# Old Mighty Murc Log Splitter



## Mattpower3 (Nov 15, 2007)

Hi I have a question and was wondering if anyone could help us out? We have an OLD might murc log splitter that we just repowered with a 5.5 Kawaskaki engine. Engine fits and runs great but when i use the splitter it bogs down and won't split the wood. It will split smaller pieces fine , but the larger ones ( not that big either ) it just won't work. Any suggestions? 

Thanks


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## infomet (Nov 15, 2007)

Sounds like the engine is too small for the pump.
A two stage pump would improve things greatly, but a bigger engine might be cheaper if you can find one used.


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## Mattpower3 (Nov 15, 2007)

infomet said:


> Sounds like the engine is too small for the pump.
> A two stage pump would improve things greatly, but a bigger engine might be cheaper if you can find one used.



It ran just fine with the old engine ( until it died ) which was a 5 or 5.5 HP briggs - nothing larger then that ( just threw it in the dumpster ! ) Any other suggestions ?


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## DieselTech (Nov 18, 2007)

Hydraulic pump might be failing, or you may have a bypass valve stuck slightly open. See if you can find a pressure gauge to hook up to one of the lines. The cylinder may also have internal leakage. Does it seem to move more slowly than usual?


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## Mattpower3 (Nov 19, 2007)

DieselTech said:


> Hydraulic pump might be failing, or you may have a bypass valve stuck slightly open. See if you can find a pressure gauge to hook up to one of the lines. The cylinder may also have internal leakage. Does it seem to move more slowly than usual?




No it moves the same speed but as soon as it comes to the log it bogs down and doesn't split. splits smaller ones , not great but if you keep pushing it towards the log it will eventually split it.


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## SWI Don (Nov 19, 2007)

Does it have a two stage pump? Did it used to come up the the log and slow down if it hit something tough? Your kick down valve in the pump may be stuck.

Don


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## 1936ford (Nov 23, 2007)

*Splitter*



Mattpower3 said:


> Hi I have a question and was wondering if anyone could help us out? We have an OLD might murc log splitter that we just repowered with a 5.5 Kawaskaki engine. Engine fits and runs great but when i use the splitter it bogs down and won't split the wood. It will split smaller pieces fine , but the larger ones ( not that big either ) it just won't work. Any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks


YOU NEED A TWO SPEED PUMP. THERE CHEAP AT NORTHEN TOOL. IF YOU WANT THE BEST AND FASTEST SPLITTER ANYWHERE, LOOK UP POWER SPLIT INTERNATION IN CANADA. I HAVE ONE AND IT IS A TWO MAN SPLITTER WITH A CONVEYOR ALL TOGETHER AND YOU CAN DRIVE IT TO YOUR WOOD. IT HAS A LIFT FOR THE LOGS SO YOU DOWN HAVE TO LIFT THE LOGS. I'VE HAD MINE FOR FIVE YEARS AND IT IS THE BEST OUT THERE BY FAR. I WILL BET ANYTHING ANYONE WANTS THAT I CAN SPLIT MORE WOOD THAN ANY SPLITER IN THE WORLD, EXCEPT A PROCESSOR LIKE A CORD KING. A CORD KING IS 130K. LOOK BOTH UP AND YOU WILL SEE FOR A SPLITTER NOTHING IS AS GOOD AS A POWER SPLIT AND THEY STAND BEHINE THEM.


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## 1936ford (Nov 23, 2007)

Mattpower3 said:


> It ran just fine with the old engine ( until it died ) which was a 5 or 5.5 HP briggs - nothing larger then that ( just threw it in the dumpster ! ) Any other suggestions ?



LOOK UP POWER SPLIT INTERNATIONAL AND BUY THE TWO MAN SPLITTER. IT IS THE FASTEST AND BEST IN THE WORLD. I'VE HAD ONE FOR 5 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS AND IT IS FAST AND YOU CAN DRIVE IT. IF YOU WANT THE BEST IN THE WORLD THEN BUY A CORD KING PROCESSOR BUT THERE 130K


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## Mattpower3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Tested everything and turns out that the hydrolic piston is leaking internally. Is this something that can be rebuilt ?? Any suggestions ?


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## DieselTech (Nov 30, 2007)

Yes, most hydraulic cylinders can be rebuilt. It's not a difficult task to do if you're mechanically inclined, though you may need some special wrenches to disassemble it. Grab your phone book and look up a hydraulic shop- if you cant find one, try a construction equipment dealer or forklift dealership. The toughest part may be finding a seal kit for it. The hydraulic shop should be able to cross reference the numbers on it to get the proper seals, or it may have to be disassembled and measured. I'd try that first. Construction equipment, forklift, and even farm equipment dealerships should have pretty good access to hydraulic components, however they may not be able to cross reference any part numbers that may be on the cylinder, or order seals by their actual size. 

The cylinder itself is pretty basic. If you look at the end the rod comes out of, there should be some holes or slight notches drilled or machined in the cylinder housing. These are designed for a special gland nut wrench to fit into and the end of the cylinder will actually unscrew. If you dont have the correct wrench, you may be able to get it loose with a big pair of channel locks, a strap/ chain wrench, or by putting a punch in one of the gland wrench holes/ slots and driving it around with a hammer. Once the nut comes loose, look inside the cylinder with a flashlight. There may be some snap rings in there that hold a packing seal in place. If thee are, remove them. Then the rod should slide out of the cylinder body. 

There will be a seal assembly inside the gland nut called a 'wiper seal' or something of that nature. You will need to replace that, because that seal is what keeps dirt/ dust/ wood slivers that land on the rod from entering the cylinder ad damaging other seals. There will also be a secondary packing either on the inside edge of the nut, if you didnt remove a snap ring inside the cylinder. That seal makes it possible for fluid to build pressure and return the rod inside the cylinder. 

On the end of the rod that's in the cylinder, there will be a large end with a set of seals on it. All those seals need to be replaced, as they are what failed to cause it to leak internally. 

Once you go inside, it's a good idea to just replace all the seals you disturb. They're relatively cheap, compared to having to remove the cylinder from the splitter again and do it over. Also, have a drain bucket and lots of rags. No matter if the cylinder is extended or retracted, it's full of fluid. A lot of it should drain out when you remove the lines, but there will still be some trapped inside that will come out when you remove the gland nut. 

Be very, very careful not to nick, ding, scratch, or otherwise damage the surface of the rod or the inside of the cylinder. Rough spots on either will destroy seals in a hurry. As you remove the rod, insect it very, very carefully for existing damage. If you find any, the cylinder assembly may need to be replaced. Be sure to wrap the rod in shop rags when you lay it on the workbench, or cover the bench with a towel. As you tear into it, you'll find it's a really simple design- basically just swap your old seals for new ones, and reassemble in the exact opposite order from how it came apart.

Nothing else jumps out at me right now, but I'll keep an eye on this thread. I've rebuilt more cylinders than I care to count.


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## Mattpower3 (Dec 1, 2007)

hmmm, thanks for the info .. it seems that one side is welded and the other side where the piston comes out is sealed and pressed in ... looks as though it will need to be taken to a professional ...


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## cabinman (Dec 2, 2007)

Mattpower3 said:


> hmmm, thanks for the info .. it seems that one side is welded and the other side where the piston comes out is sealed and pressed in ... looks as though it will need to be taken to a professional ...



Matt,.. its not pressed in,.. Look for holes in the end cap they are for an adjustable dowel tool, like a spanner wrench, you should be able to screw the end cap out, Ive used a punch and hammer before, But if you do,.., you will not , probably not,.. be able to use the factory wrench later,..


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## triptester (Dec 2, 2007)

Be aware that hydraulic cylinders are relatively inexpensive for log splitters and the cost of professional rebuilding may exceed the cost of a new replacement cylinder.


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## Mattpower3 (Dec 3, 2007)

Thanks a bunch for all the replies , i will be taking it to a place near me to have them give me an estimate to repair. There are no holes in any part of this cylinder at all and the other end is welded . But anyway .. where would you buy a replacement cylinder if the company is out of business ? 

thanks


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## triptester (Dec 3, 2007)

Replacement cylinders on a log splitter does not have to be the same brand as the splitter as long as it fits. Different brands of cylinders of the same size often have the same specs and are interchangeable.

It is rare for a log splitter manufacturer build their own cylinders or even order special cylinders for their machines. Stock cylinders are the most cost effective.


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## cabinman (Dec 3, 2007)

*Matt*

Tractor supply has a line of hydraulic cylinders, They have 4x24, and 4x30 etc good price for good cyl,.. Id like to see a pic of the cyl you have and see how its put together,.. When you go in for a quote , ask them how mush to just open up your cylinder , I had to take one in once to have it opened up and It only cost 10.00, The average seal kit is around 20.00 If you have mechinical skills, they are pretty easy to figure out, If you want to save money,


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## Mattpower3 (Dec 6, 2007)

Well it turns out the cylinder did need to be rebuilt. The seals were all flattened out and horrible. So with that said it is done , $240 was the charge to do the entire thing. The problem is the splitter is still not splitting wood ? This thing is ending up costing me just as much as a brand new splitter. Any other suggestions on what can be looked at ? 

So to update - the splitter was repowered with a kawaskaki engine of the same horse power as the original engine. The tests resulted in leaking inside the cylinder , the cylinder was rebuilt and indeed had horrible seals in it. Now it is still not splitting once it was put back together.


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## zmaster07 (Dec 13, 2010)

*replacing cylinder*



cabinman said:


> Tractor supply has a line of hydraulic cylinders, They have 4x24, and 4x30 etc good price for good cyl,.. Id like to see a pic of the cyl you have and see how its put together,.. When you go in for a quote , ask them how mush to just open up your cylinder , I had to take one in once to have it opened up and It only cost 10.00, The average seal kit is around 20.00 If you have mechinical skills, they are pretty easy to figure out, If you want to save money,



Cabinman, I took my splitter to the local mechanic and they can't find a seal kit and can't figure out which cylinder to replace mine with. Do you know where on the cylinder it might be listed. They are telling me there are several different types of cylinders. I have a mighty murc like the one in this thread I believe. thanks,


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## zmaster07 (Dec 13, 2010)

*replacing cylinder*



DieselTech said:


> Yes, most hydraulic cylinders can be rebuilt. It's not a difficult task to do if you're mechanically inclined, though you may need some special wrenches to disassemble it. Grab your phone book and look up a hydraulic shop- if you cant find one, try a construction equipment dealer or forklift dealership. The toughest part may be finding a seal kit for it. The hydraulic shop should be able to cross reference the numbers on it to get the proper seals, or it may have to be disassembled and measured. I'd try that first. Construction equipment, forklift, and even farm equipment dealerships should have pretty good access to hydraulic components, however they may not be able to cross reference any part numbers that may be on the cylinder, or order seals by their actual size.
> 
> The cylinder itself is pretty basic. If you look at the end the rod comes out of, there should be some holes or slight notches drilled or machined in the cylinder housing. These are designed for a special gland nut wrench to fit into and the end of the cylinder will actually unscrew. If you dont have the correct wrench, you may be able to get it loose with a big pair of channel locks, a strap/ chain wrench, or by putting a punch in one of the gland wrench holes/ slots and driving it around with a hammer. Once the nut comes loose, look inside the cylinder with a flashlight. There may be some snap rings in there that hold a packing seal in place. If thee are, remove them. Then the rod should slide out of the cylinder body.
> 
> ...




Diesel tech, I'm trying to get a similar Mighty Murc splitter fixed and my mechanics can't find a seal kit and can't figure out which cylinder to get to replace mine. Are there markings somewhere on the cylinder. They say there are several different models. thanks for your help, Zmasterflash


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## D.Marsh (Dec 13, 2010)

Well I know this question wasn't directed towards me but since I was here and saw it figured I'd chime in my 2 cents.

zmaster07, your hyd cyl should have some numbers stamped in it for part number and/or serial number from the manufacturer. With those numbers, they should be able to cross reference. Manufacturers probably put their numbers in different locations, so this may or may not help, but when I built them we always stamped our numbers near the retract port on the outside of the cyl. (hose connection near the front of the cyl where the rod comes out) 

Hope that helps ya find your numbers.


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## triptester (Dec 13, 2010)

A leaking cylinder will reduce splitting force but will not cause the engine to bog down. The engine will bog when excessive pressure is reached. Excessive pressure can be caused by the bypass valve for the high volume section failing to open if you have a 2-stage pump or the relief valve fails to open in the control valve.

Pics of the pump, cylinder ,and control valve could help in figuring out the problem.


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## Kemp (Oct 13, 2017)

Can anyone recommend a hydraulic oil filter for Mighty Murc Wood Splitter Model 875 RC? Have been using a Carquest filter but it leaks. Thank you.


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## farmer steve (Oct 13, 2017)

Kemp said:


> Can anyone recommend a hydraulic oil filter for Mighty Murc Wood Splitter Model 875 RC? Have been using a Carquest filter but it leaks. Thank you.


Hi Kemp.welcome to AS. do you have any pics? i googled some but don't see where the filter is located. napa has some good hydraulic filters. most splitters require a 10 micron filter.


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## Kemp (Oct 13, 2017)

farmer steve said:


> Hi Kemp.welcome to AS. do you have any pics? i googled some but don't see where the filter is located. napa has some good hydraulic filters. most splitters require a 10 micron filter.



Here's a scan of it from the manual -- oil filter is part #46. Does that help? Otherwise I can get a photo. I am trying to help my colleague find a filter that will work. Thank you!


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## Kemp (Oct 13, 2017)

Kemp said:


> Here's a scan of it from the manual -- oil filter is part #46. Does that help? Otherwise I can get a photo. I am trying to help my colleague find a filter that will work. Thank you!


By the way, it's the shape of the filter casing that is causing the leak -- it doesn't seat properly.


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## Kemp (Oct 13, 2017)

The Mighty Murc 950 LL and 550DX would have taken the same oil filter as 875 RC -- so if someone is using a filter successfully on one of these models somewhere, we'd like to know what filter is fitting well. Thanks again!


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