Building Hydraulic Tank

Shield Arc · Sep 29, 2015

I built a log splitter for my brother-n-law a few years ago. I made the hydraulic tank out of some scrap pipe.

Jorville · Sep 30, 2015

Shield Arc said:
I built a log splitter for my brother-n-law a few years ago. I made the hydraulic tank out of some scrap pipe.

Shield arc you do do nice work when you build something. I do feel the beam is too light. Many years ago I saw pictures of beams about the size of yours bent like macaroni. These beams were from different manufactures that made some trial machines. I don't think they are building splitters now.

I got my idea from a guy that built his splitter and it had design flaws. He used an eight inch building column. So that is what I used. I have split some big ugly stuff that has twisted that beam. The beam always came back to original shape though, I think. The most ugly was a box elder crotch 24 inches in diameter or so. I am not sure if the heat benefit will be worth the effort on that one.I never thought Box elder would be that tough, for it is a junk wood, little BTU's in it. I feel that if I had a beam the size of yours and tried to split that same piece I would have twisted and bent it beyond repair. I have split other ugly ones similar to the box elder.

I built my splitter back in 1979 with limited tools and equipment, and also experience and wanted to spend as little as possible so it was sort of crude. My hydraulic tank was a 15 gallon oil barrel. I had a crank start Wisconsin engine. After 30 years of that I wanted to rebuild my original machine and make it easier to use. I upgraded to an electric start Wisconsin, a new hydraulic pump of the same manufacture. I needed to raise the hydraulic tank above the vane hydraulic pump. I made the tank fit the space I had to work with and put a filter in the tank so the oil going to the pump is filtered. I had a machinist machine parts for the pump alignment. I spent over a thousand rebuilding that splitter. For what I save on heating I can't complain though.
This first picture is a better view of what my machine looks like now.

This pictures shows the pump alignment. The bolts in the base of the pump to making shimming possible, and the jack bolts at the engine base so it can be twisted. The engine had to be shimmed also because the engine base steel bent a little when it was welded. I still need to cut a piece of sheet metal and place it between the exhaust and the hydraulic tank. With 15 gallons of oil in the tank the oil will get to 150 degrees. A piece of sheet metal should cut that temperature down some, I think.

Mysfyt · Sep 30, 2015

Looks nice! That engine looks like it will do some serious grunt! I agree with your heat shield idea as you would like to see the hydraulic temperature at about 125.

I would recommend a guard over your drive coupler, though.

muddstopper · Sep 30, 2015

Jorville said:
This pictures shows the pump alignment. The bolts in the base of the pump to making shimming possible, and the jack bolts at the engine base so it can be twisted. The engine had to be shimmed also because the engine base steel bent a little when it was welded. I still need to cut a piece of sheet metal and place it between the exhaust and the hydraulic tank. With 15 gallons of oil in the tank the oil will get to 150 degrees. A piece of sheet metal should cut that temperature down some, I think.

View attachment 442296

I bought one of these to mount my pump with. Yea it cost $50, but it keeps the lovejoy hid and clean of dirt and sawdust, and it saves a ton of fabrication, time and labor, getting the pump shaft lined correctly with the engine. HYD PUMP MOUNT 8-16 HP GAS ENGINE TO SAE A FLANGE

BukitCase · Sep 30, 2015

Jorville, that's a solid looking splitter - Can I ask a BIG favor? I have a 50 foot manlift that's no longer made, it has a Wisconsin V4 that looks just like yours. Problem is, the engine is stuffed in between a morass of hydraulics, 1" plate, etc, and a 5-6 ton concrete and steel counterweight with about 2" of space between the timing end of the engine and the counterweight

- to make matters worse, I can only see the distributor ID plate using an inspection mirror and flashlight, and it's so worn I'm not sure I could read it even if it was out of the engine.

Also, ATM I don't have the ability to lift 6 tons of counterweight and set it somewhere else so I could re-time the engine right.

I don't want to take the distributor out if I can help it, 'cause I can't see timing marks without taking the engine out (another nearly impossible task) -

My question (fnally) - if you get time, could you post the nameplate info on your distributor and pop the cap off and take a pic of the inside of the distributor (at a slight angle, showing the cap locator tab on the top edge of the distributor? I'm hoping this will get me the info I need to find a replacement cap and rotor.

If you can't, no big deal - if you can, I'd REALLY appreciate it... Steve

Shield Arc · Sep 30, 2015

Jorville;4253425I do feel the beam is too light. [/QUOTE said:
My brother-n-law lives about 40-minutes east of Stockton California. He has 20-acres of nothing but oak trees. He has had that splitter 2 or 3-years, so far no problems at all.:crossfingers:

bumperm · Sep 30, 2015

bigdeano said:
When I built a special 5 gal hyd tank I bought pickled and oiled steel. It has the mill scale removed. Of course when you weld the seams you create new scale in that area unless it's filled with inert gas. I used CO2. If the scale breaks loose it could chew up the pump etc.

While no scale is lots better than any, wouldn't the filter between the pump suction side and tank provide adequate protection?

Jorville · Oct 1, 2015

Mysfyt said:
Looks nice! That engine looks like it will do some serious grunt! I agree with your heat shield idea as you would like to see the hydraulic temperature at about 125.

I would recommend a guard over your drive coupler, though.

I kind of thought I would get gigged on the coupling guard. I wanted to do that, but I kind of need a slip roller and I don't have one. Another reason I wanted a guard is it would look more professionally built. If I can find a slip roller I will finish it. Where I used to work we had an almost complete antique sheet metal shop and there we had a slip roller. That facility was demolished so it is no longer available. When ever the machine is used I am the only one around so that should not be a problem for now.

Jorville · Oct 1, 2015

muddstopper said:
I bought one of these to mount my pump with. Yea it cost $50, but it keeps the lovejoy hid and clean of dirt and sawdust, and it saves a ton of fabrication, time and labor, getting the pump shaft lined correctly with the engine. HYD PUMP MOUNT 8-16 HP GAS ENGINE TO SAE A FLANGE

The hydraulic hoses and fittings that I bought came from a local company called Force America. The fellow there that set me up with the parts told me the same thing. He looked up the engine and pump for a pump mount and the results came back unavailable.

Jorville · Oct 1, 2015

BukitCase said:
Jorville, that's a solid looking splitter - Can I ask a BIG favor? I have a 50 foot manlift that's no longer made, it has a Wisconsin V4 that looks just like yours. Problem is, the engine is stuffed in between a morass of hydraulics, 1" plate, etc, and a 5-6 ton concrete and steel counterweight with about 2" of space between the timing end of the engine and the counterweight - to make matters worse, I can only see the distributor ID plate using an inspection mirror and flashlight, and it's so worn I'm not sure I could read it even if it was out of the engine.

Also, ATM I don't have the ability to lift 6 tons of counterweight and set it somewhere else so I could re-time the engine right.

I don't want to take the distributor out if I can help it, 'cause I can't see timing marks without taking the engine out (another nearly impossible task) -

My question (fnally) - if you get time, could you post the nameplate info on your distributor and pop the cap off and take a pic of the inside of the distributor (at a slight angle, showing the cap locator tab on the top edge of the distributor? I'm hoping this will get me the info I need to find a replacement cap and rotor.

If you can't, no big deal - if you can, I'd REALLY appreciate it... Steve

The engine I am using is a VH4. I think even the Old Wisconsins used the same distributor. But with the manlift I would bet it is the VH4. I was at the Wisconsin distributor wanting the parts that you are asking about one day and he did not have them, so he have me the Echlin numbers. Rotor AL69, Cap AL70 condenser AL869, Point set CS725A. The distributor should be a Prestolite IAD 6004-2N. If that engine is not timed right I am sure you know it will overheat. If this is not what you need or did not help you let me know.