however a hydraulic relief valve for 55 PSI
-I need to locate a cheep intercooler
-Finalize how to modify a bendix updraft carb and its associated mechanical fuel pump to work with a turbo (think tractor carburetor) (I have ideas but never done one....)
-fab oil tank with air oil separator and winter bypass.
-find a small mechanical water pump and radiator to cool my water cooled turbo
-get a cheep holley blue electric "race" fuel pump from some1 to modify into a mechanical pump
Engine Mods Done and in Progress:
-3 angle valve job,
-back cut and polished valves.
-Pocket ported
-Aluminum heads (they also used cast iron)
-Bored out .010
-Custom 6v generator with magneto drive (I dig 6 volt)
-6v starter & hand crank.
-RHF3 turbo
-Fab a drive for a 1 gpm haight pump for turbo lube
-Modified updraft carb with drilled out adjustable jets from smaller Wisconsin engines to allow use of E85 (hopefully float and air bleeds will not need to be changed)
to do:
-Finish engine assembly and Rockford wet clutch assembly
-Drill and tap oil fill hole in block
-Assemble everything
-Finish magneto adapter
Hydraulic specs:
-5x30 prince tie rod cyl
-28 GPM barnes 2 stage pump
-30 GPM spool
-25 gallon oil tank (to be fabricated still)
-Flow control valves for ram and boom (vertical splitter)
I am I would say about half way their... I have most parts but the ones listed and the frame is made. The bulk of the work left is in fabricating oil tanks and assembly..... Should be fun!
Pictures will come soon.
It all started out in roughly 1972 when my dad built a splitter but never finished it and it sat in the woods for over 30 years. it used a 9.6 hp Clinton engine and sad to say but the brand new engine was not much more than a solid block of rust when I got my hands on it a few years ago.. Eager to finish my dads project, I started project almighty splitter, but this time with a bigger engine!
The goal of this log splitter from the start was to build a splitter that was powerful, reliable, FUN, mechanically interesting, E85 compatible and easier on the back than a splitting maul.
And so I began with research. I wanted a old engine (40-50 years old), a durable one, one that is simple, with available parts (within reason). This led me to Wisconsin engines. After some thought I bought a couple of the locally made 2 cylinder engines used, then I bought another, and another from 3 different states (fun road trips)... after maybe 5+ engines I had enough to build one good engine, a Frankenstein of all the engines best parts. I then sent the cylinders out to get bored and have new bronze guides installed. After the valve job I then back cut the face of the valves and polished them, next is pocket porting!
The two cyl TJD Wisconsin engine I selected is over 54+ CI (bored out .010) this alone impressed my friends and eventually they thought with all this “overkill” (hey I split a lot of elm) I could as well add a turbo! Point taken! I then set out and bought a IHI RHF3 turbo from a 3 cyl diesel, it should be a perfect match for my little 2 cylinder, even with my low engine rpm's of 3,600 RPM (hydraulic pump limits RPM)
The oil feed from the turbo will come from a tank that is connected to the engine oil sump, this is so I can use my auxiliary pump (also locally made) (1 GPM 600 PSI max at 1,800 RPM) to also filter my engine oil (non military variants of the engine had no oil filter) the baby oil pump will be driven via extended mandrel on the flywheel end (where the hand crank start is) to allow for a belt. The belt will drive the oil pump via a shaft sitting on 2 pillow blocks mounted on the same frame as the engine, this shaft will then have a lov joy on the other end. This will allow me to drive the oil pump without putting a side load on the pumps shaft, and thus hopefully increasing pump life, pump RPM will be adjusted via pulley ratios.... I just have to find a relief valve now....
The engine is all forged internally minus the pistons... oil spray and splash lube, taper roller mains and automotive type rod and wrist pin bearings... lucky for me I can machine, I have access to a 4 axis mill as well as a 2 axis as well as lathes, which I have used a lot already on this project. I am old school and don’t trust batteries so I took the distributor off and am right now making an adapter for a Fairbanks Morse magneto to mount behind the generator (driven via generator armature and a coupling made out of a TH400 tranny yoke and output shaft) this is possible because the generator is gear driven much like aircraft engines... the engine also has a Rockford clutch so I can disengage the pump in the winter when I want to HAND START my engine! Yes it has an electric starter (6 volt ‘cuz I dig 6 volt), but hand start is nice to have when you split wood in the back 40...
Other than that I have a huge 5 X 30" rebuildable hydraulic cylinder and a 28 GPM 2 stage barnes pump, I calculate a 10.07298493 sec cycle time on the fast side of the pump operating at peak efficiency and a max push of 29 tons (don’t listen to log splitter manufacturers claims most are way off). That makes for an average of almost 6 inches of travel per second. to Limit the speed (for safety and for ease of use I got a flow control valve to adjust cylinder speed from 0-6 IPM.
the hydraulic tank will be made like a race car oil system with an air/oil separator, but because of its large volume I have it planned to have an internal valve to divert the just used oil back to the tank outlet, this should keep the warmer oil circulating and thus faster cycle times....
To Do:
-I still need however a hydraulic relief valve for 55 PSI
-I need to locate a cheep intercooler
-Finalize how to modify a bendix updraft carb and its associated mechanical fuel pump to work with a turbo (think tractor carburetor) (I have ideas but never done one....)
-fab oil tank with air oil separator and winter bypass.
-find a small mechanical water pump and radiator to cool my water cooled turbo
-get a cheep holley blue electric "race" fuel pump from some1 to modify into a mechanical pump
Engine Mods Done and in Progress:
-3 angle valve job,
-back cut and polished valves.
-Pocket ported
-Aluminum heads (they also used cast iron)
-Bored out .010
-Custom 6v generator with magneto drive (I dig 6 volt)
-6v starter & hand crank.
-RHF3 turbo
-Fab a drive for a 1 gpm haight pump for turbo lube
-Modified updraft carb with drilled out adjustable jets from smaller Wisconsin engines to allow use of E85 (hopefully float and air bleeds will not need to be changed)
to do:
-Finish engine assembly and Rockford wet clutch assembly
-Drill and tap oil fill hole in block
-Assemble everything
-Finish magneto adapter
Hydraulic specs:
-5x30 prince tie rod cyl
-28 GPM barnes 2 stage pump
-30 GPM spool
-25 gallon oil tank (to be fabricated still)
-Flow control valves for ram and boom (vertical splitter)
I am I would say about half way their... I have most parts but the ones listed and the frame is made. The bulk of the work left is in fabricating oil tanks and assembly..... Should be fun!
Pictures will come soon.
as well as the stuff I learned in airframe and powerplant school (A&P school/aircraft mechanic school) as well as machining school. (guess i use it for something after all!)
your dad does have a point though, I use up a set of front and rears in 8 months, between that and gas it hurts.
