Operation and Maintenance SY350/400/450 Hydraulic Breaker

Revision: 9/FEB/2024.

Foreword

This guide is exclusive to the SY350/SY400 Hydraulic Breaker manufactured by Yantai Sanyu Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd and sold with RIPPA mini excavators. This guide is intended to compliment the manufacturer’s official documentation, the manufacturer reserves its rights to change the specifications and design of the equipment. While we put a lot of effort into maintaining this document updated and ensuring its accuracy, RIPPA nor miniexcav.com can not provide or assert any warranties on the correctness of this information.

The scope of this guide is exclusively limited to machines and the respective configurations sold by RIPPA Dealers. For additional support contact your local Dealer or RIPPA After Sales.

Specifications

	Type: Side Mounted, Open Shell, No Accumulator
	Hydraulic Oil Flow: 15-30 L/min
	Hydraulic Pressure: 80 - 120 MPa (80-110 kg/c㎡)
	Blows Per Minute: 750-1300
	Impact Force: 220 j (150 ft-lbs)
	Chisel: 35 mm Dia., Type: Moil, 42 CrMo
	Gas Pressure: 14 - 16 Kg/cm2
	Gas Port: 10 mm thread
	Hydraulic Ports: G3/8 BSP
	Weight: 82 kg

Product Overview

The breaker works by repeatedly raising a steel piston and driving it down onto the head of a removable breaking tool. The SY350, 400 and 450 are designed for concrete and light duty work. The model number indicates the chisel diameter, where SY350 is 35mm, 400 is 40mm and 450 is 45mm and so on. These breakers belong to the 1,000 ft·lb class (1350 joule) for machines from 0.8 to 2 tons. Mini excavators on the 1 ton class can not use larger breakers because they require a minimum flow of 25 L/min and their weight is extraneous on the machine.

	Main Components 1. Tension Bolts (Through bolts). 2. Head Cap. 3. Hydraulic Oil Ports. BSP G3/8. Left is input and right is return. 4. Retainer Stop Pin (holds the retainer pin in place)(located on the side) 5. Gas Port. 10 mm x 1 thread. 6. Tool Grease Nipple. (BSPT ⅛) 7. Tool Retainer Pin (Rod). Ø 24 mm 8. Tool. Ø 35 mm, 300 - 400 mm length, 72 mm slot. (The SY400/450 use a more standard 40 mm.)
	9. Front Tool Bushing (consumable). Ø 35 mm dia (The SY400/450 use a more standard 40 mm.)
Tools
	Moil Point / Conical Point It wedges the material in all directions. This tool is very effective in soft or layered materials with low abrasion like concrete, limestone, asphalt, sandstone, basalt, etc.
	Chisel It has a stronger torsion effect by wedging the material in two opposite directions. Works better with reinforced concrete than a moil point. It can also handle some types of sedimentary rocks that have fissures (cracks).
	Blunt Does not do penetration. It works by transferring stress waves into the material. Mainly used for secondary breaking of material already cut with another tool. Works best with harder stones like boulders, granite and basalt. Also useful with concrete slaps like sidewalks.

Safety

Most accidents involving breaker operation and maintenance are caused by failing in observing basic safety rules or precautions.

Do not operate the breaker if you are not thoroughly familiar with the controls of the mini excavator.

Use a hard hat, safety glasses, protective shoes and gloves and an approved respirator (dust mask), also other protective items when required.

Mini excavators generally DO not provide cage/screen protection for projectiles, ensure that safety glasses are rated impact resistant and take additional precautions when operating the breaker. Protect yourself and bystanders from flying chips of rock. Do not operate the breaker if someone is too close.

Place a barrier around the operation site in public places and keep people away.

Communicate effectively with people at the worksite to avoid accidents. Keep people around you informed of what you will be doing.

Never leave the breaker raised from the ground when the machine is unattended.

When leaving the machine, lower the breaker to the ground and turn the engine off.

Breaking concrete produces silica dust particles which increases your risk of cancer and lung complications. Commercial operations must ensure compliance with OSHA regulation (1910.1053) which establishes the maximum exposure to crystalline silica that an employee can be exposed to in an 8 hour period.

Operation

	Pound with the chisel pressed perpendicular to the surface to be pounded. Maintain steady pressure and contact with the surface being broken. As the chisel works through the material, adjust pressure by pushing down with the boom and arm of the mini excavator. To use the breaker most efficiently, concentrate on small steps from the outer edge of the material and move towards the center of the material.
	Do not pry with the chisel or do not pry while pounding.This will cause wear and bend the tool. Do not move the chisel while pounding. Do not pound continuously for more than 30 seconds on the same spot. If the material is not broken or the tool does not penetrate the material, stop breaking and change the position of breaking.
	Do not pound at an angle with the cylinder fully extended or retracted. Do not strike at surfaces by dropping the breaker. Do not use the breaker to move rocks or heavy objects.

Cold Weather Operation

Note: Internal parts of the hammer will be damaged if proper warm-up procedures are not applied in cold weather.

1. Warm the hydraulic system of the excavator before starting the hammer. Circulate the oil in machine until it is warm to the touch or approximately 60°F (15°C)

2. With the engine at half throttle, activate the hammer for 5 seconds and stop for 15 seconds. Repeat the cycle for 2 to 3 minutes.

General Precautions and Recommendations

When connecting the hydraulic hoses make sure that fittings are free of dust and dirt to avoid contaminating your hydraulic system. When disconnecting hoses use a plug to cover the ports and hoses immediately.

Do not submerge the body of the breaker or operate in muddy conditions. Water or mud must be kept well below the level line of the portion of the tool that retracts into the body of the breaker.

Avoid blank firing. Blank firing occurs when the breaker is operated without material under the tool to transfer its energy. This can cause premature failure of the parts in the lower end of the breaker. When the material is fully broken, stop breaking immediately.

Using short bursts will prolong the life of the equipment and consumables.

Tool Removal

	Removing Tool The Retainer Pin holds the tool in place. The retainer pin itself is kept in place by a smaller stop pin located on the side of the breaker. 1. Use the rod provided with the breaker to remove the stop pin. 2. Remove the retainer tool pin. 3. Remove the tool.
	Installing Tool Important: Clean the pin holes before installing the tool. Clean any dirt from the tool shank and lubricate it Insert tool. Grease and insert the retainer pin, then grease and insert the retainer stop pin. Important: Properly align retainer pin groove before attempting to push the stop pin in.

Maintenance

IMPORTANT: When a hydraulic breaker is used, the oil deteriorates more quickly than that used for a usual excavation operation. Be sure to replace the hydraulic oil and the return filter elements with more frequency. Consider using anti-wear hydraulic oil when using a breaker.

Basic Maintenance Schedule

Every 2 hours	Grease tool, tool pins & bushes. Check hydraulic oil temperature, hose & piping connections. Tighten loose connections.
Every 10 hours	Check tool and tool pins condition. Grind off any burrs that may be present. Check oil leakage. Check gas pressure in the back-head. Refill the gas if necessary.
Every 200 hours or monthly	Check the clearance between the tool and tool pins. Check the clearance between the tool and bushes.

Greasing the tool

Using a grease gun, grease the chisel cavity at least every 10 hours of use. Apply enough grease until it is visible on the outside of the tool. The grease zerk is located on the bottom front of the breaker. Use NLG1 No 2 grease.

Manually apply grease to pins and tool shank.

Important: Failure to lubricate regularly reduces the life of the tool, bushings, and front head.

Check nitrogen gas levels

The breaker has a gas chamber with compressed nitrogen gas (N2). The gas is used to absorb the recoil energy of the piston.

	Checking the gas. The gas charging port is located on the top of the breaker. Use a 17mm wrench to remove the port plug. 1. Close the relief valve to prevent losing the gas. 2. Insert the 3-way valve with a pressure gauge on the gas port. Important: Ensure that the valve has the o-rings installed. The gas port uses a 10 mm x 1 thread. 3. Turn the top thumb screw to secure the valve into the port.
	4. Push down the head plunger to open the gas chamber of the breaker. 5. Check measurement against manufacturer specifications. For the SY 350 and SY400 the reading should be at 8 Kg/cm2 (must be adjusted for temperature). Press the relief valve to lower the gas pressure in the breaker if needed.
	Charge the gas chamber. Important: Make sure the valve has the o-rings installed. Important: Never fully open the tank valve, excess pressure will damage the breaker. Important: Ensure that the relief valve is closed. 1. Connect the valve to the N2 supply tank. 2. Slowly open the N2 tank while pressing the top plunger to allow the gas in. Check the pressure reading while you do this. Use the relief valve to adjust the pressure.
	Note: When removing the valve and gas hose make sure that o-rings are still on the valve.

Temperature adjustment of readings

The nitrogen pressure will increase with temperature. As a basic rule above 86F the pressure will rise about 10%. Gas pressure should be set based on the expected working temperatures which may be above the current ambient temperature. Notice the hammer may not perform as expected until it warms up to reach the desired pressure. If large temperature variations will be encountered like for example from morning to noon you will need to adjust the gas pressure as the conditions change.

Back Head Gas Pressure	Ambient Temperature (F/C)
	68/20	80/26	90/32	100/38	110/43
kg/cm2	14	12	11	10	9
psi	200	160	150	140	130

Note: These values are educated estimates. As of NOV/2024 the Initial chamber volume/pressure of the SY350 and 400 is not known.

Wear

	Check the clearance between the tool and the front tool bushing every 100 hours. Worn parts may cause misalignment between the tool and the piston. Replace bushing if the gap is more than 4mm. Clearing issues with bad bushing will start to show as uneven wear on the chisel head, piston and retainer slot on tool.
	The tool may be sharpened by machining or grinding. Ensure moil and conical points have a flat tip of about 1/4" or 6mm. The tool shank must have a clearance of at least 6 inches from the base of the breaker when the piston is at its higher position. Check the tool for signs of stress and cracks.

Storage

Keep the breaker covered with appropriate material like plastic or vinyl packing, tied with a band, stored indoors as much as possible.

Leaving the breaker in the rain or under the wet climate conditions can lead to rust on the breaker parts.

Ensure that hydraulic hoses or hydraulic ports are sealed properly with a plug.

Store the breaker in a horizontal position. Important: If the piston has not been pushed to maximum position, the piston bottom area will be exposed to the air and have a high probability to rust.

Long term storage

Remove the tool (chisel) and pins from the breaker if storing for more than one month.

Discharge nitrogen gas completely from the back head.

Push the piston up to maximum position by gently hammering it with a steel bar.

Apply grease on the tool (chisel) sufficiently.

After a long period of storage, replace the gas and grease the chisel cavity before using the breaker again.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEFCp3RQQeo