Jcb3c 2

[Matchless?58]

Hi all i haven't posted here for a while although I've been regularly lurking in the background. Always makes interesting and informative reading.
I have been giving the jcb3c a good going over to try and sort out a few issues that have been there since I've had the machine.
First one was a crack in the hydraulic rail . It has been leaking hydraulic fluid from a spot by the triangular plate beside the front wheel. It has been a steady drip even when the machine is not being used and beside the pollution its surprising how much fluid it has been losing.
I jacked the front of the machine up high and supported it under the front axle hoping the oil would run towards the back of the rail because I wanted to weld it. I drained the hydraulic fluid also removing the plate as I thought I might as well clean out the suction strainer while it's drained down. Plenty of oil sludge in there and the strainer was absolutely blocked solid. This was probably due to the main hydraulic filter being in absolute tatters not much of it left. I changed this when I first got the machine. 2 solid hours of cleaning later and the strainer was back in place.
On with the welding. I had to remove the front wheel to get better access to the hydraulic rail. Having a good look at it someone else had been having a go at it . Now I'm very much a novice welder but it was bl### y awful . This had to be carefully ground right back to good metal . After it was removed I could see the crack was small and very near the top of the triangular brace . Perfect for a small patch which I made out of a bit of angle iron . No oil dripping out now so I went for it and using minimum power I could get away with I welded it in . I was worried about blowing a hole through the rail as I don't think they are that thick but it was successful.
Little bit more grinder work to tidy it up .job done.
I also decided to go round the welded seems with por 15 in case of any pin holes . Coated with paint to prevent rust . I think it's totally sound now but will have to wait to find out when the new oil arrives.
Next job is the leaking sump . I already have a new gasket and have drained the engine oil . I also renewed the oil filter which was a swine of a job. I must admit the air was a bit blue when trying to screw that stupid long bolt back in . It's got a mind of its own . Whoever thought that was a good idea wants a kick where it hurts.
Tomorrow sump off, new gasket and replace. I hope.
Any suggestions about the best type of oil to refill with? Especially now I will have a clean sump and clean filter .
I am also going to clean out the power steering filter while the hydraulic oil is drained.
Anything else I should be doing while the oil is out?

[gecko.cx]

Any suggestions about the best type of oil to refill with? Especially now I will have a clean sump and clean filter .

I'd stick with the theme and go for some clean oil
As for grade, 10w/30 mineral oil is the start point, then you decide if something else suits you better.
Personally I use 15w/40, but that's because it suits a warmer climate.

[Billy26F5]

I think you've covered everything, hope the sump is fixed with just the new gasket.
Good luck with pouring 43 gallons of hydraulic oil!
Sandy

[Matchless?58]

Well I did get onto the job of removing the sump today. In fact that's as far as I got because there was at least half inch of solid sludge at the bottom and mud stuck to the oil that's been leaking all over the outside of it. That turned into a major clean up job. By the time I'd done that I thought I might as well give it a coat of paint as there wasn't much paint left on it. I also scraped the old gasket off and cleaned the mating face with brake cleaner. All ready to go back on tomorrow. I've still got to clean the mating face underneath the machine . When I had a look at that I thought bugger it I've had enough today time was getting on and I didn't fancy getting a face full of muck and debris after cleaning for most of the day. So that's tomorrow's job. I'm going to back up the gasket with a smear of sealant lets hope it's leak free after all this.
Re the oil situation I usually use 10 w 40 . That's semi synthetic. I was actually wondering if it should be mineral oil similar to a classic car ? Any thoughts?
Yes sandy I think I will allow a whole afternoon to refill!!! Lol

[essexpete]

I would think a 15w/40 would help keep up oil pressure in warmer weather on an old engine. I still use mineral oil in more recent build engines.

[Matchless?58]

Got my sump refitted yesterday also got a face full of crap when I had to clean of all the old gasket material. However job done now just got to refill with clean oil .
Ive decided to go with 15w 40 mineral oil and have ordered 20l online . I m going to change the oil in the old thwaites so none will be wasted. ( thanks pete)
Today I'm going to clean out the filter in the steering pump before I refill with hydraulic oil .

[Matchless?58]

Well famous last words. Where is the steering pump located? Is it behind that panel underneath the steering column ?
Because I couldn't do that I spent half the day greasing everything thing and repairing the hand throttle cable which has been broken since I got the machine.

[gecko.cx]

I would think a 15w/40 would help keep up oil pressure in warmer weather on an old engine.

Yep - that's certainly my reasoning. The downside, particularly in cold weather, it takes significantly longer for the oil pressure to come up.
It's always a trade-off between No. of starts / run time / temp and engine condition.

[Billy26F5]

Mineral oil is definitely what you want here. We use 15w40 and the pressure comes up nice and quickly whether freezing or hot. The steering pump (a Plessey one) is below the injector pump, the steering valve is under the dash and is either a Plessey or a Danfoss unit (I think they changed at 116516, the Danfoss being the newer one). The steering strainer is just above the main hydraulic pump, in front of the radiator. Before serial no. 110759 there wasn't one there.
Sandy

[Matchless?58]

Thanks for the info Sandy re steering strainer. I will have another look tomorrow couldn't find it before so not sure it has one . I will check the serial number.
Cheers Chris