The Craftmans Shop > New from Old

It's BIG, Yellow and digs holes! JCB 3CX Project 8 is joining the Tractor Shed

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awemawson:
I decided the time had come to have a serious go at cleaning the build up of ancient grease off the machine. Arming myself with a hand pump bottle of Gunk, all the accumulations of baked on grease got a thorough soaking, going round the machine three times.

I then left it to soak for a couple of hours while I did some paperwork (oh joy!) and came back to give it a very intensive cold water pressure wash with my petrol driven unit.

The result was much less than spectacular - OK some got blasted off, mostly onto me, but not at all satisfactory. This stuff is REALLY tuff - I suppose it's a mixture of grease, hydraulic oil, and dust of whatever site it's been working on. It needs the steam cleaner to do a proper job.

So, with the JCB out of the tractor shed I took the opportunity to dig out the Karcher Steam Cleaner from where it was  buried deep behind tractors, flail mowers, a dumper truck and assorted junk. Now I knew that it's battery had died and was refusing to take a charge, and that the high pressure cut off switch needs attention, but hadn't been able to get at it to do anything - but now I can  :thumbup:

To get a replacement I needed to pull the battery out to identify it. I do wish the designer had been with me while I did it - what a ridiculous 'design'. To remove the battery, you have to remove the diesel tank (only a Jerry Can), the frame that secures the diesel tank (three bolts BUT it's used to tether the main wiring trunking with bolts from inside the trunk behind the loom!) then remove the top and back of the electrical enclosure. Now there is JUST room to slide the battery rearwards. If the plonker had made the frame opening big enough the battery  could have been lifted vertically like any other conventional positioning. As I say, I wish the 'designer' had been with me - he'd have learnt a few new expressions!

After that it was only an '096' 75 AH 680 CCA normal car battery - one on order should arrive tomorrow when I'll have to go through the reverse rigmarole.

. . . then I can start it . . then I can attack the pressure switch issue . . .then perhaps I can steam clean the JCB - why is life so bally complicated!

Have a before and not much better after photo !

hermetic:
I used this on the tractor Andrew, wear face protection as its a bit caustic, but I was amazed how much paint was on the tractor when I cleaned it, and areas that I thought were bare rusty metal were actually muck on top of good paint!! I think gunk is another thing that has had the essential solvents removed by H&S! it used to look and smell a bit like jeyes fluid, and would rip into any grime if left long enough!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223961393879
Phil

awemawson:
Thanks for the link Phil, I've put it on my 'watch list'

The new battery arrived for the steam cleaner, so I've just fitted which was an ridiculous struggle as anticipated. I proved that the engine now starts briskly but the weather at the moment and working in an open shed  I've lost the will to live so have retreated to an open fire and a cup of best Yorkshire Tea  :thumbup:

Before completely battening down the hatches on the battery compartment  I want to re-make the terminal arrangement - that 'designer' bloke again has created an abortion of copper links pivoting on the terminal clamp screws to bring the cables  up to the top of the battery from the recessed posts. I hope to fit a stud style with proper crimped lugs if I can keep the height low enough not to arc on the metal cover.

russ57:

--- Quote from: awemawson on December 07, 2021, 11:03:32 AM --- if I can keep the height low enough not to arc on the metal cover.

--- End quote ---

Don't worry, the arcing will create its own clearance...


But you have to wonder what is in some people's minds. It's bad enough when its something that was highly unlikely to ever need attention, but a battery, or indeed many other service items as you have explored on the jcb, should have had accessibility as a primary requirement.

I remember my FIL telling me of a particular v8 engine vehicle. Changing 7 spark plugs had a service allowance of about 30mins, the 8th had an allowance of 6 hours as it was necessary to drop the exhaust and remove manifolds to reach.

-russ

awemawson:
Very good Russ - hopefully not necessary  :clap:

Woke up to an extremely heavy hail storm beating on the windows. When it had ceased, checking the rain gauge, it melted into a tad over 20 mm but it sounded like most of the ice cap was being hurled at the house!

I braved the tractor shed, doors open to give adequate light, and had a go at the Karcher Steam Cleaner battery terminal arrangement. I won't list all the 'gotcha's ' that tripped me up on the way but suffice it to say all I got done in a three hour session was to re-wire the battery terminals. Anyway eventually it was done and I could move on to the next step - look at the flakey pressure switch.

This switch was actually broken when I got the MPDS fourteen years ago - in theory it's relatively simple. It monitors pumped water pressure by moving a rod up against a spring. Fixed to the rod are two plastic disks, between which sits the operating lever of the actual microswitch. When I got it, the disks being brittle plastic, had cracked and temporarily I replaced them with 'penny washers' as at the time the workshop was still packed up from moving so no lathe. Since then I've turned a suitable nylon spool arrangement, but it's always been hard to set the hysteresis reliably, and I suspect this is the issue now. I did prove that the micro-switch was working and operated the electric clutch for the high pressure pump, but to go further requires connecting up the water and I'm already too cold and have retreated to the house! It'll have to wait for the next session.

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