Can you Port a Log Splitter?

All the talk of ported chain saws and this thought popped in my head. Can a hydro be ported?
Forgive me if this is a dumb question as gas engines are not my thing to work on.

 

Absolutely, 4 strokes can be ported, but it’s a different deal. They are just made to increase airflow. W/ 2 strokes, the port timings are changed as well as flow capability.

 

what would it do for the hydros performance? Just more HP? Faster? Higher tonnage?

 

I follow an outfit that specializes in Honda head work and engine building. Their work is art.

 

I’m just referring to the motor. Not sure what could be done to the hydraulic system itself. I think playing around with piston size and pumps would yield more results than a hp or three with head work.

 

Adding an over size cam in a 4 stroke is like changing the port timing in a 2 stroke.

 

Very nice.

 

Correct.

 

I should have said changing the cam profile from stock is like... but you know what I mean lol

 

If you swap out your cylinder for a larger one, and the pump stays the same, tonnage should go up and speed slow down. The opposite if you went with a smaller diameter cylinder. Then there are higher GPM pumps which should increase speed over a lower GPM rated unit if the cylinder stays the same diameter.

 

There are also pumps that provide 2 "gears" so to speak. Fast with no load then slow under load and power is needed. Gets the ram out fast till resistance is met then automatically changes to "low gear".

 

Gads...."my splitter only takes rocket fuel" or jet AA.
Sure you can borrow it for the weekend.

An overclocked splitter...
Or from home improvement "i rewired it".

 

I modified my original splitter engine. I ported the head and did some grinding around the valves. I increased the rpm to about 5k and it made about 7hp. I cranked my pressure up and cracked my pusher. Also wore out the pump because of the extra rpm and pressure.

I now have a 3hp electric motor and a different pump and it works just fine, and is much quieter.

I did port the hydraulic cylinder to reduce turbulence and heat. It speeds it up a little. Getting rid of 90's and replacing with 45's helps with temps.

overall, modifying a log splitter is not like porting a chainsaw. The chainsaw is doing work directly, while the splitter is just turning a pump that moves fluid. If you want more speed, get a bigger motor and pump. I thought about downsizing my cylinder for more speed, but then I'd be in low flow mode more.

 

You certainly can port the motor on a splitter.

We did a lot of that type of engines when we were racing go karts. At the time I had a flow bench for testing airflow of cylinder heads , intake manifolds and carbs . etc. and also a small engine dyno.

When the Greyhound motors were taking off in the karting world I did a ton of it.
I went to Harbor Fright and bought 8 engines ; brought them home and took them all apart and then proceeded to flow every part I could then used the best of everything on motor #1 , second best on #2 and down the line I went.

So bottom line is yes you could , however I would just leave it alone. More power is not going to make it any faster. Maximum pump RPM is where it stops.
If it ain't broke don't mess with it.

 

Good info. I figured something could be done internally to smooth fluid flow. How much benefit for the work done is the question (for someone paying for the service).

 

buZZsaw BRAD I used to have a 17 ton speeco with 5hp Briggs. I’m unsure of the pump gpm on it, but it is agonizingly slow. Tons of time to produce too few splits. Splitting sucked and I hated all the Briggs noise.
Now I have a homemade splitter with 13hp powertrain, 16gpm pump and 3” cylinder. It makes more splits than I want to stack and spends most it’s time running on idle. It’s in the 11-12 ton range. Speed is a game changer especially for sellers.
I’ve seen homemade electric splitters that are faster and you only have the e motor whine noise.

 

Not worried about speed. It was just a thought that popped into my head. The splitters that ive used are okay and ive gotten rather proficient at utilizing the "waiting" time. Just be mind full of where my finger(s) are!

 

No benefit if paying for it, other than cooler temps. Installing an oil cooler would be $ ahead if paying to have it done.

 

I've done a fair amount of fast hydraulic mods.
A nitrogen accumulator, basically a tank with a rubber bladder that has nitrogen on one side and hydro fluid on the other, will take the flow from the pump and store it when the rams not moving up to full relief pressure. Then it will release and provide a additional flow to the circuit far surpassing the pump gpm.
Then mod the cylinder with either new caps or additional ports to handle the additional flow.
A valve to automatically dump the non pressurized side of the cylinder directly to the tank bypassing the return of fluid through the control valve.
Now you're in cooler required territory.
I could go on ......

 

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