3CX JCB 1997 Maintenance questions

Left hooker

Left hooker

Well-known member
OK .... higorant Q coming up ........ seen this facility mentioned many times ...... HTF does it work and what controls it? ... obviously a solenoid valve of some sort in the spool, but what exactly does it do ...... will have to crawl under mine and see if it has one ? :unsure:
You don't have it checked you Jake pic's nothing on right hand bucket ram
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
You don't have it checked you Jake pic's nothing on right hand bucket ram
yeh, cheers Stu ... assumed not, as no tube, as you say ... just a clam indicator on the 4 in 1
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
Another ram apart - this looks quite good until you realise the seal is totally absent
(sure explains why the shovel sagged)

1584510688427.png
 
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Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
A bunch of small jobs completed - the waterpump leak wasn't the O-ring, it was the internal seal, so I fitted a new pump complete (seal kit is no longer available).
When I got to the slew box to "drain the water" the manual said would be there - I drained the water alright - about 1.5l of it. The manual said I should tighten the plug when oil starts draining - it didn't. There was no oil at all. I hate to think how long it's been 'running on water'.

Haven't attempted the Wear Pads yet as I'm stuck on the second Stabiliser Leg. The lower Pivot Pin is not cooperating. The retaining bolt took a couple of days to work loose, but now that is out, I can't get the pin to move (rusted solid). There is just too much spring for a sledge hammer to have any effect. Is there an obvious technique I'm missing?
 
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T whiting

T whiting

Well-known member
A bunch of small jobs completed - the waterpump leak wasn't the O-ring, it was the internal seal, so I fitted a new pump complete (seal kit is no longer available).
When I got to the slew box to "drain the water" the manual said would be there - I drained the water alright - about 1.5l of it. The manual said I should tighten the plug when oil starts draining - it didn't. There was no oil at all. I hate to think how long it's been 'running on water'.

Haven't attempted the Wear Pads yet as I'm stuck on the second Stabiliser Leg. The lower Pivot Pin is not cooperating. The retaining bolt took a couple of days to work loose, but now that is out, I can't get the pin to move (rusted solid). There is just too much spring for a sledge hammer to have any effect. Is there an obvious technique I'm missing?
Drop it down to the foor and wrap a ratchet round both legs to keep it tight while you sledge it?
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
Thanks. The pins run fore-aft, so the preload would be at 90°.
I've tried jamming a log between the leg and the tyre, but is didn't help.
My next trick will be to weld a 3/4 drive socket onto the end of the pin and see if I can crack the joint with torque. If it doesn't work, at least I'll have a drift that doesn't need repositioning after every strike!

Edit: It didn't.
The weld held, but the end of the pin suffered brittle fracture and gaveway under the weld - not the outcome I was hopping for.
 
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Jimbo69

Jimbo69

Well-known member
Abandoned Plan A - moved to Plan B
Plan B requires the lower leg to dropped out complete - all I need is something to dig a hole.

View attachment 13182
I had the same problem with the top pin once. Tried hitting it with a sledge, then tried heat and a sledge. Ended up cutting the pin and taking the ram away to get pressed out. I can't remember the pressure it took but I do remember it was a lot 😲
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
oh - that's not promising - it wouldn't be the first seized pin on this machine.
I tried pressing it out useing the other stabiliser, but I can't see what I'm doing from inside the cab.
I offered a mate a Medicinal Ale™ and will have a second pair of hands tomorrow.
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
To lift the back of the machine?
I thought of that, but the bucket and dipper rams still have internal leaks, so I didn't think I could keep it stable.
Falling into my own trench looked the least unpleasant failure.
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
I had the same problem with the top pin once. Tried hitting it with a sledge, then tried heat and a sledge. Ended up cutting the pin and taking the ram away to get pressed out. I can't remember the pressure it took but I do remember it was a lot 😲
Looks like you are right.
I setup the pin under the remaining stabiliser and with a drift, tried to press it out - nothing.
Grabbed an 850mm bucket load of wet clay, then extended the hoe as wide as it would go with the extradig at full reach for max force - nothing.

Gave up - took into town to put it under a press.
It took a 25t press, an oxy torch and an hour of applying brutality to the pin before it let go.

Now to rebuild the cylinder on the poor mans work bench.

1586164433064.png
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
The difference between theory and practice.

I knew I'd missed a few grease nipples.
Trouble is, knowing where they are didn't help as much as I expected.

Theory
1586337205732.png



Practice

1586337355221.png
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
The jcb telehandlers come with a special swan neck attachment for getting that grease nipple
It is a solid pipe with a grease Chuck on one end and a nipple on the other and formed into exactly the right shape to reach
However I don't know if your axles are the same
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can chase one up.
(after all, how many strange ways can there be there be to get grease into a nipple!)
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
Take note of the locking pin in the rod nut, I’m sure there’s been many a swearing contest, not to mention blood, sweat and tears, trying to undo that nut without first removing the pin! :ROFLMAO:
I found it!!
The bucket ram seals were delivered yesterday, so I got started with it. This is now my sixth cylinder, so I'm getting quite good at it, but I couldn't find the dowel. A closer inspecting this morning in daylight revealed the truth - someone had (presumably) failed to find the dowel, damaged the rod-end and nut and then used a saw to split the nut (and never redrilled the dowel hole).
I've put it back together with plenty of locktite as I have no way of drilling it with adequate precision.
Unfortunately, the saw cut crosses the spot where the nuts O-ring sits.

1586913009843.png
 
Shovelhands

Shovelhands

Well-known member
I found it!!
The bucket ram seals were delivered yesterday, so I got started with it. This is now my sixth cylinder, so I'm getting quite good at it, but I couldn't find the dowel. A closer inspecting this morning in daylight revealed the truth - someone had (presumably) failed to find the dowel, damaged the rod-end and nut and then used a saw to split the nut (and never redrilled the dowel hole).
I've put it back together with plenty of locktite as I have no way of drilling it with adequate precision.
Unfortunately, the saw cut crosses the spot where the nuts O-ring sits.

View attachment 13705
That is frustrating! Possibly a good spot to use some JB Weld or similar epoxy/plastic metal? Fill in the groove and sand it down by hand? But that O ring is only sealing the nut on the rod, so hopefully your liberal application of locktite will have sealed the threads enough not to worry too much.
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
Yeah, I'm hoping so. A small leak on the bucket ram probably won't be noticed anyway.

Put the rear end together and turned my attention back to the front end.

I think the bushes are getting a bit sloppy

1586939730652.png


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V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
That is frustrating! Possibly a good spot to use some JB Weld or similar epoxy/plastic metal? Fill in the groove and sand it down by hand? But that O ring is only sealing the nut on the rod, so hopefully your liberal application of locktite will have sealed the threads enough not to worry too much.
" You took the words right out of my mouth " James "must've been while you were ... " :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
Distracted rebuilding a couple of buckets, I'm back working my way through the fluids.
Transmission had a bit of a hiccup when the 'correct' filter didn't fit (at some stage, the powershift has been swapped out for a 'similar' box - I'll get to that later).
Somewhere previously I mentioned the hydraulic oil smelled off - I think it was a mix of any wast oil available due to the blown seals.
When I got to the bottom of the tank, it looked pretty nasty - I assume this is worse than usual?


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