A friend bought a used Troy-Built 33 ton splitter. Got it home and couldn't get it to split oak. It acts like the second stage of the pump isn't working. The ram starts into the log then boggs the engine, with no second stage coming on. We pulled the filter and screen and they were fine. Fluid level is correct and fresh. Pulled the pump and disassembled. Inside looks clean, Orings intact except for one that had a small flat spot on it, which we replaced. Bypass valve and pressure sensor were clean and seemed to be working when actuated by hand. No play in gearing. Reinstalled and same problem. The pumps are pretty straight forward and simple. Not much in there that looks like it could go wrong except for Orings. We are at a loss. Can't figure out what it could be. Hope some of you had a solution. Thanks..
Check the entire system again for leaks. Make sure the engine is running properly and can throttle up/down. Work the valve with no load and see if anything sounds weird. Then, unfortunately, suspect the pump as being the culprit. They’re replaceable, obviously.
Two stage pumps are actually 2 pumps in one housing, one large and one small. Both pumps move fluid all the time when running. But the large pump has a built-in bypass that opens when pressure reaches 600-900 psi, this pressure is adjustable, the small pump keeps on building pressure until the relief in the control valve opens. If the engine boggs and stalls without splitting the by-pass pressure maybe set too high. The pump will have a hexagonal cap that when removed will expose a adjustment screw, turn the screw counter clockwise in small ,1/8" increments, until engine doesn't bogg.
We tried adjusting the bypass valve up and down. Only got it to not bog, but still no second stage, or adjusting the valve the other way, just made it bog more.
how about the unload-er/bypass valve in the control valve assembly same type of ball and spring deal . another thing that happens in the control valve is the barrel becomes worn sometimes just rotating it 180 degrees solves that for awhile. as always closely inspect all seals and O Rings doesn't take much to muck up the works. and lastly bad seal in cylinder allowing leakage between sides this one one would definitely make it look like a pump problem. If you dead head the ram. then shut it down remove hose from valve, hang on to hose pointed into a bucket and fire thins back up, hit valve to dead head again there should be no oil out hose/line, if there is a steady stream that's a blown cylinder seal. ( maybe not the best description ) safer if you have some help doing this as the line will have 700-900 psi if the cylinder is leaking internaly and that is enough to cause serious injury.
Some times this will cause the cylinder to chatter or continue to move when control lever is let off. If the ram seals are bad check for barrel scoring and metal in system
Frank, this is exactly what it was in my Troy-Bilt 27 ton. There is an adjustment on the control valve under a hexagonal cap. For me, adjusting it all the way in made it work again, however it still takes a long time to build pressure and finally split. Still needs some work.
There was no chatter., The ram moves smoothly to the front and rear. The ram does not move when the control is released.
leaking ram seals dosen't mean it won't move, it just won't allow any pressure to build to split anything. You might get a little but not enough to complete the job.
