# Brave Log Splitter Detent Valve.....Anybody know how to adjust it ?????



## ansehnlich1 (Mar 24, 2008)

Hey,

I just split about  6 cord of red oak.....sweeeet!

I hooked up a 3 pt. hitch Brave splitter to a Ford compact and it ran it just fine.

The valve developed a little problem toward the end of the splitting though. You see, the valve handle would automatically stay in the "up" position and click off automatically when the wedge was fully retracted, but this started to not work. Is there an adjustment that can be made to this thing? 

I mean, when running the splitter, ya gotta hold the handle while the wedge travels down to split the round, but when you go to open 'er up again, it's supposed to click in and run the wedge all the way open without holding the handle......well, it keep clickin' out causing the wedge to stop retracting.....I had to be holding the handle on both the up and down travel of the wedge, which is a major PIA  

Can ya help me fix this thing?


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## kevin j (Mar 24, 2008)

there should be an adjustment screw under a cap on the back end of the valve spool. Not the relief valve, but on the side of the back end of the spool. 

'But'..... Detents kick out when cylinder pressure increases to a certain load. The valve may be operating correctly, but if there is excessive friction pulling the slide back, or backpressure from small outlet hoses or restricted return line or filter, the valve may kick out. Filter should bypass if it is plugged, but check the direction of flow. Have seen more than once filters installed backwards, then collapse/plug up, and the bypass does not work at all in the wrong direction.


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## ansehnlich1 (Mar 24, 2008)

Thanks Kevin, I'll take a look and see if there's an adjustment screw there somewhere. This is a 3 pt hitch splitter so the hydraulic is coming off the Ford Tractor. There's no cylinder restriction, everything operated just fine. Just that auto-return feature, it worked for the first couple cords but then it started to click out early, stopping the wedge prior to it returning the whole way back.....first thing I'm gonna do is check for that adjustment screw.


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## kevin j (Mar 24, 2008)

ah yes you wrote that.....
I woudl suspect high back pressure from the hoses, quick couplers, and tractor valve before it gets to tank. Lots of restrictions, plus more flow going back form closed side than goes out to rod side, so the flow is higher than just nominal pump rating.

try the adjusting. If that doesn't solve it, then maybe add a pressure gauge in the return side right at the splitter valve and see what the return line pressure is. Typically the detent kicks out 400 to 800 or so, so hopefully adjusting solves it. There will still be heat generation from the back pressure, but the detent adjustment may solve it. 

k


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## triptester (Mar 25, 2008)

I believe Brave splitters use an Energy brand valve. The valve will have a straight handle about 5/8" dia. What I have found to happen on some log splitter valves is a bolt in the detent section either breaks or loosens. This bolt is found at the back of the valve under a cap held in place by 2 ellen head screws. This cap has no seals and can be removed without draining the system. Just be careful to note the position of the 3 or 4 components under the cap.
Bolt #6 in the Prince LS 3000 instruction sheet is similar.

http://www.princehyd.com/Default.aspx?tabid=46


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## ansehnlich1 (Mar 25, 2008)

Hey thanks triptester, I looked at the prince website. When I get a chance I'm going to head out to the shed and see if I can determine the model number of the valve, and also I'll look for that bolt you're talkin' about, hopefully it just worked loose and I can tighten it down eh? Thanks for the warning about the other parts in under there, I don't know about you but I've taken stuff apart before and had things fall about my feet and then respond with the old "o shieatttt" if you know what I mean.


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## mikedengineer (Mar 25, 2008)

I also have a BRave splitter that has the same symptoms.  This is a trailered model.  Let me know what you find.

-Mike


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## ansehnlich1 (Mar 30, 2008)

ok, here's the current situation with my Brave detent valve. I don't know how old this splitter is, but I'm guessing at least 20 years, it is a 3 pt. hitch splitter, no engine, no hydraulic resevoir. 

I took the cap off the top end of the valve, and upon fiddlin' with the top sleeve, she gave loose, shot 4 bb sized ball bearings and one smaller than a marble size ball bearing out the top, along with a spring 

Now, there is an inner cylinder which that spring sits down into, and the bigger ball bearing sits on top of that. There's also a larger diameter spring in there underneath this inner cylinder that remains intact. There are four holes around the top of this inner cylinder where the bb sized bearings go into. Over this inner cylinder slides a lower outer sleeve, and on top of that ya slide an upper sleeve on top. That upper sleeve has two machined grooves inside it at the top, which those four bb sized bearings seem designed to fit into, and it appears those bearings provide resistance of some kind, so as to "click" into either the upper, or slightly lower machined groove inside that upper sleeve. 

Wow, if that made sense I'll be amazed.

Anyway, when I put it all together, and put the cap back on, she no worky, haha. Now I have NOT hooked it up to the tractor, but as it is, the control lever will go down, but she won't go up the whole way. Seems as though that big ball bearing sittin on top that smaller spring in there has got to be "locked" down some how, but I don't know how to do it. Maybe I gotta take the the thing apart at the lever end and re-assemble it from scratch? I don't know.

The old Brave splitter has a faint model number on it, I'm gonna try to trace that tomorrow. I guess I could put a new valve on it but I'd like to fix this one if I could, any help would be appreciated.

Oh, I did not see anywhere to adust a detent kick out pressure.


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## triptester (Mar 30, 2008)

I took the Brave  brand valve I had and the way you discribed it is very accurate.

To get the larger ball bearing in place the spool has to fully forward toward the handle end. The small spring and large bearing most be compressed to below the small bearings. The sleeve with the 2 grooves is slides over the small bearings holding them in place. Heavy grease helps hold the small bearings in place while  trying to do this assembling.

When completely assembled when looking in the end the small bearings will be seen holding the large bearing in place.

Hope my discription is as good as yours.


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## ansehnlich1 (Mar 30, 2008)

I'm gonna try it trip, but I'm not sure about the sleeve with the grooves, those grooves are to one end of that sleeve, should those grooves be toward the upper side or downward side?


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## triptester (Mar 30, 2008)

Those grooves are furthest from the valve body.


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## ansehnlich1 (Mar 30, 2008)

hey I havn't tried to put this thing together yet, do I have to hook up the hydraulics and run that splitter wedge down the whole way? I don't know how to compress that spring with the larger ball bearing on top of it down and hold it there until I get the sleeve with the grooves in it down over the top of the thing.


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## triptester (Mar 30, 2008)

The valve does not have to be install to work on . I took the one I  have apart this morning to see how it was assembled. I had it in a vise while I took it apart.
The end I was working on faced up. The small bearings were in place ,the small spring in center with large ball on top, then start last sleeve with 2 grooves up . Then with a 5/16" rod I pushed the large ball down below the small balls, then slide the sleeve  down pass the small balls. Slowly release pressure on the rod then push grooved sleeve the rest of the way on.

The handle should be in the nueteral position while you are working on it.


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## ansehnlich1 (Mar 30, 2008)

triptester, you're more of a mechanic than I, and I want to thank you for your time. Mine is finally re-assembled and working properly. I have not hooked the thing up to the tractor yet, but I know it's back together the right way. I used a small nut driver to push the ball down and then slid that sleeve down on there just as you said in your last post, and it went together just fine. I even took it apart and put it back together again just for kicks 

I looked at the inner grooves in the top sleeve, I can see some wear on 'em, maybe that's why the thing kicks out prematurely on the return stroke? Things were also a bit dry in there and I got 'em lubed up again. I'm gonna have to find some rounds next weekend and hook 'er up to see if it's working any better.

Thanks again for you help, I could NOT have done it without ya.

Brad


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## shmodaddy (Oct 4, 2011)

Hi guys I just bought an older trailer splitter and after some small engine repairs got her up and running yesterday Boy does she split like a champ.  She's got an old Wisconsin and a single stage pump but I couldn't stall her out with some nasty red oak.  Very proud of her.  BUT the valve sticks when retracting the ram.  Once the ram gets all the way back the valve don't kick back to " neutral ". Any suggestions?


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## gpcollen1 (Oct 4, 2011)

I took mine apart a few years back when it was not retracting, put it back together and it worked again.  Hope I can do it again as mine just started acting up intermittently again.  I have to admit, it probably needs an oil filter change too.


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## kettensÃ¤ge (Oct 4, 2011)

ansehnlich1 said:
			
		

> ok, here's the current situation with my Brave detent valve. I don't know how old this splitter is, but I'm guessing at least 20 years, it is a 3 pt. hitch splitter, no engine, no hydraulic resevoir.
> 
> I took the cap off the top end of the valve, and upon fiddlin' with the top sleeve, she gave loose, shot 4 bb sized ball bearings and one smaller than a marble size ball bearing out the top, along with a spring
> 
> ...




You are on the right track, take it back apart and change the o rings. I don't remember exactly but I think you have slide the spool out of the housing to get to them. Be very carefull with the spool, don't nick or scratch it. 
I struggled with mine several times thinking spring presuure, worn detent balls, etc. Went to the local hydraulic shop and got the orings. no problems since.
OH BTW, it works better when cold because the oil doesn't leak past the o rings since it is thicker.


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## MasterMech (Oct 4, 2011)

shmodaddy said:
			
		

> Hi guys I just bought an older trailer splitter and after some small engine repairs got her up and running yesterday Boy does she split like a champ.  She's got an old Wisconsin and a single stage pump but I couldn't stall her out with some nasty red oak.  Very proud of her.  BUT the valve sticks when retracting the ram.  Once the ram gets all the way back the valve don't kick back to " neutral ". Any suggestions?



The detent assembly prob needs to be cleaned/lubed.  Any chance we can get pics of that beast? Not so many old Wisconsin engines around anymore....


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## shmodaddy (Oct 4, 2011)

Sure on the pics ill try...... in a major plumbing over haul tonight getting ready for owb install this weekend!   Yay can't wait to stick it to the Propane man!!


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## triptester (Oct 5, 2011)

To reassemble the detent section of that valve you will have to clamp the valve in a vise with the detent section facing up. The next part gets a little tricky. Place the spring in the end of the spool with the 4 holes in it. Then place the larger ball on top the spring. Slide the outer sleeve with the grooves over the shaft of a small nut driver. Push down on the large ball and spring with the nut driver. While holding the ball and spring compressed place the 4 small balls, one in each side hole.  A coat of grease on the small balls will help hold them in place while you slide the grooved sleeve into place.


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## gpcollen1 (Oct 5, 2011)

Good info on the Energy site in general.  What is the 'closed center' version that they note in the conversion document on the bottom of the page?

http://www.energymfg.com/online-catalog/log-splitter-valve-accessories.html


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## kettensÃ¤ge (Oct 5, 2011)

Item 16 in the exploded view solved the problem for me. If you look closely at the dissassembled valve there is a mini cylinder designed into it to release the valve hydraulically at the end if the cylinder stroke. This is why the page posted by CTwoodburner says presure at "T" port can't exceed 200PSI. 
A simple o ring test would be to force the handle to the retract position at the end of the stroke. If the handle pushes back against your hand the oring is bad. Oil seeping/leaking from the end cover is another.




			
				CTwoodburner said:
			
		

> Good info on the Energy site in general.  What is the 'closed center' version that they note in the conversion document on the bottom of the page?
> 
> http://www.energymfg.com/online-catalog/log-splitter-valve-accessories.html



Open center means oil flows continuosly through the center of the valve or to each side of the cylinder. 

Closed center means no continuous flow with valve in the neutral position. Not sure why that would be an option on a typical logsplitter. Might be used on multiple valve set-ups on a different type of hydraulic powered piece of equipment.


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