What are the JCB 3CX Varients and a basic Operators guide?

[Slooby]

In preparation for the arrival of my machine I just placed a rather large order for oil from Smith and Allan to enable me to do an engine full service, change the Hydraulic filter and top up the system if necessary, change the slew gearbox oil (if it looks nasty when I drain the water), and change the brake fluid (again if it looks nasty).

As Smith and Allan didn't have a sanely priced ISO15 Hydraulic oil for the brakes (20 litres minimum order!) I ended up buying this one from ebay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hydraulic-Oi ... 1a86633a7a

Top tip! DON'T buy the VG15, it needs to be HVI for use in brake systems because of the temperatures they can reach and the HVI maintains its viscosity at higher temperatures, which the VG type doesn't. I know this only because I ordered VG then found out about HVI by chance while getting the link just now, thankfully I caught my order with Westway just in time and they were able to swap it out for me Top Service!

My filter set came from http://www.abelparts.com and was £60 delivered.

[Slooby]

Had a call at 9 this evening from the driver delivering the JCB, it's going to be here early doors tomorrow (Thursday) morning...best get the insurance sorted then!

[Slooby]

It's arrived!






Cab is black and doors are all glass

I have a 'clutch' pedal (transmission dump?) which seems to just be just operating microswitch, the forward/reverse selector is the yellow column stalk on the left of the steering column, with a gear lever on the right hand side.

There's a button on the front loader lever nearest the seat that I understand is a transmission dump too.

[Slooby]

All in all not a bad looking machine, tiny weep from the gearbox onto the trans brake, but that seems to be it from a leaks point of view.

There front 2wd steering axle needs some attention though as there is play in the drag link pins/bushes and the steering ram, plus the whole axle front axle shifts fore and aft about the pivot pin (are these shimmed?).




There's quite a bit of rot where the beacon is attached on the roof that needs addressing. Obviously caused by the beacon bowing the thin roof skin there allowing water to puddle. But other than that the cab is in great condition.



I also missed that both rear tyres have nasty splits in them.

[diggerjones]

Looks straight enough. Happy days

[Slooby]

Cheers Dylan

Turns out the beacon has been siliconed on, so despite the holes there's no leakage for now. For the timebeing I might just bond a plate on the underside using CT1 adhesive.

I may have found some part worn rear tyres for a saneish price

As for the front axle play, rather than drop it opening, up an undoubted load of work to shim it, out we've been knocking together some saddles out of HMWPe (seeing as we have loads of offcuts!) to go round the axle box and act as sliders (a bit like the extradig arm uses) against the chassis dumb irons. That would at least evenly spread the load putting less stress on the pivot pin.

[essexpete]

I reckon that is what I would do for now. I did the steering axle on an elderly loading shovel like that.

[gecko.cx]

... there is play in the drag link pins/bushes and the steering ram~

Mine had several mm of slop between the pins and bushes when I got it. When driving in a straight line, it felt like I was trying to push a fish!
You'll be impressed with the improvement.
If you have access to a lathe, I designed a simple tool to press out the old bushes and push in the new ones.

[Slooby]

f you have access to a lathe, I designed a simple tool to press out the old bushes and push in the new ones.

Would be useful to take a look at that Ian, I'll drop you a pm with my e-mail address, or if you can pdf your drawings they could be loaded up into the downloads section I guess

At the moment all my tools are at my old house where my ex-wife is, while I have moved back to my childhood home. But even so my lathe needs some work to get it running again, however a couple of friends back there have lathes so I can ask them to machine some things up for me.

[gecko.cx]

Sure - no problem.

... but I remembered incorrectly - it works for installing the bush and seals (not for driving the old ones out)
The tapped thread is optional and as you have to supply your own bolt, can be any size/thread you find convenient.
The "long spigot" is for the bush, the short is for the seal.
In both cases, it's intended to limit the travel to insert to the correct depth.