Adding Hydraulic Oil?

[liquidmonkey]

Hello, newish owner of a JCB 8018, year 2015, had it 3 months now and use it sparingly (ie, not 8 hours a day, maybe 3 hours a week on average).
Noticed the Hydraulic level is very very low. This might be why my machine kinda stutters (sometimes) when using the boom etc.
Either way, I can't figure out where / how to fill it. Neither of the top caps rotates by hand or with a tool. Do I need to take off the bolts?
And anyone know how many liters of hydraulic oil this machine takes?
Is it possible to overfill it, what happens then?

Many thanks!!

 

[diggerjones]

I'm not certain but I would suggest the top 1. Put a flat bar in it. It's probably about 1 litre short. Probably judders when on a slope

 

[doobin]

Flat bar will sort that. Although I'd not say thats low enough to cause juddering.

 

[liquidmonkey]

Thanks both.
Is a flat bar same as a crow bar / pry bar? I'm in Sweden where we call it a "cows foot"

Pics or link?

Or is it a specific tool for this purpose?
And I'm assuming the top turns off counter clockwise?

 

[Gecko]

And anyone know how many liters of hydraulic oil this machine takes?

Total capacity: 28 liters

if you don't have the manual, head over to: www.classicmachinery.net and sniff the downloads section.

The hydraulic oil in the sight glass looks fresh, but if you didn't change it, it may be the suction filter is choked and only the oil was changed. A blocked/ heavily restricted intake filter could starve the pump and give the same symptoms as a low level.

(I assume filter "E" below is the return filter. Should be a suction filter somewhere)

Is a flat bar same as a crow bar / pry bar? I'm in Sweden where we call it a "cows foot"

Nothing so ... technical.
Just a piece of steel strip thick enough to 'almost' fill the slot and wide enough so it doesn't bend (and is comfortable to hold).
By the looks, 30 x 6 x 300mm would be about right.

 

[V8Druid]

you should also check the oil level with the bucket ram fully closed, dipper ram fully closed and the boom stretched out, bucket/dipper tip on the floor ... to put max oil back in the tank ... if you fill with all rams extended, when they close the oil has no where to go

 

[liquidmonkey]

Thanks again, I do have a manual but it doesn't have the photo ur showing. This is what I have...
I'll check out that link, maybe there are other manuals..

Will check the levels again but with booms etc as mentioned.
Thanks, great forum and I'll be back for sure

 

[Mick-the-fitter]

Hello, newish owner of a JCB 8018, year 2015, had it 3 months now and use it sparingly (ie, not 8 hours a day, maybe 3 hours a week on average).
Noticed the Hydraulic level is very very low. This might be why my machine kinda stutters (sometimes) when using the boom etc.
Either way, I can't figure out where / how to fill it. Neither of the top caps rotates by hand or with a tool. Do I need to take off the bolts?
And anyone know how many liters of hydraulic oil this machine takes?
Is it possible to overfill it, what happens then?

Many thanks!!

View attachment 62800View attachment 62801View attachment 62802View attachment 62803

The black top cover retains the filter, if you get a piece of flat bar which fits the gap on top, unscrew cap anti clockwise remove filter top up, just a pointer if your level is as seen in the gauge it’s not that low! The hydraulic tank is like an iceburg( most of the oil you can’t see)

 

[V8Druid]

Thanks again, I do have a manual but it doesn't have the photo ur showing. This is what I have...
I'll check out that link, maybe there are other manuals..

Will check the levels again but with booms etc as mentioned.
Thanks, great forum and I'll be back for sure
View attachment 62827

have you had a look on maskinisten's download pages ... bound to be a manual on there

 

[liquidmonkey]

finally found a 'flat bar' that fit the larger cap perfectly and got the hydraulic oil filled and things work much better now, many thanks!!