Log splitter modifications

[staywarm53]

I use the tractor boom to lift one end of 4 or 5 logs and then I chainsaw them up. Sometimes it's a an inconvience to take off the boom and hook the tractor up to the splitter(pto powered). I have a TSC 18.5 hp lawn mower engine doing nothing. My splitter cylinder is 4.5 in with 2 in rod.
How hard is it to mate the engine up to a new pump(haldex?) and make the splitter independent of the tractor ? Are they hooked up direct drive ? Need adapter plate? I'm relatively new to splitters any advice is appreciated.

 

[mga]

i'm using an 18 hp briggs engine that came off of my old lawn tractor. it's a vertical shaft engine. i had to make a mounting plate for the pump, then a mounting plate for the engine so that the two shafts meet. i then used a love-joy coupling.

before mounting the engine, i bored a 2" hole in the top plate for the engine shaft. then, i lowered the engine onto the plate and i aligned the shafts by first loosely installing the love joy couplings on each shaft. then, i "eye-balled" them up as close as i could. i then took a piece of sheet metal and wrapped it around the couplings, then used a hose clamp to tighten it. this aligned them perfectly with each other. i tightened the clamp, then marked my engine mount holes.

i guess using a horizontal shaft engine would be much easier...but, i had to use what i had.

 

[jags]

Ditto with MGA. What he said If it is a horizontal engine, then a bracket can be made (or purchased) to bolt directly to the engine. Then a love-joy is used to couple the engine to the pump. It should be a fairly easy upgrade, but you may have to play with the hose length and the size of the fittings. Should be no biggie.

 

[staywarm53]

Ditto with MGA. What he said If it is a horizontal engine, then a bracket can be made (or purchased) to bolt directly to the engine. Then a love-joy is used to couple the engine to the pump. It should be a fairly easy upgrade, but you may have to play with the hose length and the size of the fittings. Should be no biggie.

thx Jags:Is the bracket something you can purchase at Northen tool ?
Thx MGA for the fabrication procedure. I now have a better idea of how to mount a vertical shaft to a pump.

 

[mga]

Ditto with MGA. What he said If it is a horizontal engine, then a bracket can be made (or purchased) to bolt directly to the engine. Then a love-joy is used to couple the engine to the pump. It should be a fairly easy upgrade, but you may have to play with the hose length and the size of the fittings. Should be no biggie.

provided that the horizontal engine has threaded holes on the side case....right?

 

[jags]

Very true. A good percentage of them do, but there are some that don't. And yes, the bracket can be purchased at Northern hyd.

 

[jags]

Oh, and I should add, if you have a verticle shaft engine and don't have access to a welder, the bracket can be bolted under the engine for a verticle application. If there are no threaded holes on the engine block, just bolt it to the plate you are mounting the engine to.

 

[MS-310]

If I have a verticle shaft engine and would like to make a log spliter out of it what pump can I use does it make a diff if its on the side or what...... teach me....
Jack

 

[jags]

Nope, doesn't make a darn bit of difference. The magic comes from the pump being able to take in a low pressure feed, pressurize the fluid and send it on its way. You could hang it upside down in your closet, if you could get the hoses to reach.:biggrinbounce2: (and something to spin the shaft).

 

[jags]

My best suggestion for pumps is to match the pump to the ram to the engine with the expected cycle time you are looking for. To make this more (or less) confusing, what I mean is: if you are using a 3.5" ram and have a 5hp engine, you are probably looking at a 2 stage 11 gpm pump. On the other hand if you use the 5hp with the 11gpm pump on a splitter that has a 5" ram, you will probably be able to have a or 2 in between cycles.
1. The bigger the ram = more fluid to move at the same speed.
2. more fluid = larger gpm pump
3. larger gpm pump = more HP

If you look at some of the production models out there, you can get a pretty good idea of ram/pump/hp set ups that are proven to work. Oh, and unless you have HP to burn (say using a car engine connected to the pump) I would seriously stick with the 2 stage pumps. This allows for high volumes under low pressure (before you start the actual split and on the return stroke) and then kicks into the lower stage when you hit the high pressure part of the stroke (like when you are just contacting that nasty old piece of American Elm that has been drying for 2 years in the sun).

 

[mga]

i had some concern about the pump being mounted with a vertical engine, so i emailed Haldex and asked some questions. they said that it's not a problem, but suggested that the pump be positioned lower than the tank. that way you will always have oil in the pump...which, logically speaking, makes sense.

i added some photos to show my pump set up as i was building the splitter. you might come up with something better.....

http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k...2_0101_000010AA.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch2

 

[jags]

Very important to have a good flow. On the other hand, there are plenty of horizonal engine/pump rigs out there that I have seen (factory) that the tank and pump is basically on the same level. A suction will be created from the pump, but I think what they are worrying about is that first moment of start up when the pump may not be full of oil. Always make sure the pump is positioned below the oil level in the tank. That will fix that.

 

[staywarm53]

Oh, and unless you have HP to burn (say using a car engine connected to the pump) I would seriously stick with the 2 stage pumps. This allows for high volumes under low pressure (before you start the actual split and on the return stroke) and then kicks into the lower stage when you hit the high pressure part of the stroke (like when you are just contacting that nasty old piece of American Elm that has been drying for 2 years in the sun).

jags, in reference to the 2 stage pump. a friend has the MTD 5.5 honda rated 27 ton. When the wedge contacts the log, it slows way down, then forces it's way thru the log. Is that a 2 stage pump? His splitter is slower than my pto driven splitter, but oviously has lots more splitting power.

 

[turnkey4099]

i had some concern about the pump being mounted with a vertical engine, so i emailed Haldex and asked some questions. they said that it's not a problem, but suggested that the pump be positioned lower than the tank. that way you will always have oil in the pump...which, logically speaking, makes sense.

i added some photos to show my pump set up as i was building the splitter. you might come up with something better.....

http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k...2_0101_000010AA.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch2

Yes, pump should always be mounted lower than the tank, or at least the pump inlet should be. A pump can self-destruct in short order if it runs with no oil in it.

Harry K

 

[jags]

MGA - looks like you have a good setup right there. Pump is below tank. Large feed to the pump. Filter on the way back in. You are well on your way to the wonderful world of "I built that".
I can all but guarantee that your friends splitter has a 2 stage pump. I don't remember specifically, but I believe that the 11 gpm pumps second stage kicks down to a 2.6 gpm (or something like that). Thats how they get smaller engines to produce the pressure, yet still have the fluid flow at low pressure. My splitter has the 16 gpm pump with a 5" ram, most oaks and hickory and osage and other hard woods usually doesn't require it to kick into low gear. Now its a different story with that old American Elm stuff :censored: but she will cut right thru it.

 

[mga]

thanks, jags!!

it was my first attempt to build one after i spent a whole summer splitting by hand. i'm too old for that stuff. it took me a year to read as much as i could about them..hydraulics...cylinders, etc etc...and hooking up the lines.

the tank alone i designed. the inlet drops down almost to the bottom of the tank and there is a baffle plate in the middle. this keeps the oil from foaming and agitating inside....keeps them bubbles out. the outlet is about 1" off the bottom, just in case some thing gets inside, it can settle without getting sucked into the screen. i did my home work on hydraulic tanks...lol...plus it's about 18 gallons...to keep give the oil a chance to cool.

the only problem is i haven't seen it in two weeks because people borrow it....however, in one picture you can see the sign: "you break it...you fix it" that's the rule to borrow it.

the guy using it said he hasn't run into a piece yet it can't split...it worked very well for me.

 

[jags]

What size ram, pump and engine did you end up with? What kinda cycle times are you getting out of it? Does it hit the second stage of the pump very often? I am really surprised at how infrequently my pump shifts down, even with large rounds of oak. And it is pretty rare that I run the 8hp over half throttle (gets too noisy for me). And I DARE any chunk of wood to get in its way. It will cut a 6" piece of oak SIDEWAYS (yep, did it once just to test the welds)

 

[mga]

What size ram, pump and engine did you end up with? What kinda cycle times are you getting out of it? Does it hit the second stage of the pump very often? I am really surprised at how infrequently my pump shifts down, even with large rounds of oak. And it is pretty rare that I run the 8hp over half throttle (gets too noisy for me). And I DARE any chunk of wood to get in its way. It will cut a 6" piece of oak SIDEWAYS (yep, did it once just to test the welds)

the ram is a 5 x 24 with a 2" rod. the pump is a barnes/haldex 11/22 gpm pump and an 18hp engine. i keep the rpm's on the engine up, but it rarely uses the second stage. maybe i went with over-kill on that one...lol...even the engine hardly uses the governor. it just splits nice and smooth. i counted about 12 seconds from start to finish complete sycle with a piece of wood in there. but, the 24" stroke is a long one compared to normal wood sizes. however, i got a great deal on the cylinder and the extra room is nice for the hands.

not to brag, but i'm kinda proud of it, since i desgned and built it myself.

 

[staywarm53]

not to brag, but i'm kinda proud of it, since i desgned and built it myself.

That is the same reason I'd like to modify mine to an engine driven system . A small feeling of accomplishment
congradulations on yours! sounds like a fine splitter to me.

 

[mga]

That is the same reason I'd like to modify mine to an engine driven system . A small feeling of accomplishment
congradulations on yours! sounds like a fine splitter to me.

you'll get there. be patient and think things out before making a final decision. i made alot of drawings by hand to "see" what i wanted and how i wanted it. my wife said i was obsessed with it..lol