to rebuild or replace ?

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diymirage

HP@idle > hondaHP@redline
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so i picked up a log splitter today
got a good deal on it BUT the cylinder was apart because "it leaked"

i cant decide if i should try to find a reseal kit for the cylinder or just bit the bullet and slap a new one on there


im also somewhat thinking i may want to switch out the 6.5 horse honda for a 1 horse electrical motor

might make it easier but not sure if that would be enough to run the pump
 
allright, i took a closer look at it, and they welded a plate to the front of the shaft so in order to get to the seals in the cap i need to remove the nut from the back or cut off the weld...and i dont want to do either of those things (the nut is in the 500 ft/lbs range, so i dont see how to get it off, nor now to get it torqued back on...so im just gonna replace the cylinder


any though on converting it to electric?
 
Probably be ahead if you just buy a new one.
once they start leaking the next leak isn't very far from the repair.
 
What is the condition of the shaft? If it has any scratches in it- the new seals will continue to leak. A gas motor is more portable.
 
What is the condition of the shaft? If it has any scratches in it- the new seals will continue to leak. A gas motor is more portable.

i have not "inspected" it, but i didnt see any big gauges

the guy had it torn apart before i got it, so hard to tell how bad it was leaking


as for the gas/electric, yes, a gas engine will go anywhere, but my property is not that big that i cant get an extension cord out there

and i bet i could make it a 10 minutes swap between gas and electric
 
What is the condition of the shaft? If it has any scratches in it- the new seals will continue to leak. A gas motor is more portable.

Well it's already broke so why not try and get it apart to see the cylinder condition? I just picked up a 20ton clean as a pin for $400.00. I threw a number out there and the lady said come get it.... Little did I know there would be a 69 Charger rotting to the ground beside it but that's another story lol....

I guess my point is be careful about a bunch of new parts or you can end up in the red on it. The flip side is they save money on heating but requires sweat equity as we all know...

JW
 
My logging buddy drops off a load of tamarack trees at my shop every September.
I quit cutting and splitting firewood in my 40's.
The wood is basically free, so my shop hand saws the lengths and splits and stacks it. I give him a few cords and some cash.
my buddy gets lunch and dinner and some drinks on me when we all go out.
 
i have not "inspected" it, but i didnt see any big gauges

the guy had it torn apart before i got it, so hard to tell how bad it was leaking


as for the gas/electric, yes, a gas engine will go anywhere, but my property is not that big that i cant get an extension cord out there

and i bet i could make it a 10 minutes swap between gas and electric

Then shut up and go do it. Report back. We wanna see it.
 
Then shut up and go do it. Report back. We wanna see it.
Well, here is the shaft

I dont know how far it would go in, but I could see those nicks cause a leak

(I can post some pics of the body of rhe splitter tomorrow)

20210724_201941.jpg


20210724_201914.jpg


20210724_201904.jpg


20210724_201858.jpg


20210724_201853.jpg
 
I've dealt with a couple of hydraulic cylinders over the years, a whole lot less to them than I ever thought there would be.
I rebuilt the ones on my Weaver 2 post lift in my garage when I 1st got it, (used) and put it back together once I got it there. Biggest issue was the ridiculous price for like 3, o-rings each.
On my ariens tractor when I got that the hyd lift cylinder was in pieces in a coffee can, with a new kit. The guy who I got it from had had a new piston (ram) made for it in a local machine shop.
10 years since I assembled that and still working.

And of course around here I've done a few Meyer plow cylinders.....

Besides that curious where you live (approximately) cuz I have a few (new, even) farm type hydraulic cylinders collecting dust in the shed various sizes. I'm about an hour away (south) from Chicago.
 
hey Don, the biggest issue i see is getting at it

20210724_201858-jpg.jpg


there has got to be a few seals in that cap and i dont see that coming off

if you were to head south from chicago and just follow the lakeshore for about 3 hours you will reach my place

in fact, i will be heading up that way next sunday to drop my boy off at camp near chicago


any chance you got a 4 inch diameter with a 24 inch stroke cylinder?
that seems to be the going size for a splitter (a dual action one, i think all the meiyer snow plow ones you mentioned are single action. i actually thought of using one of those, but i wouldnt be able to retract it)
 
hey Don, the biggest issue i see is getting at it

View attachment 1715770883

there has got to be a few seals in that cap and i dont see that coming off

if you were to head south from chicago and just follow the lakeshore for about 3 hours you will reach my place

in fact, i will be heading up that way next sunday to drop my boy off at camp near chicago


any chance you got a 4 inch diameter with a 24 inch stroke cylinder?
that seems to be the going size for a splitter (a dual action one, i think all the meiyer snow plow ones you mentioned are single action. i actually thought of using one of those, but i wouldnt be able to retract it)
I'll have to dig them out and see. So you're in ILLinois too? 3 hrs south of Chicago with good traffic.... Mattoon-ish?

Wait a minute... Head south from Chicago and follow the Lakeshore? If you're talking about lake Michigan it ends at Chicago. Doesn't extend any further south from there.
 
I'll have to dig them out and see. So you're in ILLinois too? 3 hrs south of Chicago with good traffic.... Mattoon-ish?

Wait a minute... Head south from Chicago and follow the Lakeshore? If you're talking about lake Michigan it ends at Chicago. Doesn't extend any further south from there.
Yeah, let me know what you find

Maybe I meant east
Follow the lake 3 hours, so into Michigan
That should lead you roughly across the lake from kenosha
 
Inspect the large fitting at the top of the ram body where the piston goes through. Some of these are made where by tightening into the body it will increase the pressure of the inner seal against the piston and avoid seal replacement.
 
well, here she is in all her glory

shes got a 5.5 horse honda GX160 on it...pretty decent motor from what i can figure, so i wont be looking any further into replacing it with an electro motor

i will need to address a small leak at the carb, it seems to leak around the petcock but only when its open

(the PO threw in a carb rebuild kit, so i might be able to fix that pretty easy)

it ran for a good 5 minutes
took the choke to fire and warm up, but she was blasting on her own after that

i got a new cylinder picked out, but im gonna hold off ordering it until i hear back from @volaredon


looks like it will be a pretty simple project

(i do want to do something about the hitch section, i run a 1 7/8 on the lawnmower and the 4 wheeler, but it doesnt look like that will fit on there)

20210728_113435.jpg


20210728_113440.jpg
 
Haven't dug thru the shed yet... Gotta do that maybe tonite after work
 
Remember that carb kit that came with it?
I dont know where the guy got it, but that kit is awesome

Not only did it come with a new petcock gasket, it also included the valve handle, the spring, and the two screws that hold it in place

Needless to say, it no longer leaks
 
Well, although I thought I had another one around the size of these 2, another 4" one.... But the 2 that I can readily put my hands on are a 4x18 and a 3x20 and a couple of more that are smaller.
These are "cylinder only" dimension, not included are the ram that sticks out beyond that, or the round piece of pipe that is on the butt end for a mount..... I can say pretty definitely the red one is Brand new, (4x18) and the 3x20 I'm pretty sure is too, the fitting someone screwed into it definitely looks older than the cylinder. I don't think that one has been used (I know I haven't) but can't guarantee that.
 
Let's see if I remember how to get a dam picture to show on a website///
IMG_20210729_185839766.jpg

Short black one almost certainly too short for a splitter, almost 4". X 11". But 99% sure that one is new too.
I have 2 more (matching each other) have "IH" stickers and yokes on them, smaller yet than what I have shown. I think they are bucket cylinders for an older utility tractor. I know 100% for sure those are both new and too small for your purpose.
 
thanks for digging those out for me

i agree, they are all probably too small, so ill just go ahead and order a new one

(but i surely appreciate you taking the time to look)
 
Well, I got the new cylinder on, and it moves...but it doesn't split wood

I'm guessing I am either low on fluid, or I got to figure out how to bleed the air from the system
 
Added a hole nother gallon of hydraulic oil and she is splitting like a champ

I just need to find my 4 inch cutting wheel, so I can remove the ram from the old cylinder (welded on) and figure out a way to mount it to the new one
 
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