Wood splitter hydraulic ram moving erratically/slowly

roadrunner36 · September 16, 2014, 12:02:36 AM

I am trying to get my 3pt hitch tractor mounted wood spitter up and running again after it has been sitting for couple of years. When I press the lever to extend and retract the cylinder it does not move smoothly. It kinda extends slowly and in jerks and retracts in the same manner. I put a block of wood in to see if it would split it, no success. I have added fluid to the tank and checked all the fittings for leaks.

I also noticed that after having it running for a while to test the operation that the fluid in the tank seemed frothy/foamed up.
I also noted that when the cylinder rod is fully extended or retracted that it no longer 'loads' the motor if you attempt to retract or extend further. It used to do this when we tried to split that really tough block, or you were asking the cylinder to extend or retract beyond its limits.

System doesnt make any unusual sounds while its running, and the pump seems to be moving the fluid around the system.

beenthere · September 16, 2014, 01:19:41 AM

You mention it is 3 pt hitch mounted... is it connected to the hydraulics of the tractor?

Is it the same tractor used a couple years ago?

thecfarm · September 16, 2014, 05:00:16 AM

Foamed up,sounds like air. I put a wrong hyd filter on my tractor. That caused some foaming. And than some.

Al_Smith · September 16, 2014, 06:44:25 AM

Sounds to me like you have air in the system .If the cylinder does not have bleeders crack a fitting and pump some fluid out one direction at a time against a dead end stroke .

I could have the effect more or less if it's loosing suction or the pump is just plain wore out and bypassing .

r.man · September 16, 2014, 07:56:22 AM

I have seen a lack of hydraulic power in two different tractors that also had foam. With the one you had to let it sit for a day and it would be ok, the other would clear up if you blew air out of it through a remote hose. Never did find the source of the problem, just the solution for when it happened.

roadrunner36 · September 16, 2014, 08:49:48 AM

Sorry I should have also mentioned that it has a pump that runs off the pto of the tractor.

And thanks for the suggestions. I will try to bleed any air from the system and see if that helps

Ivan49 · September 16, 2014, 10:14:07 AM

If your system has an oil resivoir there should be a vent and if it is plugged it will cause it to do what you described.

clww · September 16, 2014, 05:30:54 PM

Yep-a clogged vent or air in the entire system. How do the other systems on the tractor operate when using the PTO?

snowstorm · September 16, 2014, 05:37:20 PM

how big is the oil tank? any water in it? foaming is often lack of oil. you dont have to bleed the air from a hydraulic cylinder. i have packed 100's of them never once have i bleed it. put it on an go to work. the air will take care of it self after the rod has been extended and retracted

beenthere · September 16, 2014, 05:45:31 PM

Quotethe air will take care of it self after the rod has been extended and retracted

X 2,

Ivan49 · September 16, 2014, 07:05:00 PM

Quote from: beenthere on September 16, 2014, 05:45:31 PM
Quotethe air will take care of it self after the rod has been extended and retracted

X 2,

As long as the vent is clear to let it out of the system. Also has to be working to prevent a vacum in the system.

Ivan49 · September 16, 2014, 07:06:17 PM

Quote from: clww on September 16, 2014, 05:30:54 PM
Yep-a clogged vent or air in the entire system. How do the other systems on the tractor operate when using the PTO?

When using the PTO the tractor hydraulics won't have anything to do with his splitter as it is just a power source

Mapleman · September 16, 2014, 07:23:44 PM

You might want to check the suction line from the hydraulic tank to the pump. It could look good on the outside but a part of the inner liner could have come loose and made a blockage, starving the pump for oil and causing the symptoms you've described. I've seen this happen on older hydraulic lines where the rubber has deteriorated.

John Mc · September 19, 2014, 09:09:51 AM

Quote from: Mapleman on September 16, 2014, 07:23:44 PM
You might want to check the suction line from the hydraulic tank to the pump. It could look good on the outside but a part of the inner liner could have come loose and made a blockage, starving the pump for oil and causing the symptoms you've described. I've seen this happen on older hydraulic lines where the rubber has deteriorated.

Either a blockage or an air leak. a loose or deteriorated hose or fitting on the suction side can allow air to enter the system.

roadrunner36 · September 19, 2014, 06:05:15 PM

My plan is to drain the tank and check the hoses going to the pump (it does have some cracks in it)

How can I tell if the pto driven hydraulic pump has gone bad. Is there an easy way to test it. I still seems to run pretty smoothly without making any strange noises

roadrunner36 · September 19, 2014, 06:07:23 PM

I was also curious, how do determine how much oil should be in the tank. the wood splitter has been modified over the years and I dont think it has the original tank on it now. Like do I measure the length of the cylinder and triple that amount?

beenthere · September 19, 2014, 06:39:19 PM

Hook up an oil pressure gauge to find out what pressure your pump is putting out.

And as far as oil in the tank, if it stays reasonably warm and not hot, then likely there is enough oil capacity.

snowstorm · September 19, 2014, 08:45:18 PM

Quote from: roadrunner36 on September 19, 2014, 06:07:23 PM
I was also curious, how do determine how much oil should be in the tank. the wood splitter has been modified over the years and I dont think it has the original tank on it now. Like do I measure the length of the cylinder and triple that amount?

the old rule was 1 gallon of oil for every gallon per minute that the pump puts out. most dont have that big a tank. part of the reason was so the oil would cool a little. i am not picking on anyone but a lot of guys say crack the hose fitting to bleed the air. lets say someone holds the handle down it s up against the relief and they crack the hose you may have 2000psi that is enought to penetrate your hand . if that happens it could be the last time you split wood

John Mc · September 20, 2014, 08:45:18 AM

I've hear that rule of thumb on the 1 gallon for every GPM of flow rate as well. However, I can probably count on one hand the number of splitters I've seen that actually have that size tank. That would mean a typical splitter with an 11 GPM pump would need a hydraulic tank the size of two 5-gallon gas cans. A larger splitter with a 16 GPM pump would need a "three gas can"-sized tank. How often do you see that?

I'm guessing the fact that the splitter doesn't spend it's time constantly under full load may have something to do with it?

At any rate, as Beenthere said, if the oil isn't getting too hot during use, you should be OK. Just make sure the tank is almost full (leave a little room for expansion). If the tank is way oversized, you could probably get by with less, but you need to make sure the intake hose is well covered all the time.