Log Splitter Help

[fingerlaker]

Hoping someone may be able to help point me in the right direction. I have a 22 ton Huskee log splitter. Stored indoors. Have split about 20 facecord a year for 5 years now. This machine has run flawlessly for me and has been super reliable right up until recently. The Ram quit on me as if there was no hydraulic pressure. Immediately I assumed it was the hydraulic pump so I went out and purchased a replacement. When I began to do the replacement I see that the shaft coupler (from motor to pump) was destroyed. Motor shaft spins fine when started and the hydraulic shaft spins fine with my hand so I assumed the problem was simply the coupler. I instead replaced the coupler, checked all fluids and fired it up. Now the ram is working but extremely slow. It just didnt seem right so I didnt run it for long. Now there are 3 things that are on my mind---the hydraulic pump, hydraulic filter, and the control valve. The pump and valve are quite expensive so I dont want to replace for no reason...the filter is a given, that I will replace immediately.
A little background info that causes me to question the control valve....about 30 facecords ago something changed in the control valve. When you push the lever back to cycle the ram backwards it automatically locks in cycling it back on its own and then kicks off on its own as it reaches the end. About 30FC ago this stopped working. You had to pay attention to it as it would cycle back on its own but would NOT kick off--you had to manually kick it off yourself or it seemed like the lines would blow. Everything else worked fine and I quickly adapted to stopping the cycle manually so I never gave it a second thought.
This splitter is well maintained and stored indoors. It has been a workhorse for me splitting all hardwoods ie. R&W oak, beech, hickory, locust, sugar maple etc...
Anyone experience a similar dilemma or have any idea what to do from here?? Thanks a bunch!!!

 

[avalancher]

From what you describe, it indeed sounds like your valve is messed up, but before we do another hasty part swap out, lets check a few things first.part swapping can get spendy in a hurry.

First off, do you have any idea what the pressure from the pump to the valve is?A pressure gauge is a cheap diagnostic tool, and any parts house or hardware store should be able to hook you up with one.Install it inline between the pump and the valve and see what your pressure is.A simple "T" connector should work fine for installing it.
If your pressure is good, hovering in the very upper 2500 to 3000 range, then move the pressure gauge to the line from the valve to the ram.Drop a nice chunk of wood crosswise in front of your ram and see what the pressure is.It should be exactly the same as the pressure from the pump to the valve until the bypass kicks in.

Before you do any pressure checking, ensure that your tank is full of hydralic fluid, your vent is clear, and that your engine is running correctly and at max RPM.

If your pressure is correct from the pump to the valve, but not from the valve to the ram, you have found your culprit.From the sounds of it, it sounds like the valve is messed up due to the valve not kicking out on the return stroke, but lets make sure that is the only problem the splitter is having before dragging out the wallet.

let us know what you find out!

 

[fingerlaker]

Thanks avalancher!! Now I know what to do this weekend. I will follow your advice and see where it leads me. Expect my findings on Monday!

 

[ponyexpress976]

Not that avalancher's advice isn't excellent...cause it is...just make sure you get a high pressure fitting. It sounds obvious but there are different fittings out there and it could lead to a costly/painful mistake!

 

[Iron man]

Mine is doing what your is..Ill loss power like theres no pressure and the auto cycle detent will stick because it wont build enough pressure to kick it to the neutral position.Also after splitting for a while the fluid will get very hot starting in the cylinder and spew out the vent...It took me a lot of head scratching to figure out the cylinder has a bad seal or the cylinder wall is damaged maybe from rust pitting due to moisture being in the fluid at some point.When I finally found the perfect knotty piece of wood that would stall the piston in the location of the cylinder its loosing pressure I removed the cylinder return hose coming from the valve.I then proceeded to try and split the wood with the hose disconnected and fluid started spewing out the cylinder.I knew for sure the cylinder is bad then.I look at the bright side.My new cylinder is a 5'' whereas the original was a 4'' so not only did I fix it I improved its performance.