hydraulic failure in two way splitter

[chuckwood]

No way would I try a weld like that - we have a couple of welders here, but I'm not a pro welder.

I hired welding on my water tanks done, and they don't see more than 20 psi. 3-4000 psi? Not a chance.

Y'all have just talked me out of trying it. I'm a decent hobby welder but by no means a pro.

 

[kevin j]

it sure looks like a wire snap ring on the picture of the rod end with the scraper and the wood pieces wedged under the scraper lip. At the 11 o'clock 12 o'clock 1 o'clock looks like the curved ends of the wire snap ring but maybe that's not it. it's possible that if that was snap ring holding in the rod scraper that underneath the scraper might be some other means usually another snap ring or something like that holding the gland in.

China stuff never ceases to amaze me for creativity and cheapness but I've never seen any cylinder that was put together and then the closed end welded on without being removable somewhere.
if you do any cutting and re-welding, do it on the closed end, not the rod gland end.

next best solution: can you just re-design it and use the standard cylinder with the closed-end stationary and the rod moving as normal practice. may have to weld some bracketry and stuff but it would be less precise than welding on the tube

 

[JCMC]

First pic in post 13 - do i see a seam, where it looks like something might unscrew? Right in front of the wedge weld blob?

It looks to me like there is a brass ring that threads into the cylinder with a spanner wrench. I would take the cylinder out and clean it up then try to take it apart I definitely would not cut it.

 

[chuckwood]

It looks to me like there is a brass ring that threads into the cylinder with a spanner wrench. I would take the cylinder out and clean it up then try to take it apart I definitely would not cut it.

As soon as I get time, I'll be removing the cylinder and I'll try to remove the rod and piston. The pictures I've posted have caused a bit of confusion. There is definitely a sort of cap welded onto the end of the cylinder where the rod goes in and out. Best I can tell this cap is there to limit the amount of wood splinters and big chips that can get pushed in there during operation. But this cap also appears to make it impossible to pull the rod and piston assembly out of the cylinder for rebuilding. When I remove the cylinder I'll take a big skill saw with a metal cutting blade and cut this welded on end piece off. Then I should be able to pull the thing apart to get at the piston. If I can't, then this splitter will unfortunately be headed to the scrapyard. Being a skinflint and a tinkerer, I've had some success with modifying Harbor Freight stuff to work the way I want it to, but I've not had too much experience with hydraulic equipment. This is an opportunity maybe to learn a few things. As soon as I get it all apart, I'll post some more pics.

I do really like the basic design of this two way splitter. I used to rent splitters before buying this one, and it's been more productive and faster than other splitters costing three times as much. If I can't get anywhere with this Chinese made model, I'll be shopping for another one made in the USA and having a cylinder/piston assembly that is serviceable.

 

[NSMaple1]

No cutting should be needed. That still looks like something that should screw apart, with that apparent seem I'm still thinking I see. Perhaps with the assistance of a special spanner wrench as mentioned above. And - can't tell from the pics - but what is that little roundy thingie welded on, at the bottom right? A rod? A nub? Looks like it's been rubbing/sliding. Might be some answers hidden in this thing that require a taking apart to find. Also almost looks like the head of a small allen screw or a pin, on the cylinder end face, directly in front of the wedge. And if you follow that 'seam' to the right, there seems to be a notch in it right where it goes under the red - either a spot for a spanner nub to fit, or a piece is broke out? Or who knows.

But if cutting is really required for any kind of cylinder servicing - then yes I would likely just look for something new and serviceable to replace it with.

 

[Jakers]

Roundy thingy is a chunk of round stock welded on there so the cylinder rides fairly square inside the square tube. I'm sure there's three more we are not seeing in the remaining corners. That round stock is welded directly where the supposed seam is you think you're seeing on the top so nothing is going to turn there. That seam is just paint rubbed off in a perfect line on the chamfered edge of the cylinder in my guess.

As for the screw head, it sure looks to me as tho its just a more recent chunk of paint that flaked off and has fresh rust compared to the older, more weathered rust elsewhere. There are more similar spots on the cylinder face if you look close.

Just my opinion as from the picture. Curious minds want the truth now. Almost makes me want to drive to harbor freight to look at a new one that's clean still

 

[JeffHK454]

In the last pic what looks like a gland with a spanner wrench hole in it is some kind of ring welded onto the end of the tube that keeps large debris from getting forced into the actual endcap/ gland that's further down inside.....maybe.