Hydraulic log splitter

[MossRoad]

I put a new pressure gauge on the log splitter and it is showing very little pressure maybe 100 psi max. On the power trac which hose should the hose going to the in side of the valve . Currently I have the hose on the right side of the power trac (from sitting on seat) going to the in port of the valve? Is that right or wrong?

You are using the larger main PTO circuit, not the smaller aux PTO circuit, correct? Not sure which side is the in and which is the out without tracing the hoses. The one that returns to the tank is the low pressure side. Sorry I can't be of further assistance.

 

[SpringHollow]

That sounds right to me but I can not say for sure.

Ken

 

[J_J]

Make an adapter with a QD on the gage and plug into your PTO hose to determine the pressure hose.

Picture below.

Another way to tell which hose is pressure.

If you apply power/pressure to a hose with 1/2 QD on it, it will flex/jump.

If you fully retract the cyl and hold the lever, you should get around 3000 psi on the gage.

I believe the male QD is used for most pressure lines.

If the male QD is the pressure line, and you put that gage setup on the male PTO QD, and hit the PTO switch, you should see the PTO relief pressure, about 3000 psi.

 

[ernemats]

I'm using the main pto connectors. I don't know if when I put the pump back on whether I could have possibly connected the hoses to the wrong places.

 

[SpringHollow]

On mine, when sitting on the seat, the pressure hose connections are on the right, case drain and returns are on the left. But obviously a very different model but I suspect yours are the same.

Ken

 

[J_J]

I'm using the main pto connectors. I don't know if when I put the pump back on whether I could have possibly connected the hoses to the wrong places.

Loosen the male PTO QD and flip the PTO switch. If that QD is leaking profusely, that would be the pressure.

 

[SpringHollow]

Be very careful with a hydraulic leak. A man hear had a leak he did not see inject hydraulic fluid into his arm. He was in the hospital for many weeks. It nearly killed him. The pressure gauge setup that JJ recommends is safer. If you are doing a leak test, be careful and just flip the switch for a second.

Ken

 

[ponytug]

I agree. Pressure hydraulic oil injection injuries from leaks are exceptionally dangerous.

Caution: gruesome photos Danger of hydraulic Oil Injection Injuries
Scientific paper: Injection injuries: seemingly minor injuries with major consequences

All the best,

Peter

Be very careful with a hydraulic leak. A man hear had a leak he did not see inject hydraulic fluid into his arm. He was in the hospital for many weeks. It nearly killed him. The pressure gauge setup that JJ recommends is safer. If you are doing a leak test, be careful and just flip the switch for a second.

Ken

 

[MossRoad]

Yikes! I knew about it but never saw it. Last spring I was running a log splitter. It was auto-returning the ram when I accidentally dropped a log onto the backside of the ram as it was returning. The log caught the back of the ram and the other end immediately pinched against the valve handle, which prevented the valve from moving to the auto-stop position, so it pretty much immediately cracked the pipe under the valve on top of the cylinder. That caused an immediate spray of hydraulic fluid directly onto the engine and controls. It was a wide-fan spray pattern perpendicular to the ground. There was no way to shut off the engine without getting soaked, but I remembered that if it was high pressure fluid spraying out, I could be seriously injured. After looking at the arc of the spray, I realized it was low pressure and I then slapped the choke lever to kill the engine. My sleeve got soaked almost instantly. I lost about a quart of fluid from the splitter. Looking back at it, I should have had safety glasses on. And I should have used a stick to reach in and kill the machine. Hindsight is 20/20. However, I was happy with my first instinct to run far away as soon as I saw the leak and observe from a distance. :thumbsup:

 

[ernemats]

I took the female quick attach fitting off the log splitter and put it on the male fitting of the power trac and hit the pto switch for a second and a lot of fluid came out , so I believe that the male fitting on the pt is the pressure like several said and Terry also confirmed. Next I hooked up the log splitter and cycled it without a log, there was no reading on the pressure gauge until it hit the end then it jumped to about 100 psi. On the return cycle it read about 100 psi the whole way back. I'm thinking the gauge is probably bad?