Yellow Central Hydraulics 20 ton splitter - refurb questions

[s0ulP@tch]

A lady at church wanted this thing gone as long as I could just haul it away - it had been sitting under a tarp for 3-4 years and wouldn’t start. I manually split and stacked some wood and drove it home after re-inflating the tires.

I got a few things accomplished:
1) cleaned out the carb jet, then replaced old gas & oil. Predator 212cc engine fired right up! Jet was corroded and the carb gaskets look iffy. I’ll just replace the entire carb - it’s cheaper than buying the brass pieces & gaskets separately.
2) I used mag wheel polish and a rag to get the rust off the ram shaft. It moves back and forth but there are some small dents in the shaft.

Questions:
1) I called HF and they have no manuals for this. Anyone have one in a digital format? This is close enough to their current 30 ton splitter that I can use that as a reference for now.
2) I will replace the hydraulic oil and filter. Hoses look good. There’s oily grit buildup near the shaft/pump, the filter, and where the ram shaft meets the cylinder. I can seal all threads w yellow sealing tape and replace the filter when I replace the hydraulic oil, but do I need to rebuild the cylinder seals? The nicks/dents in the shaft are pretty shallow, but some can catch my fingernail. Advice on refinishing the surface? I can provide pics if needed.
3) I’d like to add a cage to catch splits like on the newer splitters. Is there an aftermarket kit?
4) This is just aesthetics, but I’d like to repaint this. Any specific kind of paint that I should use? Will rattle can enamel work ok? I’d disassemble, then strip & clean w acetone first of course.

 

[s0ulP@tch]

One note: Harbor Freight says they can look up old manuals, but they need the part number to do so. They can’t look for all “log splitters” they’ve ever sold. If someone knows the model number (i.e. you can read the model # on your identical splitter - I can’t) I can get the manual from them.

Here’s what I’ve ordered so far:

1. 5gal ISO32 RO hydraulic fluid
2. Metal breather cap (current plastic cap is missing)
3. Two Wix 51551 10-micron filters to replace the Napa 1551 (figure the first will prob clog up quickly)
4. New carburetor
5. New gas tank cap & filters (current plastic cap is cracked)

I have enough spray paint on hand to make it red & white. Should be a fun color combo. So far I’m $127 in. Will have to buy some tires and primer but that’s it I think.

 

[Slimdusty]

I wouldn’t rebuild the cylinder until you get it running and determine if it leaks bad enough to necessitate the work. It may not leak at all or just a small amount that you could live with.

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Thanks, Slim. It does work - I operated the ram when I got the engine working. Nothing was gushing so I’ll leave it be for now.

Yesterday I took one wheel off, hoping I could just add a tube to make it work. The bearing was wet & rusty, so I think I’ll buy new wheels & tires. Looks like they come w new bearings. The axle doesn’t look pitted so I think it’ll be fine with a bit of work with an Emory cloth.

 

[brenndatomu]

I just bought an old Brave 26 ton that looks like the exact same machine!
I bet that cylinder is just a replacement from CH.
I was thinking of making mine into a hot rod...big engine and pump...put a street worthy axle under it, with larger tires to make the working height taller...it's a very low machine.
Just make sure none of those spots on the ram are raised, that'll wipe the seals out fast. If they are, just carefully knock them down with a fine flat file.

 

[salecker]

Unless the fluid is milky from water i would not bother changing the fluid
Change the filter yes
the fluid in a log splitter doesn't work hard enough to ever wear out.
I use ATF in mine as i occasionally have to use it in the winter

 

[s0ulP@tch]

@brenndatomu looking around I found the Brave VH1326, which has a lot of similarities to this. It has a round foot instead of a rectangular one and the stand is arranged differently, but otherwise they do seem identical. The tank & mounts for the axle & engine seem the same, and the main beam construction is the same. Thank you! I found the manual.

Biggest concern I have is the 5.4gal system hydraulic capacity… I hadn’t anticipated that and only ordered 5gal…

@salecker I will check the fluid but I assume it’s got water in it. The tarp wasn’t in good condition and the breather cap was missing. I assume water got into the fluid.

 

[brenndatomu]

Biggest concern I have is the 5.4gal system hydraulic capacity… I hadn’t anticipated that and only ordered 5gal…

5 gallons will probably fill it, unless you purge the cylinder pump and lines too...might even overfill it if they are specing the tank capacity clear full, not 80% full like it should be to allow for expansion, and operating the machine when it's not perfectly level.
The way the beam and the tank are constructed gave it away...never seen any others made that way...pretty slick really.
This is the one I just got...not free, but cheap!
I think I said it was a 26 ton...it's hard to read, but it looks like it says 24 ton on top of the cylinder
Some old fella had it, traded it to his neighbor for some ready made firewood after he got too old to do it himself anymore...so it's kinda "1 owner"
He was gonna get it going again, but decided "why?" as he sells wood and already has commercial machines.
I looked up a parts list/specs for it, apparently you could get them with different pumps on them, so some were faster than others, depending on if you had the big pump, or small one...this one was 8 HP originally, so I'm saying it had the big pump on it, and was probably a pretty fast machine, for back then...

 

[Turbo89]

I’ve had good luck with the tractor supply paint, and it’s pretty cheap. I’d rattle can that after I wire wheel the bad spots. I’ve also rolled, brushed and sprayed the tractor supply paint with good results.

I was looking for a cage for my splitter about 2yrs ago and couldn’t find one, I ended up fabricating and welding on a pretty large table, which has made a huge difference.

 

[s0ulP@tch]

@brenndatomu thanks for the pic! I have mounting holes for the log ejector and have a friend who can probably fabricate one for me. I do plan to cycle all the old oil out. The manual suggests to fill it to 1” below the top of the tank, which seems high. I’ll see where 5gal lands me.

@Turbo89 this doesn’t have mounting holes for a catcher/cage, so I’ll probably have my buddy make one from scrap or buy one from TS and drill holes. They aren’t expensive.

 

[Turbo89]

@Turbo89 this doesn’t have mounting holes for a catcher/cage, so I’ll probably have my buddy make one from scrap or buy one from TS and drill holes. They aren’t expensive.

Mine didn’t either, it looks like a scaled up version of yours. I welded right to the main beam for support. I probably would have welded or drilled /bolted a kit if I could have found one.

 

[s0ulP@tch]

I think I have enough knowledge and answered questions to close out this thread.
I’ll make a build thread separately.

 

[brenndatomu]

I’ll make a build thread separately.

Put a link to it here please, once you do it.

 

[s0ulP@tch]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/20-ton-freebie-splitter-rebuild-thread.209965/#post-2800497

 

[s0ulP@tch]

I’m removing the hyd fluid and extended the shaft all the way to drain the front of the cylinder and noticed this line. Wondering if this grease line on the shaft means there’s a bad seal.

 

[brenndatomu]

Likely, yes.
But clean it up and work it a little, you'll figure it out soon enough.
Did the rust on the ram clean up, or is it pitted?

 

[s0ulP@tch]

Likely, yes.
But clean it up and work it a little, you'll figure it out soon enough.
Did the rust on the ram clean up, or is it pitted?

The rust rubbed off with some mag polish. No pitting - the dark spots on the ram are just discoloration. There are some small dings on the ram, but nothing I think is concerning. I’ll go over them with 400 grit Emory cloth to make sure they aren’t poking up.

 

[Turbo89]

I’d go a lot more fine than Emory cloth, like a gray scuffing pad (I think they’re ~2,000grit). If it feels smooth to the touch, I wouldn’t do anything at all; discoloration has no impact on functionality.