Craftsman and powerbuilt 27 ton log splitter

I'll only have the e10 gas in it for between 2 days and 1 week max. I only bough 3/4 of a gallon last night and probably burned about half of it as of this morning.
Running e10 definitely leaned it out.
To completely burn up true gasoline you need 14.7 parts air to 1 part gasoline.
To completely burn e10 you need 14.1 air to 1 part dishwater.
The carburetor mixes virtually identical amounts of either fuel with with air. It just takes less air to burn up the e10.

 

How did it ruin the engine?
Usually it just corrodes the carburetor to the point where you have to buy a new carb.

 

I gave up on trying to tune the epa approved carb it came with. The government assumes you are too stupid to tune a carb and most of the time they might be right.
So I got a cheap knockoff. The log splitter fuel tank is still full of E10 gutter swill. Took the epa pos and S canned it. Main thing the epa approved carb lacked was an adjustable air bleed after the throttle for idle and part load fine tuning. So I set the air bleed at the obligatory 2 and a half turns from being closed.
The replacement carb appears to have a bigger fixed air bleed orifice. Its the little black plug held in place by being located under the idle speed screw.
The epa approved air bleed plug is smaller allows a more rich air fuel emulsion to be drawn into the engine at part throttle, that's one reason it was running so rich. I believe it's like a holley power valve. The knockoff has a bigger fixed air emulsion orifice which allows a leaner air fuel mix to form for idle and part throttle run.
The knock off carb had an unlabeled main jet. It was definitely bigger than my epa approved #65. It appeared to be about a #72. Stsrted off by putting the #65 in there, it didn't want to stay running with the choke open.
The next size up from a #65 but smaller than the unlabeled stock jet was a #69. Put the #69 in and it stated up, didn't want to stay running without a little choke. Ran great once warmed up with the warm air intake
cover on.
When splitting a knot it sputtered a bit.
So running E10 it's a bit lean. Switching to ethanol free gas should richen it up a bit and I can fine tune it with the adjustable air bleed screw.
As long as that sputter at full speed WOT is eliminated it will be just about perfect.
To shut down I turn the fuel off and idle it to cool. Its idling significantly longer. I know it a different carb and all, so it might hold a bit more fuel or have the fuel draw from a mm or 2 lower in the bowl, maybe. But it's definitely idling leaner, it doesn't sink like gas at idle.

 

Now the question is when should I change the hydraulic filter. Well guess no more. I found several pressure differential indicator gauges on filter heads that were being trashed.
There were no numbers just green and red. So I applied shop air to the upstream end of the gauge, about 5psi the needle moves a little bit, at 20psi the indicator is touching red. The hydraulic filter bypasses at about 22psi.
I'll change the filter when the needle doesn't come out of the red once warm.
It will probably be in the red even with a new filter when cold.

 

I installed the filter pressure differential indicator, it's showing up to 15psi back pressure at full speed and with 90F fluid.
The filter that's on the log splitter does 15gpm, 25 micron has 1 inch by 12 threads per inch, typical 3.6 by 5 inch filter paper filter element, just about the most common type of hydraulic fiter out there.
I found my upgrade filter. A wix a31a06ga probably a military specification. No built-in bypass, rated for 6 micron, "up to 22gpm", temperature range of -14 to 256F, 3.75 by nearly 9 inchs long, fiberglass media and it's not cheap probably about $100.
When the world goes to shit there will be no resupply, we got what we got.

 

So no A31A06GA filter. They're made to order, up to a 4 month lead time, have to pay shipping so it would be over $100 out the door.
But I can have a wix 57123 for $40 tomorrow. Only problem is it's rated for 12 to 15gpm. If the 57123 can't keep up in the cold I'll order the A31A06GA and get it eventually.

 

Bigger better filter is on. Went from a 15gpm 25 micron at 99% with absolute probably around 45microns. To a bigger 12 to 14gpm 8 micron 99% to 27 micron absolute and it cut the filter back pressure in half.
The wix 57123 is sufficient.

 

I have ran it at least several hours since last time I messed with the carb.
Still nice and white. That means I'm not wasting spark plugs and I'm not wasting gasoline.
Now to increase engine power and efficiency further by advancing the ignition timing and going to a super thin head gasket.

 

The Kohler engine already has a very thin head gasket, probably 10 thousand or less, my eyeball estimation says probably less than 10thou.
The 8 degree timing advance key is installed that will give more power and efficiency than before.
Turned the speed up to 4,000rpm, with 8 degrees more timing it will actually make some power at that speed.
At 4,000rpm it's going to drink gas and over heat the hydraulic fluid without a cooler, maximum war reserve power will only b used for the toughest knots for now.
I also installed the intake off the briggs and Stratton 208cc engine that was on the blown up wood chipper motor. The briggs intake appears to be better flowing, has larger passages and fewer 90 degree bends.
It also bolts to the engine with 3 bolts. The Kohler intake just hung off the carb studs and shook violently at a certain rpm. The BS intake with 3 bolts vibrates in unison with the engine at all speeds and the vibs look less intense.
With the engine running 4,000rpms that makes the 14gpm pump about a 15.5gpm I should probably get that expensive a06a31ga hydraulic filter.
The wix 57123 is only supposed to be for "12-14gpm" and the wix a31a06ga is supposed to do 22gpm and filter 2 microns smaller with it's special glass media.

 

Well I located my mythical wix a31a06ga, the 6 micron 22gpm hydraulic filter, wix just doesn't make them any more. Looks like I have to get a "main filter" brand MF0617088.
I have the wix 57123 on there for now and seems to be doing fine.
I'm going to order one in case the current filter can't take the cold or in case I get contaminated fluid, like from water.
The coldest I ran it so far this year has been about 60F and it seemed good.

 

My uncle has his own gas station. 2 500 gal tanks, one supreme, and one diesel. If it's gas he uses the supreme only and he doesn't care how old the engine is.

He also has a log splitter but I'm not sure which one. His wife does that mostly.

 

There doesn't appear to be any reason to use premium gas over regular in a small engine unless it's ethanol free and that's the only way you can get ethanol free.

 

Ethanol free here the way God meant it to be!

 

True. Anybody using farmland to grow plants to process into fuel should be shot.

 

I got a new hydraulic upgrade.
I found a 1.5 inch 16tpi thread hydraulic filter head in the trash at work. They took the filter off and tossed the head. Knowing hydraulics international they probably speced a 25mu hydraulic filter for that piece of equipment, so I don't want the free option.
This filter head typically takes a 5 inch wide by one foot long filter. But I have seen 16 inch to 2 foot long version of 1.5-16thread 5 inch wide filters. A foot long one will be way more than enough.