The Classic Machinery Network

Hello All,
Can anyone please offer suggestions for troubleshooting my 1987 JCB 1550B losing reverse issue? After using the machine for 40 minutes or so I have on three occasions now, lost reverse. In all cases so far, shutting down the machine overnight, or even for a couple of hours has allowed the machine to once again move in reverse, but only for another 40 minutes or so of use. In all cases I can still drive forward, and in one instance with the shuttle lever in reverse and the machine not moving, it jumped backwards and allowed me to move in reverse for a few seconds before losing movement once again.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

I am not an expert on yhese gearboxes but if it gets warm then fails and is ok once it cools down, have you checked the gearbox oil level, have you owned the machine long, i only ask as it is possible someone has changed the oil and may have put incorrect oil in the gearbox/ shuttle. I would be inlined to drain the oil out and see if its clean or has any metal particles in it, change the ilter too and also take the strainer out and clean it too. Make sure ou use the correct transmission oil i have had two machines recently and both of them had Dextron red luid in them and this is not the correct stuff to use. Really the first thing i would do is drain the box change the ilter, clean the strainer out and then replace using jcb transmission fluid then run it and see what happens, The transmisions have an oil cooler so you could chek that too.

Is this an electric shift that has solenoids on the transmission?

Hi topkit and essexpete.

Thanks for the replies. Machine continues to act the same, though you may be onto something regarding oil level and correct or incorrect fluid. I believe my system is low, though I learned that I need to recheck with engine idling. I have been on the forums trying to decipher what is the correct oil to put in the shuttle, which I assume is added through the dipstick tube like an automotive auto transmission.

My understanding from reading lots of posts, and may be incorrect, is that the Borg Warner shuttles (filled with Dexron ATF) are identified by the use of levers/rods to activate direction. If you have an electric (ZF?) F-N-R shuttle control, employing switches and solenoids, the shuttle should be filled with a 10W oil. I believe this is what I have. I have seen a number of posts where people have insisted the use of a "JCB Special Transmission Fluid", but my Service manual states that a "JCB Torque Converter Fluid" be used in the shuttle reverser.

I'm at a loss, as many users here in the US have said that you can't get the correct answer, even from JCB, regarding these older machines. I want to put the right lubricant in as I can't afford to fix a blown shuttle.

Any advice to clearly identify the hardware and provide insight into the correct lubricant would be appreciated.

Thanks, Dave

I have owned both Borg warner type and electric shuttle and both use 10W oil infact my 1992 electric shuttle 3cx that i have just serviced has got JCB 10w transmission oil, the last person had put in Dextron which is not correct i have the manual in front of me and it learly says jcb special transmission fluid/ jcb Extreme performance Transmission fluid = 10w.

The older borg Warner should have the SAE 10w which could double as a light engine oil.
Not sure about the later shuttle but many machines use the atf type oil which dextron falls into.

The following might help


http://www.whatoildoineed.com/

It looks like the Morris Liquimatic DII - Part No. LDT is the oil to use which is an ATF but do not to use ATF -D2 or -D3

Second choice is Ring Free XHD 10W - Part No. RXT

Looking on the Q8 oil site gives conflicting information.

Thanks again essexpete and topkit for your replies. I got under the machine today and saw that my trans/shuttle/gearbox combo looks very similar to the one shown on page 2-2 (attached), with the exception being that my shuttle and trans share the same cast iron case, rather than being bolted together like the one in the drawing. Also, rather than the dipstick filler looking like that shown in 2-2, my dipstick mounts to the trans/shuttle case in the same place, but is routed up to the engine bay just forward of the battery, as seen in location "A" on page 2-1 (attached) for the shuttle reverser. These pages are next to each other in the manual, which is confusing as my setup looks nothing like that shown on 2-1. The strainer is situated horizontally like the drawn 2-2 example.

The other day I check the dipstick and saw nothing. Today I checked it with the engine idling and saw that the fluid appeared clean and more like the 10W oil that you both described rather than a red Dexron type ATF.

This leads me to my next question in regard to checking the fluid level. Having seen on the forums a number of people checking the Borg Warner Dexron systems with the engine idling or just after stopping, as described on page 2-1, based on my setup looking more like the page 2-2 drawing, I think I should be checking fluid level cold with engine off as they describe there.

Any thoughts? Thanks again for your help. Daver

I Check my manitou based NH handler with engine at idle. As I understand this is necessary to fill the torque con and obtain a correct reading.

Hi essexpete,

Thanks for the info. Spoke with someone today who explained the manual's discrepancies and identified my machine as having the "synchro shuttle" based on serial number. He also stated that the Ford F type trans fluid is OK, but not Ford Mercon, but since my trans/shuttle already has the light amber colored oil in it, that the TO-4 type 10w oil should be used to top off, if in fact it is low. He said level should be checked with engine running. I came across a "Synchro Shuttle Transmission" that looks exactly like mine in a JCB manual that said that checking oil level should be done with engine off.

Maybe a new topic question is in order.

Thanks again.