20 Ton freebie splitter rebuild thread

[s0ulP@tch]

I recently was given a free non-working splitter for the low price of moving enough of a wood pile to access the machine. A lady at church just wanted it gone. It had been sitting for 3-4 years, poorly covered under a fraying tarp. The only legible placard says it’s a Central Hydraulics 20 Ton splitter, but I can’t find anything on the Interwebz about this one. It looks similar to a Brave VH1326, so I’m using its manual as a reference.

Known issues upon pickup:

1. Tires have dry rot & wheels grind as they roll. Need new bearings and tires.
2. Carb jet & emulsion tube were tarnished. Jet passage was completely corroded, keeping the engine from starting.
3. Gas cap is cracked, and the tank filter screen is not in good condition.
4. The ram wasn’t retracted fully, and some of the exposed shaft is rusty.
5. Hyd oil cap is missing, so I assume there’s moisture in the oil.
6. Oily dirt is ALL. OVER. I assume I’ll need to reseal all threaded fittings w yellow tape.
7. Lots of the paint is flaking off and much of the metal is rusty.
8. The owners wanted to keep the hitch lock, but couldn’t find a key. I purchased a new adapter at HF and put it on.

I pumped up the tires and drove it home. Free is free, and I do enjoy bringing useful junk back to life. Time for a project 😊

I'm super cheap when it comes to builds, so I'll track what I purchased for those who are like-minded. Oil and gas I had on hand, along with some spray paint and tools for sanding/prepping the metal.

Running Total: $135.15
Parts & Cost Breakdown

5gal AW32 Hyd Fluid	$59.99
Honda GX160 Carburetor	$6.23 (on sale!)
Wix 51551 10micron filter (x2)	$29.96 ($14.98/ea)
Buyers HBF12 breather cap (3/4 NPT threads)	$14.99
Metal gas cap & strainer kit	$7.99
2" ball coupler from Harbor Freight	$15.99

 

[s0ulP@tch]

The Engine: Predator 212cc 6.5hp
Thankfully the engine was easy to get running. I took apart the carb. That’s when I found out how corroded the jet was. The center hole was completely filled with green patina. I used an o-ring pick to chip out as much as I could and cleaned it with brake cleaner, then reassembled.

After replacing the oil & gas, it only took a few pulls to get going. The idle needed a little adjusting but it works pretty well! It wouldn’t run without some sputtering, so the jet would need replacing.

I found out that the Honda GX160/GX200 engines use the exact same carb & jet, so I ordered a $6.25 carb on Walmart.com along with Hyd oil filters and 5gal AW32 oil. The carb was a direct replacement and came with line filters and gaskets. She runs very smoothly now, and I have spare parts if I need them.

After some run time, I checked the oil and noticed the new oil was kinda glittery and gritty. The engine was probably knocking loose all the corrosion from sitting. I changed the oil again.

 

[John Mc]

You bought a new carb for $6.25?

 

[s0ulP@tch]

You bought a new carb for $6.25?

Sure did! It was on sale for $4 off its already low price of $10.23. Getting new brass pieces & gaskets would've cost far more. Since so many small engines (apparently) use the same carb, clones are everywhere. I got free shipping since I bought it with other parts.
Wasn't much of a gamble, and it works tons better than the old one. Two thumbs up!

 

[hedge wood]

You will find the Predator engines are pretty tough. I have several out here on the farm. Pump water all summer into a sprayer with the 6.5 HP like you have. If you find the cylinder is bad Surplus Center in Lincoln Ne has them not cheap but has them item 903993. Have fun with the new toy.

 

[salecker]

If fittings are leaking look into using hemp for resealing them
When i built my storage tanks i experimented with hemp as my HVAC guy convinced me to try it
Regular tape leaked on fittings
pipe dope was a bit better
Hemp did not leak, and if by chance it does as soon as it gets any liquid it swells up.
Over 200 threaded fittings on my system and zero leaks when i tested it, 15 years later still the same
I now use hemp for all my threaded fittings

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Fascinating… I’ve never heard of using hemp. I have a roll of yellow sealing tape and will use that for now. If that doesn’t work, I’ll give hemp a try.

 

[stoveliker]

Yellow tape was more for gas fittings I thought.
Hemp used to be common (as in the only thing used for water fittings in our home) for fittings when I was a kid.

 

[John Mc]

Yellow tape was more for gas fittings I thought.

Yes, intended for use with propane or natural gas (not gasoline).

 

[s0ulP@tch]

The internet seems to have every opinion under the sun regarding tape vs dope. I made sure the tape was applied behind the forward threads so it won’t get in the oil. Hopefully it seals. If not, I’ll buy some dope. Or hemp…

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Repaint, and thin no more!

Flaky, rusty, yellow just isn’t doing it for me. Wire wheel and pressure washing got the grime, rust, and old paint off. I cleaned up with a rag and acetone. Rattle can prime & paint. I’ll let it sit overnight before reassembling.

I noticed the tow bar bracket where it bolts onto the body has an extra piece of steel welded on & painted black. Not sure why. It’s red now 😎

 

[brenndatomu]

Repaint, and thin no more!

Nice...

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Wheels and tires

There was a TON of flaky rust in one of the wheels, and the other had a tube in it. I removed the rotted tires and tube, cut out the one valve stem and used my trusty wire wheel to remove the rust inside & out. Then I primed & painted.

The new tires needed to be put back into shape after shipping so I used a ratchet strap to squeeze the tread and push the beads & walls out. This also helped when inflating - I don’t have a big compressor so I used a bike pump. I got new stems at a local automotive shop - free! - and used this video to install the new tires. The bike pump is all I needed to get the beads to lock in. Then I pumped it up the rest of the way with a slow emergency tire reinflating pump, which also had a gauge. 45psi for now.

The new bearing kit went right in. I used this video as a guide, even to the point of using an old cup to hammer in the new ones. I used gloves when packing them w grease though 😆

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Assembly and Testing

Basically after the wheels went on, I put it back together from bottom to top.

1. Tow bar & foot to add stability
2. Engine
3. Beam
4. Hydraulic pump & lines & ram & filter
5. New hyd oil (I have maybe a quart left over from the 5 gallons I bought)

I removed the spark plug and kept the ram extension handle pushed forward while pulling the starting cord to fill the back half of the ram. Then I worked it in reverse to fill the front. I didn’t like how the pull cord was facing the beam, so I rotated it. I might turn it one more spot - it’s facing the ram valve now.

Yellow teflon tape was used on all NPT threads. Testing showed no leaks from taped joints. The only leak was from a tank weld that will need to be patched. I’ve got a buddy who can help I think.

All fittings were cleaned off with a wire brush, especially on the threads, and then swished in a plastic jar with acetone. She’s working now!

To be honest, most of my time was spent stripping & painting. But the oil seems to have weakened the paint, plus the wedge is scraping some off. It looks nicer but it won’t last. At any rate, it’s working! The ram takes 8 seconds to go each direction. I’ll reserve this for tough rounds - my X27 will be faster 🤪It’s shiny and has new…

• Tires
• Wheel bearings
• Valve stems
• Hydraulic fluid
• Hydraulic breather cap
• Carburetor
• Gas cap & screen
• Paint
• Sealing tape on the fittings

I spent around $300 on the rebuild. Not too bad I think. One more piece arrives tomorrow - a log catcher. It’ll need to be modified to fit and I’ll need some longer grade 8 bolts, but that shouldn’t be too tough.

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Figured I’d put a cost and parts breakdown here. Prices include shipping, when applicable. There are a few nuts/bolts/washers I still need to purchase to mount the log catcher, but that shouldn’t cost more than $10. I did have a few things on hand:

• Some primer & paint
• Tools
• Engine oil
• Axle grease

This was a fun project. I’m new to small engines, hydraulics, and tire/wheel repair. I’m not new to spray paint… but I’m still an amateur 😆

Running Total: $284.99

5gal AW32 Hyd Fluid	$59.99
Honda GX160 Carburetor	$6.23 (on sale!)
Wix 51551 10micron filter (x2)	$29.96 ($14.98/ea)
Buyers HBF12 breather cap (3/4 NPT threads)	$14.99
Metal gas cap & strainer kit	$7.99
2" ball coupler from Harbor Freight	$15.99
4.80-8 6ply tires	$33.58
Log catcher YTL-015-431	$46.12
L44643 Bearingt Kit	$24.02
Nuts and bolts (Ace Hardware)	$19.76
Spray paint (Ace Hardware)	$26.36

 

[VirginiaIron]

Nice Job!

 

[hedge wood]

Nice job on the splitter. For three hundred dollars and a little time you have a splitter that will split wood for you for years and still will sell for five hundred to thousand when your done using it. Those are the kind of deals I like.

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Appreciate the kudos! I figured it’d be helpful for others to know the cost and process of splitter repair, along with some links to help with purchasing and how to get at the rusty bits.

The log catcher just arrived. After reading some reviews of the site I purchased from, I was a bit worried. But it seems like the real McCoy - it’s over 10lbs of thick, welded, powder coated metal. For $46 shipped, I can’t complain. Another few bucks in bolts, and I’ll have it on my machine. The mounting bolts are welded on, so I’ll grind those off and use longer ones and drill holes in the beam. Easy peasy.

 

[Turbo89]

Appreciate the kudos! I figured it’d be helpful for others to know the cost and process of splitter repair, along with some links to help with purchasing and how to get at the rusty bits.

The log catcher just arrived. After reading some reviews of the site I purchased from, I was a bit worried. But it seems like the real McCoy - it’s over 10lbs of thick, welded, powder coated metal. For $46 shipped, I can’t complain. Another few bucks in bolts, and I’ll have it on my machine. The mounting bolts are welded on, so I’ll grind those off and use longer ones and drill holes in the beam. Easy peasy.

That looks pretty good, have a hard time buying the materials for that these days!

 

[s0ulP@tch]

I went over to split the leftover rounds for the lady who gave me the splitter as a way to thank her. These were mostly cedar or juniper, and were knotty and twisty. Awful to split by hand, but in less than 2hrs I had the whole stack split up, then I stacked for an hour before the heat got to be enough for me.

The forward ram seals need replacing - they leaked quite a lot. But what a beast! I was wrong about hand splitting being faster. Once I get the log catcher attached, this’ll make things go SO much quicker. And my back will thank me!

 

[Turbo89]

That’s great, the log catcher is a game changer, adding a table is also pretty awesome, particularly with big round. Nice work on the rebuild, it looks great!

 

[brenndatomu]

The forward ram seals need replacing - they leaked quite a lot.

You have a hydraulic shop around?
Changing the gland seals is really easy (as long as it comes apart ok) if that's the type of cylinder that I think it looks like.
Done correctly you'll barely lose any oil.
Clean things up, then take the ram off the wedge and prop the cylinder up with a large block.(leave the pin attaching it to the beam) Remove any retainer screws/bolts off the gland, hold the valve in the "return" position and tap the gland back into the cylinder using the butt end of a wood handle on a small sledge hammer (or a nice hard oak stick tapped by an appropriate sized hammer) until the wire clip on the cylinder wall can be seen/removed with a pick, or something like that.
Then fire the engine up (at an idle) and slooowly push the ram out until the piston is against the gland, and until it pushes the gland out. (A shop towel over it to make sure there is no small leaks spray out at the end...again, go slooow) If you have the cylinder propped up good and a pan under it, no/very little mess. The gland can be pulled off the ram, but the ram will need to be supported, since it's largely out of the cylinder by this point. If you want to remove it then keep pushing it out with the pump, while a helper "catches" it. Often times the piston doesn't need resealed, but if an it's older cylinder, might as well while you're there.
Again, if propped up and done carefully, very little oil loss done like this...to reinstall everything you can drain the cylinder by cracking the fitting loose on the pressure line (the end opposite the ram) and let it drain into a clean can, or bucket, so it can be reused. Oil/grease everything up good to reinstall.
Take the parts to the hydraulic shop and they can match up what you'll need.
Or you could just have them do it all...a lot more $ though. The last one I did cost less than $50 for everything. (Using local quality parts, not a Chinese kit...but those may be ok too?)

 

[s0ulP@tch]

I’ll look into pulling the ram apart. It’ll have to wait for a while - I was doing all the rebuild work while on vacation (because it was MY project, not my company’s 😊) and now I’m on company time. I’ll have to look for a local hydraulic shop.