Author Topic: JCB 803 Saga (Read 144821 times)

mattinker · « **Reply #75 on:** July 06, 2015, 09:38:14 AM »

Ouch!

lordedmond · « **Reply #76 on:** July 06, 2015, 10:32:58 AM »

Andrew

Now you have a conundrum do you carry on useing the one you have on the machine and keep the gold plated one as a spare , but you may not need it

Stuart

Pete W. · « **Reply #77 on:** July 07, 2015, 04:27:33 AM »

Hi there, Andrew,

I've been following your battle with the JCB. All I can say is 'Hang in there!'.

but how many days hence is your daughter's wedding? Shall you post a photo or two?

awemawson · « **Reply #78 on:** July 07, 2015, 06:11:48 AM »

Hi Pete thanks for the interest.

Yes wedding approaching like an out of control juggernaut - it's on Saturday 25th

She (and I as father of the bride), will be delivered to Battle Abbey in an old Series 1 Land Rover (her choice

) so no doubt my new clothes will be crumpled and oily, as will her dress

Then back to the farm for the reception - all the local hotels are now fully booked and also there's a fair few hardy souls bringing tents and caravans.

As I type this we have light drizzle, which with 260 guests in a field will be horrendous - there will be marquees, but it's supposed to be al fresco with hay bales for out door seating areas and child play areas, and a hog (several actually) roast.

I've been encouraging the happy couple to elope to Gretna Green but with no success so far

awemawson · « **Reply #79 on:** July 07, 2015, 06:29:16 AM »

Quote from: Stuart on July 06, 2015, 10:32:58 AM

Andrew

Now you have a conundrum do you carry on useing the one you have on the machine and keep the gold plated one as a spare , but you may not need it

Stuart

I'll put the new one on Stuart. The bodge is still dripping oil onto the left hand track, albeit at a greatly reduced rate, but it gave me confidence that it wouldn't develop into a major issue leaving the machine unmovable in a difficult place when I shifted those road planings. It's now back on the workshop forecourt on solid concrete where repairs are so much easier

I've a new pair of tracks, idler sprockets and drive sprockets to fit, but I don't want oil on them un-necessarily hence definitely fitting the new block.

awemawson · « **Reply #80 on:** July 10, 2015, 07:16:45 AM »

Well look what Father Christmas brought

awemawson · « **Reply #81 on:** July 10, 2015, 07:36:43 AM »

Now contrary to the enquiry I made when I ordered this, it DOES come complete with the two relief valves, and the blanking plugs. This is a GOOD THING but gives me a slight quandary. I would image that, as they are adjustable, they will be set as part of a machines commissioning, and I have no means of measuring that sort of pressure, so do I just put in the old valves?

On balance I think not - I'll see how it works first rather than disturb them.

Itching to fit it, but too much else happening - I may get a chance tomorrow.

Of course the bad news is it came with an invoice

appletree · « **Reply #82 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:49:56 AM »

It says customer not present, is that a reference to a state of mind? Big money in some ways but if it makes life easier and the machine is now reliable all’s good, will the overall price for the machine have been good value when it’s done?

awemawson · « **Reply #83 on:** July 10, 2015, 10:56:38 AM »

Definitely a state of mind

If I add up what it's cost to fix and add that to the cost of purchase I could have bought a more modern machine - whether it would have been any better is debatable.

It's looking like Monday to fit it - got a pile of bacon to turn into rashers tomorrow, and Sunday is taken up by getting the sheep in, ear tagging them, and packing 38 off to pastures new, and pulling out three cull ewes ready for the abattoir on Tuesday morning.

mattinker · « **Reply #84 on:** July 10, 2015, 11:22:00 AM »

Andrew,

I'd go with the new valves, they should be pre set!

Looking forward to it working properly!

Regards, Matthew.

Pete. · « **Reply #85 on:** July 10, 2015, 12:52:35 PM »

I too would go with the new valves unless the literature says otherwise. It's supplied ready to fit so one would presume that it's ready to work.

lordedmond · « **Reply #86 on:** July 10, 2015, 02:03:27 PM »

I go with fit it also.

That is a field replacement part , fit it and get the machine working again , don't earn much when they are not working.

Also there are no test rigs in the field

Just my 2 cents

Stuart

Will_D · « **Reply #87 on:** July 10, 2015, 06:06:35 PM »

Having just spent that amount of wonga with Mr. Bamford's successors I would HOPE that the customer service line would give some FREE advice re. pressure settings and factory default settings.

awemawson · « **Reply #88 on:** July 11, 2015, 02:55:01 PM »

Well the bacon got sliced and vacuum packed - all 18 kGs, and the hams sorted and stacked ready for freezing, which left me a little bit of play time

Not enough to fit that valve block but something to help along the way.

The left hand control pod is supposed to hinge up out of the way so making getting into the cab easier. Under it is a microswitch that inhibits all the servo controls when in the up state. There is supposed to be a gas strut that toggles it between the up and down states, that fixes between two welded on 8 mm pegs, one on the pod frame and one on the seat frame. The strut and the peg on the pod were missing, as was the arm that prevents you climbing in unless the pod is up.

I'd managed to source the arm, complete with it's red handle from a breaker, but the gas strut had to be bought new at a ridiculous price.

So this afternoon I fitted them. This is officially 'A GOOD THING', as to access the relief valve block through the floor I've been jamming a bit of timber in to keep the pod 'up', so this will help when it comes to changing the block.

All fairly straight forward except that access to the 6mm bolts holding the blown plastic moulding on the pod arm was a right pain

The peg on the pod frame had broken off, and without total dismantling welding wasn't an option, so it got replaced by an 8 mm HT hex bolt

Now at least it makes it much safer leaving the cab if the engine is running, as before it was quie easy to bump the paddle control and swing the cab as you were climbing out onto the tracks

awemawson · « **Reply #89 on:** July 12, 2015, 07:36:37 AM »

Well the chap buying my sheep turned up HOURS earlier than had been arranged, so it was all done and dusted by 09:30. Excellent as it meant I could crack on (pun intended) changing that split block.

First job, identify the six pipes with coloured Ty-Wraps so that I stand a chance of getting them back in the right place

Normally I'd put Ty-Wraps of the same colour on the pipe, and the fitting it goes on, but in this case the fittings were being removed, so that would be pointless. Instead I took lots of photos

awemawson · « **Reply #90 on:** July 12, 2015, 07:43:15 AM »

Next, scrupulous clean up around the ports, undo a few fittings, try and dodge the oil, how hard can it be

I didn't entirely avoid the oil

At least it's clean hydraulic oil

Well you may remember before I found the crack, I was unable to undo the first pipe joint so I wasn't looking forward to this part. They were put in mighty tight - several needed my biggest rubber 'dead blow' hammer on the end of a spanner, but eventually they yielded, all apart from one

This one decided to start unscrewing the fitting from the block and twisting the pipe - manipulating two spanners under there and applying significant force wasn't a walk in the park, but eventually with a bit of judicious violence I got there, and out came the faulty block

awemawson · « **Reply #91 on:** July 12, 2015, 07:48:44 AM »

So now to transfer all the fittings to the relevant port in the block. I bought the correct 'O' rings from JCB when I got the block because some are far from standard sizes. The fittings are the 'face seal' style, which I'm always slightly concerned with, as the ring sits in a groove and is highly likely to fall out as the block goes back in.

Fittings transferred and nicely tightened down in the vice - so much easier - so much more room

awemawson · « **Reply #92 on:** July 12, 2015, 07:58:37 AM »

So no more procrastination, shove it back

Went in fairly easily, only issue was my 24 mm pipe ring spanner - the slotted variety you can put over a pipe - decided to open up and slip onto the points of the hex and get thoroughly jammed. It's a decent quality spanner but I suppose the spreading forces are quite large. Took a bit of cogitation to find a way to lever it off, as it's all a bit tight round there.

So how did it go - well as the oil was cold I started the engine and left it on fast idle while I cleared up the not insignificant pile of tools. Then took her round the yard for a trundle and exercised the dozer and boom a bit lifting the machine to ensure the relief valve was being used.

Not a drip, not a spot - phew

So that gave me enough confidence in it to put the floor panel back, and crawl into the shower to get rid of that oil

So just both tracks, track drive sprockets, and track idler sprockets to fit, then sort out the fuel gauge and make the right hand control pod a little more secure - it's wobbling all over the place at the moment

mattinker · « **Reply #93 on:** July 12, 2015, 08:05:26 AM »

The joys of hydraulics, it may be clean hydraulic, but it seems to get every where. I hate the stuff!

Regards, Matthew

awemawson · « **Reply #94 on:** July 13, 2015, 08:36:50 AM »

So flushed with success with the relief valve it's time to sort the tracks out - never mind the fact it's drizzling

Firstly need to raise the digger one side at a time to free the relevant track from the ground. Conventional way is to use the digger boom and dipper to tilt the machine, but doing it this way means that the boom and bucket are beside the track that you are working on. As I was going to be doing this single handed and the tracks are extremely heavy I wanted to be able to get my fork lift in from that side to manoeuvre the tracks so a few days ago I made some substantial stands from bits cut off a hedge flail.

Tilting in the normal way, I then could prop the machine up safely and slew the boom out of the way of the forklift.

awemawson · « **Reply #95 on:** July 13, 2015, 08:44:02 AM »

Almost all tracked vehicles use the same method of track tensioning. The idler sprocket slides in a track way, and is forced outwards by a grease filled cylinder the other end of which rests against a massive spring seated firmly against the chassis. The tension is applied by pumping grease into the cylinder.

So to remove the track you undo the grease fitting and let the piston in the cylinder move back releasing tension (and masses of grease!) With the tension released I had a devil of a job getting the first track off, levering, prying, cussing a bit. Eventually I decided to remove the bolts from the drive sprocket as I was changing it anyway, thus allowing the track to slide sideways. Eventually it came off

awemawson · « **Reply #96 on:** July 13, 2015, 08:47:02 AM »

With that off, I had to unbolt the grease cylinder from the old idler sprocket, bolt it on to the new idler, and fit the new drive gear on the track motor.

awemawson · « **Reply #97 on:** July 13, 2015, 08:52:57 AM »

So now to put the new track on.

At this stage I was delighted that my friend Steve turned up wanting me to mend his clay-pigeon thrower, and being a nice chap gave a hand and made a difficult job far easier

Then it was a case of 'rinse and repeat' and we did the other side resulting in new tracks and sprockets all round

awemawson · « **Reply #98 on:** July 13, 2015, 08:59:30 AM »

So was it all really necessary

Oh yes, what a difference. The machine now tracks smoothly without the clunking it made before, and just look at the hooking on these teeth.

Anyway there was a nail in the old tracks - they'd never hold air

Sadly Steve's clay launcher was beyond fixing - imagine a 'hamster wheel' of 6 mm plate sides and 6 mm rods for the bars, all bent significantly squiffy by being dropped on on edge while attached to a heavy machine which fell on top

The end plates were bent all over the place and every bar was bent like an off set bend.

mattinker · « **Reply #99 on:** July 13, 2015, 02:55:13 PM »

I'm glad you found the puncture, but I was a bit disappointed about the clay pigeon thrower!

Cheers, Matthew.

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Author Topic: JCB 803 Saga (Read 144821 times)

lordedmond

lordedmond