log splitter cylinder explosion

[ohio woodburner]

Well not really an explosion but it did scare the sh*t out of me non the less. I inherited a old john deere pieced together splitter from my FIL several years ago. I put a new honda engine on it last year and just Friday i put a new hydraulic pump on it. Well i was putting it to the test today and boom, the rear of the cylinder blew out. Spewing oil all over me. Sooo the million dollar question.....any thoughts what caused it? Old cylinder? Not sure my self. It's got a honda G190 and i put a new speedco 11gpm pump on it.

 

[maxed_out]

wow, looks like the weld let go. Do you know if you put the same size pump on it?

 

[ohio woodburner]

Ya it was the weld that blew out. It's the original JD cylinder so not sure how old it was to start with. Might have had a small crack, i dunno. Well i went from a single stage pump to a two stage. So thinking that extra pressure did it.

 

[rottiman]

Ya it was the weld that blew out. It's the original JD cylinder so not sure how old it was to start with. Might have had a small crack, i dunno. Well i went from a single stage pump to a two stage. So thinking that extra pressure did it.

Yup...............................

 

[kevin j]

pump flow doesn't matter. Pressure is force is stress on welds.Did you bump up the relief valve setting?

How old John Deere? 50-60's typcal farm tractor pressures were 1500 psi and less. 2000 psi for many years. Now they are 3000-4000 psi common.
It could be rewelded, but the entire cylinder, tubing, seals, rod column strength etc were probably designed for some lower pressure.

All good. No blood, no fire, just have to pour money at it..

 

[ohio woodburner]

Ya kevin by time I'm done i probably could have bought new......that way i could split like Dennis :lol: The cylinder and beam are from a JD splitter, not sure when they made them, probably 70's?? not sure. You mention welding it but I'm assuming that it's probable it will happen again. Probably should just buy a different cylinder.

 

[kevin j]

I would do new cylinder. Yes, could be welded, but it is probably still a cylinder desinged for lower pressure.

 

[Jags]

I would do new cylinder. Yes, could be welded, but it is probably still a cylinder desinged for lower pressure.

I believe that the old JD splitters were actually made by JD (not outsourced). If that holds true, they would have more than likely used stock items (cylinders) from their farm line up, and that would equate to lower pressure components than what is standard today. The part I find confusing is the pressure relief. If the pressure relief valve was in the control valve (like current machines), the pressure should never have gotten above the factory settings - no matter what pump was used.

Is it possible that the old pump was also the pressure relief? Or that the pump itself was not capable of creating over xxxx pressure?? Dunno, but if it was, you are currently running without one. And that is bad.

I would encourage you to located the pressure relief and make sure it is operating properly (with gauge). Its a safety thing.

 

[certified106]

Looks like you need to determine how many psi your cylinder is capable of handling and get a pressure relief valve that is approprietly sized or you had a bad weld. Chances are your old pump had an integrated pressure relief that was appropriately sized for your cylinder.

 

[Biff_CT2]

Well not really an explosion but it did scare the sh*t out of me non the less. I inherited a old john deere pieced together splitter from my FIL several years ago. I put a new honda engine on it last year and just Friday i put a new hydraulic pump on it. Well i was putting it to the test today and boom, the rear of the cylinder blew out. Spewing oil all over me. Sooo the million dollar question.....any thoughts what caused it? Old cylinder? Not sure my self. It's got a honda G190 and i put a new speedco 11gpm pump on it.

Generally speaking, when you do you thing and ahother thing "coincidently" happens, the two things are more than a coincidence.

I'd start with comparing the specs on the new hydraulic pump with the old hydraulic pumps for starters, and give some serious thought to cooking up a decent story for the FIL once the missus drops dime on you for screwing with something that was probably fine in the first place...

 

[ohio woodburner]

Thanks for the replies guys. Do any of you know where i could pick up a good cylinder? I went to TSC this morning but they weren't to helpful on telling me if those cylinders were good for working on a splitter. They carry the 4 threaded rod type. Any suggestions?

 

[f3cbboy]

i used dalton hydraulics a couple of years ago.

 

[MasterMech]

Thanks for the replies guys. Do any of you know where i could pick up a good cylinder? I went to TSC this morning but they weren't to helpful on telling me if those cylinders were good for working on a splitter. They carry the 4 threaded rod type. Any suggestions?

Northern Hydraulics makes a complete hydraulic package minus the pump and valve.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326304_200326304

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326306_200326306

Other cylinders should be ok as well. You need one that will pin in place of the existing one, be aprox the same piston diameter unless you want to change the cycle time/tonnage, and be about the same length. And make SURE you set the pressure relief on the pump to less than the lowest rated component in the system!

 

[kevin j]

If yuo have time to ship, surpluscenter.com
Northern or the farm/Home?Fleet type stores probably have common ones.
Any cheap US made cylinder should be fine. china stuff, not so much.....
Match the bore (inside dimater), stroke, and mountng methods.
Welded tube or tie rod type doesn't matter much. EIther type is fine and can be built to any desired pressures. Usually 3000 psi max with oring type piston seals.
Actual piston seals (U shaped) are much better, but cost more. For a log splitter, oring piston seals are fine.

 

[triptester]

The splitter was made by Didier for John Deere. Newer John Deere splitters are made by MTD. The cylinder failure appears to be from a defective weld which is repairable.

 

[Dune]

Second to Surplus Center. http://www.surpluscenter.com/

 

[kettensäge]

Second to Surplus Center. http://www.surpluscenter.com/

X3, never bought hydraulics from them but they have good prices and ship quickly

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I bough my cylinder valves and 13.5 hp two cylinder perkins diesel from surplus center. I had them shipped to a business address to lower the cost of shipping. And they are easy to deal with.

Billy

 

[ohio woodburner]

I bough my cylinder valves and 13.5 hp two cylinder perkins diesel from surplus center. I had them shipped to a business address to lower the cost of shipping. And they are easy to deal with.

Billy

Good idea Billy. I checked on shipping from there and my jaw about dropped