CGomer33 Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 Hey there, I have a Runfa power hammer (very similar to an anyang) that just started to make a knocking / ticking noise that sounds like it's something to do with the linkage. Lack of oiling and lack of greasing the zerks is not an issues, I always make sure it has oil and grease the zerks once every two months. I have been using this hammer almost daily for 2 years without any issues and just days ago this knocking sound started. It's not as loud when the hammer is idling but when you push the pedal down it does get louder, loud enough to wonder what is making that noise. Sometimes it's not as loud and other times it is louder. I posted a clip of it on YouTube so you can hear the knocking / ticking sound. Has anyone else experienced this? Any help would be greatly appreciated. It seems the noise is coming from lower down, the only thing lower down is the linkage. I suspect it may have something to do with the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 I really couldn't hear the ticking noise over the sound of the ram. Have you contacted the Mfg.? I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus My wife heard the sound and she thinks it's a lubrication problem internally. What kind of water separator does it have? My wife has experience with the 155 Big Blu at ESSA when she was in charge of the Metal shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGomer33 Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 (edited) Right after I pull the lever down you can hear the sound. That isn't a sound it should be making, though it sounds like its the ram it is not. The only sound normally for these hammers is the sound of the piston which sounds the same when in idle and in use. Just this has that clicking sound right when I pull the lever. These kind of hammers don't have a water separator. I thought maybe it was not getting oil, but the ram and the piston have oil all over them. The oil reservoir seems to be feeding just fine, nothing is dry. It's a real head scratcher! I did reach out to the manufacturer just today. Will wait and see what they have to say. Thanks for your input! Edited July 9 by Mod30 Remove excessive quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 If you have been using it steadily for 2 years some internal part or linkage could have worn enough that there is now "slop" in the movement of the parts. As Irondragon suggests, your first stop should be with the manufacturer. I'd do that before I started taking things apart. GNM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Your dies weren't making contact during the video you posted were they? I couldn't see. If they weren't I heard a definite knock, almost like the dies hitting lightly. Can we see a drawing of it's innards online? What's the model # and year? It sounds like the slave ram and tup have a little wear though I have to say the 40lb. Kuhn I used decades ago had a similar knock in use but it made that sound from the factory. It can't be the linkage between the crank and compressor ram or it'd start when you turned it on. I HATE new sounds in machines, especially expensive important ones! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGomer33 Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 George, that was my thinking as well. Frosty, nope, the dies were not hitting. Glad you heard it though, that is the sound I was describing. I will try to find if there is a schematic out there, I doubt it but we will see. You make a good point about the sound not being the linkage. I just wonder why it starts faint or not there then when in use it gets really loud and goes away. I would think there shouldn't be any wear that bad yet since it's been over oiled since the oiler isn't the best on these i've noticed, been really messy but I guess that is better than a lack of oil. I just thought of another possibility, I wonder if something could be jumping around in one of the components.. reason I say this is, I have had a piece of casting slag fall off during use and the linkage hit it against one of the doors you take of for greasing, there is a cork gasket that got all torn up. Since this sound just happened, not a gradual thing, I wonder what the chances are that a piece of slag could be up in slave ram / tub area? Heck I don't know. Just odd that it came out of the blue and is gets louder when I step down on the lever. I will wait to see what the manufacturer has to say. I will let you guys know what and if I find it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 Your video was too focused on the control lever, of all the components I'd be willing to guarantee the lever isn't knocking. Sorry, couldn't resist. The sound says it all. I deleted a long winded post when I realized I was channeling my old plans for building a self contained hammer and reading more blueprints on the patent server than I care to think about. I have a couple thoughts but first a suggestion. Do you have a mechanic's stethoscope, the ones with a long metal probe instead of the COLD thing the doctor presses on your chest? A medical scope will blow your eardrums out. A long screw driver with the handle to your ear works well too. Simply put the probe against the hammer and localize the knocking so you'll know what to open and look at. Or tell the manufacturer if the representative speaks English. The thought I had after looking at Runfra hammers on their site is the exhaust port on it's long pipe. I don't know if yours has the brass noise suppressor on it but those suppressors and remote exhaust ports have one way valves. Self contained hammers are always exhausting waste air if they're running. Not cycling running, turn the motor on and it'll exhaust air. Without a 1 way valve it would suck air back in, then blow it out gumming the works up with dust, dirt, spiders, curious children, etc. Perhaps one of the exhaust valves is sticking or slapping. That long isolation pipe could make a strong resonator making a spring loaded one way valve sound like metal on metal knocking. As it warmed up it could maybe not stick or . . . ? I'd take a screw driver listen to it knocking, then maybe see about the exhaust port one way valves. I'm just skyballing this, I wish I could lay hands on it while it's running. Between the two of us we could maybe winkle it out. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 May be totally wrong, but if I recall correctly these self contained hammers have two sets of pistons. Sounds to me like the pump piston section is making a knocking sound when under load. Could be slop in the crankshaft bearing, but hopefully not that. Alternately, it could be the top of the ram is colliding with the top cover. Might just have to replace the top gasket to get the buffer working again. I'd try bubble testing the joint to see if there are any air leaks. That would be a pretty easy fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 Good Morning, I have had to replace the ball end at the top of the Connecting Rod a couple times on my Kuhn. Probably similar on yours. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGomer33 Posted July 14 Author Share Posted July 14 Thank you all for your comments, I really appreciate the ideas from you. I have narrowed it down to what I believe must be the bearing or bushing or something on the lower end of the connecting rod. I turned it on when the greasing cover was off and I could hear the noise a bit clearer. It's coming from the bottom side of the rod/piston I believe. I have had no response from the manufacturer other than to make sure it's getting enough oil. I took off the top cover of the piston and there was oil sitting there, very clean as well. I have asked them for replacement parts of the lower connecting rod. We will see what happens next. I will keep using it, which I hate to do but I do not have an alternative. I think I might need to buy a second power hammer for when one might, God forbid, breaks! Who knew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 I hate crappy customer support! Is there oil is probably about as much as the respondent knows about their hammers! I don't suppose customer "service" knows what kind of bearing the connecting rod has anyway. I'd be awfully tempted to pull the journal off the crank and see what's up. If it's a babbitt bearing they're easy to pour or modify from an automotive bearing off the crank journals. Unfortunately your crank doesn't look to be babbitt, it's probably needle bearings and you should be able to mic what's there and buy them from Grainger of Bearing Engineering, or similar place that specializes in bearings. When I said "Them" above, please don't make me explain why you should buy an extra. Hmmm? Hopefully it isn't the pin on the crank arm! Then again it sure looks easy enough to make and you could use a standard available stock size for the pin and use a common bearing in the connecting rod journal. Our local real hardware store carries bearing and bushing sleaves with oil/grease channels that slide over standard size round stock. IF of course that's what you have. Sleave type babbitt and oiler bronze bearings are usually accessed from the end rather than having a capped journal like a gas engine. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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