Stuff you have fixed today

[awemawson]

My Thwaites 2 ton dumper has been leaking for a long time from the 'steering valve'. It's not the original valve but one I rescued from a 'Bank Mower' that I scrapped. Same fittings and mountings but the swept volume doesn't match the steering ram resulting in MANY turns from lock to lock - but heck it works. The leak is from the upper central shaft seal and i annoying rather than debilitating. Slowly but surerly oil leaks into the steering column itself and back out as the column isn't sealed to it's mounting flange.

The proper solution is to strip the unit and replace the seal but life is too short and I'm still hoping to find a proper ex Thwaites dumper steering valve!

So today stripped out the unit from it's mountings, made a few measurements, I fired up autocad, draw up a flange gasket, ported the DXF to my laser cutter, cut a gasket, dragged out an old tube of Blue Hylomar and stuck it all back together.

Early days but so far no leak - I'll wait for the oil to come out of the top of the steering column but I don't think the leak is on the pressure side so it should only fill up to the level in the hydraulic reservoir !

 

[awemawson]

The fuel gauge stopped working the other day on my JCB 3CX Project 8/9 (1994). Had been fine, then zilch, no deflection at all with a full tank.

Now diagnosis should be pretty simple if access was better. It can only be the gauge itself, a fuse, wiring or the sensor in the tank. Not a fuse as other things on the same feed are working. Access to the gauge is a right pain as it means removing the side console instrument cluster - took two days last time.

So how about the sensor in the tank? On my last 3CX the only way to get at it was to remove the tank, but on this somewhat later model I spotted a trim moulding on the off side cab edge that might just let me get at it.

Sure enough only held on by some M6 bolts and removing it revealed an amazing build up of muck - anyone would think it's been used shifting loads of earth! Digging though the buildup with a scraper, and workshop vacuum cleaner eventually revealed the flange holding the sensor in the tank and it's two pin electrical connector. Carefully puling it apart and squirting it with contact fluid made not a jot of difference. Now these sensors, as far as I can tell, vary from about 24 ohms to 75 ohms empty to full.

I stuffed a 56 ohm resistor into the loom cable socket and lo and behold we have a 2/3rds full indication on the gauge - the fault IS te sensor - no having to dig into the side console again.

When I can get through to the parts place to confirm the part number I'll order one up, but so far they're always on the phone

 

[Rannsachair]

My Thwaites 2 ton dumper has been leaking for a long time from the 'steering valve'. It's not the original valve but one I rescued from a 'Bank Mower' that I scrapped. Same fittings and mountings but the swept volume doesn't match the steering ram resulting in MANY turns from lock to lock - but heck it works. The leak is from the upper central shaft seal and i annoying rather than debilitating. Slowly but surerly oil leaks into the steering column itself and back out as the column isn't sealed to it's mounting flange.

The proper solution is to strip the unit and replace the seal but life is too short and I'm still hoping to find a proper ex Thwaites dumper steering valve!

So today stripped out the unit from it's mountings, made a few measurements, I fired up autocad, draw up a flange gasket, ported the DXF to my laser cutter, cut a gasket, dragged out an old tube of Blue Hylomar and stuck it all back together.

Early days but so far no leak - I'll wait for the oil to come out of the top of the steering column but I don't think the leak is on the pressure side so it should only fill up to the level in the hydraulic reservoir !

View attachment 351402

When I worked for Eaton, we made steering valves for thwaites dumpers, on ours the front seal end was removable via a snap ring making a seal change an easy 3 minute job.

 

[awemawson]

Not sure what make this one is - I'll see if I can read it's plate with a mirror but location isn't ideal for this !

Be very nice if the seal CAN be easily changed.

 

[sako243]

When I can get through to the parts place to confirm the part number I'll order one up, but so far they're always on the phone

Go to parts.jcb.com and put in the VIN number, you'll get the part number then. Invaluable I've found.

 

[Johnnybravo]

Steering rack gaitors are a service item every two years on my Caterham for the same reason - no idea where they are made, but wherever it is, they obviously don't consider the effects of UV . . .

Not that at all. All the good stuff in rubber of olde isn’t allowed any more. Tom, runs a rubber molding company .Good customer of mine and a good mate is constantly on about the hassles with the supposedly same rubber compounds that he’s used for years being about as useful as a chocolate teapot. All down to what they have taken out ,but the compound designation stays the same..which it’s not.

 

[8ob]

Had a week of spannering/maintenance with me and my mucker .

Today. SWMBO `s uj, trenchers oil change +service, stump grinderx2 oil change +filters +grease , chippers x2 blade change, oil change+ filters +grease and Ford Ranger clutch bleed+adjust + new rear light unit. Not kin funny in this heat

Bob

 

[MattF]

Not kin funny in this heat

Glad I'm not the only one suffering.

 

[Johnnybravo]

Had a week of spannering/maintenance with me and my mucker .

Today. SWMBO `s uj, trenchers oil change +service, stump grinderx2 oil change +filters +grease , chippers x2 blade change, oil change+ filters +grease and Ford Ranger clutch bleed+adjust + new rear light unit. Not kin funny in this heat

Bob

Hoping to get your stump ground tonight then?

 

[MattF]

Hoping to get your stump ground tonight then?

Is that a euphemism?

 

[awemawson]

Go to parts.jcb.com and put in the VIN number, you'll get the part number then. Invaluable I've found.

Yes I have my JCB 3CX registered on the JCB parts site can find part numbers that way, but I also have the 'user' parts book (which has pictures but only drawing refs no part numbers) and the 'workshop' parts book that has the lot. Mind yuo I tend to buy parts from Simon Vicary rather than JCB itself.

This fuel sender was hidden in the book on an obscure page - wasn't even on the page showing the tank !

 

[Rannsachair]

Not sure what make this one is - I'll see if I can read it's plate with a mirror but location isn't ideal for this !

Be very nice if the seal CAN be easily changed.

Looks like a Danfoss, the other main manufacturers were Ognibene and Rexroth, who bought out out Hydraulik Nord after the wall came down.

 

[DennisCA]

It's back together and it's working! Well sorta. Some tuning required yet, and I think the gas tank breather valve might be on backwards, but enough for tonight.

 

[northwest]

Glad I'm not the only one suffering.

I am down "in that London" again and the heat yesterday evening was just unbearable. I am in a "trendy" hotel just off Piccadilly Circus. It is terrible though the aircon works brilliantly so just this once I will let it go. It is a sort of Japanese Sushi bar themed place with "Cocoons instead of rooms and they are sparse as in there is nothing in the room, no kettle (had to go out to get coffee, without which my day cannot begin) and no iron so hopefully my shirt is without that Crisp Packet look when I get it out.
Shocking really but in the heat the aircon is so very welcome. I have stayed in plenty of places down here where they haven't even considered aircon let alone installed it. I just know I am going to be a wet rag the second I walk outside which is really unhelpful. I can guarantee the office I am going to will have aircon though as it is populated by govt. ministers so will be full on climate controlled.

 

[Seadog]

A mild 31° with clear skies forecast today

 

[My Old Landy]

A mild 31° with clear skies forecast today

It is 20 here already at 8.30am. I blame @Gragson as it is usually the chillier side of warm and I told him to bring a jumper

 

[bricol]

I stopped complaining about UK summer warmth when I spent time working in the USA - when its 110 outside, and you walk into a flat roofed plant with no air con, no air flow, full of heat producing machines as well as a whacking great conveyor oven . . .

 

[DennisCA]

We're not getting any of that nice weather here, not a day over 22C yet.

 

[Rannsachair]

32 here

 

[Seadog]

26°C at the moment