# Wood splitter -- coupling broke -- what else to check?



## PorkChopsMmm (Aug 16, 2010)

The wood splitter broke this past weekend and I was able to dig in and see what was going on. The symptoms were some leaky hydraulics (never leaked before), the cylinder not moving, and the engine making a terrible rattling sound. I checked the coupler and sure enough all of the teeth on the hydraulic pump side were sheered off and there were chunks on the splitter. I unscrewed the bolts holding the pump on to the engine and found that one bolt was gone or walked out. I wonder if it got misaligned? After I removed the hydraulic pump the motor ran fine, so that is good. 

*I can get replacement couplings but I am wondering if maybe there is something on the hydraulic end of things to check? E.g. what would have caused the leaking from the hydraulic fittings... overpressure? *Maybe a block somewhere? I checked hydro fluid levels and they looked good but have not checked the filter or anything. I am not familiar with hydraulics and have never worked on them. This splitter is on borrow from a 75 year old neighbor (he just dropped it off one day) so I want to get it working right for him.

Coupling teeth on the splitter:









Engine side:









Pump side -- no teeth left:









Thanks in advance!


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Were the bolts that were still holding the pump to the engine tight? I see nuts on two of the stud bolts on the engine, were those there for spacers? Those could cause misalignment if they are not all the same width/height. 

Two of the ears on the motor coupler half show uneven wear.

Can you rotate the pump shaft easily?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Even on a well functioning and everything correct splitter, those couplers will give over time. You HAVE to keep an eye on the plastic spider, and as soon as it starts showing wear you HAVE to replace it before it damages the coupler.. 

Once the spider wears, and the teeth start hitting each other, it can cause vibrations that will loosen bolts and fittings... 

Things you need to check now... is the pump shaft tight? is there any play in the shaft? Is the mount bent? Are the bolts worn? Is the oil seal on the engine shaft OK?

Get a new coupler and install it. Leave the half loose on the shafts. Then tighten the pump to the mount. Then once installed, tighten up the couplers on the shafts. Make sure they are pressed together firmly before tightning. Then spin the engine over slowly. Take the plug out to help with this... Watch the coupler very closely as you spin over the engine, and make sure the coupler is aligned correctly and isn't wobbling, or does not have any wider or narrower gaps on any sides of it.

If everything checks out, enjoy some more splitting, but ALWAYS check the coupler before and after you are done splitting, and if you see any wear in the spider, replace it before you destroy the couplers.


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## PorkChopsMmm (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks for the tips! I will check to see if the hydraulic pump turns tonight. 

I also appreciate the tips on maintaining the spider. This splitter was "dropped off" because my neighbor has no place to store it. It was in pretty rough shape when he dropped it off and I am sure that nothing on this splitter has been checked or maintained in 10+ years. I want to get this fixed up well for him. 

I will replace all of the coupler parts (both sides and the spider) and replace the bolt that looks like it backed out. Hopefully that will help keep everything tight.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I recently bought a used home built splitter.. it was well designed, but I had to do a lot of work on it too... The couplers was the first thing... They had two different sized couplers on it, and it ate them up... I had to go with Lovejoy's CJ or curved Jaw couplers because they were the only one that had a hole large enough for one side, and small enough for the other.. .1 1/4" shaft, and 1/2" shaft.. 

I was kind of skeptical about the CJ series because they are made from pressed powdered metal, and not solid steel like you have, but once I got them on and started using them, I can see how the curved jaw couplers could be better than the flat sided couplers... There doesn't seem to be as many sharp edges riding on the spider...

The biggie to that though is, the CJ series cost about twice as much as their standard couplers..


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

powder metal is how they make connecting rods for diesels.


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## PorkChopsMmm (Aug 16, 2010)

The Hydraulic pump turned freely. I am going to buy the couplers today -- 1/2" on hydro side and 1" on engine side. I also will need some PB Blaster -- I couldn't get the old couplings off to save my life last night. BTW no leak at the shaft seal on the engine side. Thanks again for the help.

One quick question -- do I need to drain the hydraulic fluid to inspect the filter? Also, what kind of hydraulic fluid do these usually take? Just ~5 gallons of whatever is on sale at TSC?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I'd just replace the filter.. never hurts to have a new filter, especially if you know no history of the old one.. 

You will probably need a gear puller to pull off the old couplers. Not only do you have the rust to deal with, but a lot of times when the set screws are cranked down it will form a burr on the shaft or key that will hold up the coupler.. 

If you don't have a puller, then you can try lightly hammering the coupler back and forth on the shaft a small amount until it gets loose enough to knock off. 

As far as fluid, depends on the pump.. Some will take ATF or Dextron III... some will take like AW32... See if you can figure out what pump you have and then see what they recommend.


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## PorkChopsMmm (Aug 16, 2010)

So I got most of the parts I needed at TSC but they were out of 1" couplings. They will be back in stock tomorrow. Looks like this fix is getting pushed back by a few days.


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

the love joy couplings are as cheap as they come.


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## PorkChopsMmm (Aug 16, 2010)

Any advice on where to find some? I need 1.75" OD and .5" and 1" inner. I can find the .5" one easy enough but not the 1" ID and 1.75 OD outer coupler.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I had to call Lovejoy direct to find the part numbers I needed because the issue I had was a 1.5" shaft and a .5" shaft.. That's when I found out the only way was with their curved jaw couplers.. 

If you can't find the part number you need to call a dealer with, if you call Lovejoy they will give you the number so you can order from a dealer.. 

I've also bought coupler halves on Amazon..


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## PorkChopsMmm (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks for the help. Yeah, I can find the .500" on Amazon for ~$3 (which sounds amazing) but not the matching half in 1.00". I will give them a ring -- thank you.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Northerntool, any industrial supply in your area, Grainger, full line hardware store.


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