Why did my splitter puke oil??????

[Wirenut2266]

I am confused.....I have a homemade splitter with 8hp engine, 16gpm pump, 5 gallon reservoir. My buddy wants to borrow it, I say no problem. I start it in my garage, runs good, show him operation and off he goes. Following morning, he states he starts it up, first thing it does without touching the control valve is burp about 1/2 gallon milky hydro fluid all over out of filler neck???? I just looked in tank night before swear it was clean fluid, for sure not overflowing by any means at my place. That evening it turned cold, but no rain or snow to speak of ? No clue........

 

[triptester]

Sounds like a clamp on the suction hose needs tightening . The pump sucking air will cause the fluid to foam out of the tank. An air leak in the suction line may not drip fluid.

 

[cantoo]

Any chance he towed it down a bumpy road and got it aired up and foamy a little? Still shouldn't be real white but with air certain oils might look white.

 

[Husky Man]

The short list of things NOT to Loan out:

1. Wife

1. Boat

1. Chainsaw

1. Log Splitter

Notice, None of those items ranked as #2, as to not loan out

Doug

 

[Slick50]

Crankcase virus ?

 

[Wood Doctor]

Could be he added oil to the splitter tank that is not actually hydraulic oil. That happened to me awhile back when a friend added what he thought was hydraulic oil. Foaming oil started leaking right out of the lid. At least a quart has come foaming out. Occasionaly it still burps it out as if it had indigestion.

 

[firefighter938]

Was he running it on uneven ground?

 

[NSMaple1]

Any chance he towed it down a bumpy road and got it aired up and foamy a little? Still shouldn't be real white but with air certain oils might look white.

Has to be something to do with this. Unless he did something he's not telling you about.

 

[Wirenut2266]

Now that I think about it, he did tow it about 15 miles on gravel roads, and is splitting in woods, so he may have pulled the sucking hose loose as well an well as agitate the oil......I will ask him now how it is doing? thanks for responses!!!

Bruce

 

[Sawyer Rob]

On a cold day, when I start my splitter and rev it up, it will push a little oil out the filler.

IF, I let the oil warm up a little, it never happens.

SR

 

[sb47]

I ran a tree digger for 30 years down washboard gravel and dirt roads day in and day out. Not once did the 150+ gallons of oil foam up dew to agitation.
No way it should foam dew to agitation from driving down a bumpy road. Not gonna happen. So scratch that off the list.

 

[sb47]

Also if it is a suction leak issue it should take extended run time to build up enough foam to cause it to puke oil. I don't think that would cause it to puke at start up.

 

[sb47]

My guess is it got water in it or he added the wrong type of oil and they didn't mix well.

 

[ray benson]

Milky oil means water in the oil. Doesn't take much water

 

[triptester]

An air leak in the suction side of the pump will cause the fluid to all most immediately foam and erupt from the tank vent. I had it happen, it looked like a 2 liter bottle of root beer erupting that had been shaken before opening.
After cleaning up the mess on the splitter and driveway. I tightened the hose clamps on the suction hose and the foaming stopped.

 

[sb47]

An air leak in the suction side of the pump will cause the fluid to all most immediately foam and erupt from the tank vent. I had it happen, it looked like a 2 liter bottle of root beer erupting that had been shaken before opening.
After cleaning up the mess on the splitter and driveway. I tightened the hose clamps on the suction hose and the foaming stopped.

My guess is it would take some run time for foam to build up with a suction air leak. It has to cycle at least once for the foamy oil to get back to the res, before it can come out the vent tube. I can't say it's ever happened to me but that would be my guess.

 

[sundance]

My guess is it would take some run time for foam to build up with a suction air leak. It has to cycle at least once for the foamy oil to get back to the res, before it can come out the vent tube. I can't say it's ever happened to me but that would be my guess.

Pump to valve to tank isn't a long trip.

 

[sb47]

Pump to valve to tank isn't a long trip.

True enough.

 

[triptester]

As soon as the pump starts the fluid goes thru the control valve then back to the tank. Without operating the valve fluid returns to the tank in seconds.

 

[sb47]

Pump to valve to tank isn't a long trip.

Don't forget it has to cycle through the cylinder as well. Still a short trip though.