Hydraulic question on a wood splitter

I have a Northern tools wood splitter that is about 17 years old. It had a 5hp tecumseh verticle shaft engine. The engine seized on me the other day and I'm going to have to replace it. My problem is finding an affordable verticle shaft engine is difficult. I found one at harbor freight but the shaft rotation is counter clockwise and my pump rotates clockwise. I could put a horizontal shaft engine on it but the original mount is above the hydraulic tank. My question is does the pump have to be below the fluid level in the tank or does a pump self prime? If I have to I can rebuild the original mount to drop the engine and pump down but if I don't have to I'd rather not. Thanks for any advice.

 

My splitter is horizonal shaft but the pump is above the oil level.
You might have to break the pressure line when you initally start it to just bleed out the air.
Once primed you will be fine.

Not sure on the rotation , counterclockwise sounds strange to me?
Maybe I am wrong??

 

I never thought about it before, but on my modified log splitter the pump is above the hydraulic reservoir. Never had any problems (now that I say that watch next time I use it!!). I'd weld a plat over that hole, mount a horizontal shaft engine on it, weld a bracket to hold the pump at appropriate place with Lovejoy connector connected.

 

No. These are positive displacement pumps, they prime up pretty well...but, they suggest that the pump is below the fluid line for best life/performance.
I think you can get pumps that rotate either direction (not changeable though) about $140...personally, I'd take the opportunity to upsize to a 6.5 HP engine, and then go with a 13 GPM pump...more fastah splittah!
https://ruggedmade.com/hydraulic-log-splitter-gear-pump-2-stage-13-gpm.html

 

Look at the pull cord on the shroud , does it pull from the same corner as the harbor freight one?

 

You are right...that seems odd.

 

I checked the website and they call it counterclockwise from the bottom , That is clockwise from the top.
Needs to see if the pull cord rotates both in the same direction , I'm guessing that they do.

 

It does pull in the same direction. I guess I thought they would go by looking at it from the top not looking at the shaft from the bottom. Seems a strange way to look at it. Another problem is that it's only 4 hp. I'd much rather step up in HP then go down. But thanks for the reply and making me rethink the engine rotation.

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/55-hp-173cc-ohv-vertical-shaft-gas-engine-epacarb-69731.html

They show this one at 5.5 horsepower

 

The 6.5 HP horizontal is $70 cheaper...and that pays for over half of that 13 GPM pump

 

Or buy the 6.5hp and run the existing pump and save the money if more budget minded.

Just going to say the HF engines are great. Very good units. There Honda clones. Run as long as a Honda maybe not. But you can buy about 5 of them for what a Honda costs. My wood cutting buddy put a HF on to replace the smaller engine on his splitter like 14 years ago. Other than a couple fuel leaks from loose bowls or bad fuel line it's not had any issues. He and I both split the wood we use with it.

 

x 2 on this.
Not a fan of the import myself but this is one of the things that's hard to beat for the money.
Keep the oil clean ( and full) you will get plenty of service out of it.

 

I knew I'd get an education here, Thanks for answering the original question but I was also set straight on the HF engineI looked at something wrong on the horse power and thought it was only 4.5 hp when it's 5.5. I was also confused on the PTO shaft rotation. Never considered looking at it from the pto end, Assumed the if the rotation of the flywheel is clockwise it would be considered clockwise at both ends, Go figure. Thanks again for all the help. Now I have a couple options.

 

Obviously...I was just throwing out another option.
I think many here, if they knew about it, would take the opportunity to make their splitter faster for roughly only $70 more, (and some fabrication) during these unplanned repairs.
But that's certainly the OPs prerogative either way.

 

This..

I put that 6.5hp predator on the Didier splitter that had a 5 hp Briggs on it. So much better in every way. But that was an easy swap. Horizontal to horizontal.

My MTD looks like your splitter's construction. 5 hp Tecumseh vertical on it. I want to put a 6.5 horizontal predator on this one and maybe brenny's HO pump upgrade too. Then put it on a trailer and do the walt style conversion.

I have to say, it's actually pretty fast for cycle time when I rev up the Tecumseh like I had to for the honey locust score I got.


I'll be watching this thread, because I saw the same as Dangit Karl regarding cost and availability of vertical engines. The Tecumseh on mine runs fine, but there are some real weak parts in it, especially the recoil mechanism, which could possibly yeet itself at any time into the next county if it decides to stop wanting to be part of the engine assembly. MasterMech has nearly nothing good to say about these particular Tecumseh engines. Especially the recoil mechanism.

 

I'm pretty sure that Dangit Karl has the same splitter as I do. Post up an entire picture of it, and that'll confirm it. If not, it's similar enough to do 2x any fabbed parts on for the motor plate. The pump bracket with all the associated coupler parts are easily purchased too.

 

Vertical shaft engines are extremely common in mowers, both push and riding. Find a used one for cheap, cannibalize the engine, run it till it quits, wash, rinse, repeat.

 

That's true, I'm just not certain if the output shaft size is a commonly used size between an the different ones.

 

They make those Love Joy couplers in any size you want, pretty cheap too, or at least used to be, should still be well under $20 for a new half. (just looked 'em up, they are $12 at TSC)

 

This..