# Wood Splitter Problem



## BaldSawRunner (Oct 4, 2008)

My mom has a hydraulic wood splitter that my dad had when he cut firewood to sell. The problem with it is this: when you start to split a block of wood, the motor dies. I think it may be the carburetor. The splitter is abot 15 years old. It hasn't been run for 4 years now. When it started doing this, everything else was good, hyd. fluid full, oil changed regularly, always fresh gas, etc. Anyone have any ideas???? thanks


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 4, 2008)

BaldSawRunner said:


> My mom has a hydraulic wood splitter that my dad had when he cut firewood to sell. The problem with it is this: when you start to split a block of wood, the motor dies. I think it may be the carburetor. The splitter is about 15 years old. It hasn't been run for 4 years now. When it started doing this, everything else was good, hyd. fluid full, oil changed regularly, always fresh gas, etc. Anyone have any ideas???? thanks


The engine is starved for gas. You have a blockage between the fuel supply and the cylinder. Yes, it could be the carb, but check for a blockage in the fuel line first--valve, hose, fuel filter, valve, etc. When splitting load is applied, the throttle governor must open up to draw in more fuel for power. That is not happening and that is what is stalling out the engine.


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## beerman6 (Oct 4, 2008)

carb is corroded,drop the bowl and look at all the pretty crystals...


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## KsWoodsMan (Oct 4, 2008)

After 4 years there will some seriously bad gas in that tank. Adding more to it is only going to create problems. Drain out all the gas from the tank and the carb. Rinse the tank with a little fresh fuel and drain it again. Fill the tank with Premium Gasoline and try using the splitter again. I ONLY use Premium fuel in small engines. So it costs a little more than the cheap stuff. I'm only buying a few gallons. It is worth the price when compared to fuel related problems. 

You didn't mention if the engine 'surges' or "lopes"without a load. If so the engine is starving for fuel. There are probably passages in the carb that are clogged from old gas that has shellaced in the carb. Adjusting the carb's High Speed jet all the way in gently then back out to where it was may cure it. You might have to open it up an extra 1/4 turn to get the lope out of the engine. After a few hours the old shellack might be cleared and the carb needs re-adjusted.

If it dies the instant you start to split it is a supply problem like a clogged screen, filter or line. It might lope also but it acts differently.


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## leon (Oct 4, 2008)

*log splitter*



BaldSawRunner said:


> My mom has a hydraulic wood splitter that my dad had when he cut firewood to sell. The problem with it is this: when you start to split a block of wood, the motor dies. I think it may be the carburetor. The splitter is about 15 years old.
> 
> It hasn't been run for 4 years now. When it started doing this, everything else was good, hyd. fluid full, oil changed regularly, always fresh gas, etc. Anyone have any ideas???? thanks



The first question is- Was gasoline left in it? 
Was the spark plug changed this year-gap it or a new one to 25 thousanths if a B+S. 

It is also possible that if it a Briggs +Stratton with many hours of service/ millions of revolutions/ the coil will work when the engine is cold and when it(the engine) heats up/expands the flywheel and spark gaps no longer are 25 thousanths of an inch and it dies- been there done that with a "Matthews Company Lawn Genie" towed flail mower powered by a Briggs and Stratton 16 horse single cylinder.

The box top lid for a B+S coil is the proper size to gap the coil too-smart people there those B+S folks. 

If its a briggs the fan housing has several bolts holding it to the other tin work-typically 4 short bolts and the coil is right on top of the fan housing exposed-the tecumseha are not-hidden behind the flywheel/ been there done that with a 40 year old snow blower with a Tecumseh.

If the plug is removed is it cold or hot with carbon residue or wet/oily?

If the air filter is very dirty or without a foam sock covering it would possibly die with the lack of oxygen to the carburator-If the air filter has never been changed it may be the culprit as the carburator will not get enough air under load and the engine will stop-been there done THAT WITH AN OLD JEEP. 


Is the fuel line shut off or nearly so? A lot of the time dirt in the tank will float around and settle and when things get moving again the fuel being sucked into the inlet will pull dirt/rust in with it and block the suction and boom its dead and when the vacuum from the fuel suction stops the crud floats away. Been there done that with a diesel underground mining scoop-styrofoam in the diesel fuel tank.

It will not hurt to empty the tank and remove it from the engine frame and remove all the plumbing to clean the inside of the tank-you would be surprised how much crud gets in there when a screen is not used for the fuel and the residual water if any will make rust occur.


1. what type of engine? Is it a vertical or horizontal cylinder engine?

2. gravity gas tank or suction to carburator (tank next to engine?)

3. Briggs, Tecumseh, Robin, Honda?

4. the float may be shot so it floods/closes shut out under load too.

5. needle valve-dirt or worn out but if thiere is a fuel bowl under the carburator I would imagine there is dirt in the fuel bowl too.

Check the fuel bowl first- shut the fuel off from the tank and remove the bowl by removing the bottom screw if its a B+S.

I would also add a little dry gas too and a spray some carburator cleaner into the air inlet of the engine first and run the engine before you decide to remove the fuel bowl to look for dirt. 


   opcorn:


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## mga (Oct 4, 2008)

1. when you start it, is the engine running OK on full throttle? (does it have high RPM's?)

2. does it bog down when there is load on only? if you run the splitter thru the cycles without any wood in it, does the engine still run good? or, does it struggle just to push or pull the cylinder?


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## BaldSawRunner (Oct 4, 2008)

It bogs down only under a load, and we have not started the splitter in 4 years, when it started doing this. The gas was fresh then. I will drain the old gas out before I try to start it. I was just looking for some general idea as to why it was doing this. It is a Briggs engine.

Thanks for the replies


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## saxman (Oct 4, 2008)

I would drain all the gas out and put in fresh premium gas and put a good dose of SeaFoam additive. Start it up and let it run without any load for awhile at least long enough to get the new gas in the carb. Shut it off and let is soak for a few hours. Restart and try to load the engine and see if it is better. If you are really lucky the seafoam will break up the gummy deposits and nothing else will be needed. If you are like me, plan on pulling the carb off and cleaning it all up with brake cleaner!


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## kevin j (Oct 5, 2008)

If it stalls, the load is greater than the engine torque. Thus, either the load is too much or the engine torque is toolittle. 

Lots of good advice above that the engine just doesn't have enough power to spin it.

The second option, too much load, is that the two stage pump is not unloading and that it tries to run full speed at too much pressure. Is there a pressure gauge?

Get the engine tuned first, then we can go through pump setting if required.
Basically, dialing the relief valve all the way down reduces the load and is a way to test the engine hp. Later..


k


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## Moss Man (Oct 5, 2008)

I was gonna mention bad fuel, but it appears the boys pretty much have it covered! Good luck and give us some feedback.


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## BaldSawRunner (Nov 7, 2008)

I think I figured it out (I hope). I started to take the carb off of the motor today, and I noticed that the bolt was loose, so I tightened it up, then checked the other bolt where it bolts to the engine. It was looser than the first one. Drained the tank of old gas, doured in some 89 octane, after a few pulls and priming the carb, it fired up. Let it warm up for a few minutes, found a small log with a knot on it, and it ran under a load.  It leaks hydraulic fluid like crazy though. I need to tape up all the threads I guess. How do you bleed the air out of a hydraulic system


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## BaldSawRunner (Nov 7, 2008)

I forgot to mention, it is a Duerr (I think that's how you spell it) 16 ton "Pro" with a MONSTER 4 hp Briggs & Stratton engine.


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## husky455rancher (Nov 7, 2008)

thats ok man not everyone is splittin huge rounds. use what you have moneys tight with most everyone right now.


i 2nd the fresh gas and seafoam. but i woult atleast drop the bown and clean it out first. then see if the seafoam will fix it up. i used it in my ram and my buddy used it in his sierra holw cow did that thing smoke. damn dirty chevy lol.


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## drmiller100 (Nov 8, 2008)

i'm not a fan at all of teflon tape on hydraulics. my experience is it gets good and hot once, and the teflon goes away anyway. 

sounds like you just need to tighten the hoses up.

to bleed the system, almost always you just run it, and normal operation runs the air out of it.

make sure you don't run it completely out of hydraulic fluid, as running the pump dry is hard on it.

loose carb bolts for SURE will cause the symptoms you had. the engine runs lean. it idles fine, but will be hard to start and no power. Just like a gummed up carb which the other guys have been talking about.


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## flxblx (Nov 8, 2008)

BaldSawRunner said:


> I think I figured it out (I hope). I started to take the carb off of the motor today, and I noticed that the bolt was loose, so I tightened it up, then checked the other bolt where it bolts to the engine. It was looser than the first one. Drained the tank of old gas, doured in some 89 octane, after a few pulls and priming the carb, it fired up. Let it warm up for a few minutes, found a small log with a knot on it, and it ran under a load.  It leaks hydraulic fluid like crazy though. I need to tape up all the threads I guess. How do you bleed the air out of a hydraulic system



Is it the fittings that are leaking, or is it the seals on hydraulic cylinder??

If hydraulic fluid has gotten moisture in it, that can cause the cylinder seals to go bad and not seal correctly.

This would be fluid leaking down the ram. If this is the case you will need to find the manufacturer and model for the cylinder and put in a seal kit.


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## BaldSawRunner (Nov 8, 2008)

It is leaking at the fitting where it connects to the control valve. The cylinder looks ok. It looks like a pipe nipple going into the back side of the control valve. Next time I am at my mom's, I will take a pic of it. On a side note, I did loosen the carb idle (?) screw with my fingers to richen it up a bit. That seemed to make it run fine. I also noticed today the pull rope is frayed up pretty bad too. 

This splitter split ALOT of wood when my dad was alive, and he passed away almost 14 years ago. Mom is 70 years old now, and she will not use it anymore because it is so hard to start. It is also cold natured beyone belief. 

I would get a new splitter, but she does not know how much longer she will be burning wood.


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