Increasing hydraulic pressure

Here's a sketch of the hydraulic layout for a log splitter. Hal

I used a pump from Northern Hydraulics rated at 10gpm and a 10 hp engine from a Sears tracror and I never had to run the engine much over 1/3 throttle and it would split locust and oak wood so big I could hardly roll on the splitter. Once I had installed the 4 bolts in the pump it would downshift to the second stage. The governor would open up on the engine at times. I copied my splitter from one that I rented that had a 5 hp engine and it ran at 3600 rpm's all the time.

It would split anything you had too. I bought my control valve from the same company too with the automatic return detent. Hal

Did you get the splitter to split your wood? Hal

Buy a control valve with the auto return detent valve.
The one I bought has a pressure adjusting screw for the pressure side, and one for the return side. When I bought it awhile back was $60.00
You will need a gauge to set your pressures, the pump specs should tell you the max you can go to.
Smaller pump would give you less volume, so it will take longer to complete a cycle.Your system has to have the capacity for the pressure.
Guido.

You need to return that 16GPM pump and buy a 10 or 11gpm pump. Then you will have enough pressure.

I used a 10 or 11 gpm pump from Northern Tools similar to to one here marked with an X. It was known as Northern Hydraulics when I bought mine.
Don't adjust the pressure you will void your warranty. These are factory set and don't need any adjustment. Buy their control valve with the automatic retracting detent and you will have a splitter that split anything or will shear it when the second stage kicks in. Hal