Splitter project question... 2 stage or 1 stage.

[kevin j]

I hate to say it but those three tie rod cylinders look like low pressure maybe 1500 or so from very old farm equipment. that also meshes with the leather Seals kind of indicates the time period in history and the pressures that they were designed for. Do you know anything about the history or the application they came from?
Also is the rod rusted or is that just varnished oil because it looks really brown it has to be perfectly smooth chrome or the rod seal and wiper will go pretty fast

 

[FlyingDutchman]

John Deere 45 farm loader. Mid 1950's era. You are probably right on the pressure.

It is rusted, but smooth ish. Wiper was actually in good shape, but the o-ring was bad and flat spotted. I was going to hit it with some 2000 grit sand paper and hope for the best, same for the barrel of the cylinder. The rods have always been rusted since it was built. Hasn't gotten any worse.

Well, currently the pump and the cylinders work well as they are in the low pressure configuration. I did nothing technically except add horsepower and a a filter to the old config. this was an age/debris related failure probably.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Cylinder hone made out of a broken hone, a large chainsaw file, electrical tape and a pipe nipple. Inside looks pretty shiny but I'm debating on running 800 grit in there. Cleaning up the rod with 800 grit working pretty well.

Cleaned up and painted. Rust-Oleum midnight metallic which is super *** old (2006??) but goes on beautiful and dries quick. I was recoating in 10 minutes.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

2006 is old paint? I dug some rattle cans out of the shop this summer that was from the 70s.

Still works fine too. And paints nice. Can do a spray job like complete **** and it lays down nice and is durable.

Probably gives Californians cancer but oh well.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Usually the older stuff is too clumpy and I end up pitching it.

Well seals came. Finish honed bore with 800 grit. Punched holes in this insane flipping blank cup seal. Took a lot of work just to do that with drill bits and a box knife. Everything else seemed to fly together really.

Splitter now works again with no bypassing but didn't try on a log yet.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Aaannnnd it split 3 logs and failed again.

Sledgehammer and wedges starting to look pretty good at this point...

 

[rancher2]

Its time to switch it to a newer high pressure cylinder or cylinder's and a two stage pump or go splitter shopping. Those old JD 45 loader cylinders worked good on loaders with tractors that only had 1,000 psi on a good day. I had the same problem when I tried to use my old 45 loader on a 3010 the cylinders didn't like the higher pressure the 3010 ran over the old 620 it had been on. Spring is coming there will be splitter deals at sales and craigs list.

 

[kevin j]

+1
The pic shows lip seals, which can take reasonable pressure, but in only one direction. If these came from a farm loader, even through they can lift in the extend direction, they may have been single acting and not intended to pressure on the rod side. Pressure there would cross the lip seal and erode it quickly. Do you see nibble or tear marks in the seal edges?
Also the tolerances of piston OD and tube ID were not so close then. With more clearance, the seal extrudes into the gap under high pressures.

TYhere may be ways to get the piston to seaol, but overall the tube and tie rods don’t look suitable for high pressures.

Whether is is worth using the beam and wedge and changing cylinder, pump, and hoses is a call you will have to make. Or, just set the relief valve low, maybe 1000 psi, split what you can and watch for a newer machine.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

The second one I didn't rebuild failed, same way the first one did. The cup seal tore, we just didn't expect it to do it sooooo quickly. Was able to split wood with just the one rebuilt cylinder just fine so I knew the old one was no good, and the one I rebuilt still was.

I can't imagine having to deal with the sequencing valve in this mess too, really glad I didn't do that.

Dad stepped in with a real cylinder hone which he finally found, and helped bore and clean in a hurry. Also had real gasket punches so we were able to quickly and cleanly punch the cup seal. In an afternoon we went from a bad cylinder to honed, cleaned, painted, and ready to assemble.

I definitely think that a 16 or 22gpm pump and a 5" cylinder are probably in the cards someday, but I'd also need a new control valve with auto return too.

I literally am out of cash- and totally agree with you what needs to happen (even redid the hydraulic reservoir and stuff to acommodate) just... out of cash.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Well finally we are back in business like I thought we were about 6 weeks ago Jan 14. Split about 8 logs, with good power. Chaws through oak crotches nicely. Now it doesn't leak bad enough to lubricate the beam out of the rod seals! Haha.

With one person, the cycle time is sort of annoying, but generally we work together while splitting anyway.

"What will break tomorrow!???" Next, on Donahue!