Bought a JCB backhoe owner told me it was a 1400b turns out it's a 3cx 4in1 bucket,4x4 sitemaster. everything is leaking. there's oil coming out where pump is but i can't see any leaks. extendahoe is leaking from inside the boom dripping out through hole. Boom swing doesn't stay put it swing to left on its on so i'm thinking valve block is bad there's play in the valve. hoe bucket leaks down. Hoe fitting is lose and leaking. King Boom falls down in 20 seconds. One brake master cylinder is empty and i don't know what kind of fluid it takes it says iso vg15. turbo exhaust housing is cracked. I'm thinking i have a $9000 dollar paper weight. Does Anyone here have any knowledge about old JCB bachoes? Is a 1400b and a 3cx sitemaster the same machine except for the extras? any help is appreciated, Thanks,Brett
Dear Brett...a box of matches should only be about 25cents.
Yep sounds like a JCB. :laugh I run a 1550 with the same problems. Leaks fluid everywhere.
lol looks like i got a paperweight lol How much does your leak? Did u ever make any repairs??
always, ALWAYS take any new machine you are considering purchasing...and make them bring it up for a 3 day try and buy. in 3 days alot of that would have showed up
Remember an education is not free. learn and do better next time. Ask no one to feel sorry for you.
JCB3CX, As far as I know, these 2 are different machines.
I hope you didn't buy before looking at the machine? If so, shame on you. As stated above, you should always get a 2-3 try before you buy deal. If the seller says no, obviously he's got something to hide and you'll be better off without. As far as fixing the machine, don't know what to tell you. It's like a car I guess, can't sell it until it's fixed.
Hey JCB3...Welcome to the forum ..what a reception eh!. JCB's aren't all bad, they are quite a capable machine in fact. The main problem is that they are not the easiest machine to work on. However, if you got a rough one for a steal well you might have the last laugh. Hydraulic leaks or rather lack of them is not JCB's forte but you can improve things with the great fittings that are around these days. You can save a lot of money in repairing unions and hoses by removing them yourself and taking them to a repair shop. See if you can track down a manual for the machine. How about giving it a good degrease and pressure clean then post a few pic's here. I'm sure somebody can help.
Jcb3xc they are not a bad machine just the same as any other older machine most will need a lot of TLC I believe the machine you have is one of the first models that were brought into this country. we were a dealer at the time and they were a strong machine for that size and age.
First - Brett, it sounds like you are going to get to know that JCB very well soon! I'd second what Squizzy said and steam clean it get the manual and dive in. Hopefully you aren't on a deadline to use the machine. Might not hurt to make friends at the local hydraulic shop! :wink2 Second - and I mean absolutely no offense here - Would you guys really expect a 3 day trial on a used $9,000 backhoe? I wouldn't expect one or give one on a piece in that price/age range. On a new machine - you bet, bring it out and let me try it - too much money on the line - but not on a "budget" backhoe. My experience with used equipment trials is "There's a dirt pile out back if you want to dig around a little bit". I've never tried to hide anything , but I'm also not an equipment dealer and don't have the time/money to truck a $9k unit around every 3 days for folks to try out. I think that most all of the stuff mentioned would be seen on a short check out in the yard before buying. Just out of curiosity, was this an online auction purchase? Did you know what you were getting? The real question becomes how much $ will it take him to get it usable?
Well i have never been a jcb guy but when i was plowing for one of the towns here they had a new 214 at the time and had nothing but problems with it ,even my own town had one and it didn't look to good. I hope you didn't pay alot because hydraulic repairs can add up fast and pumps even more. good luck.
i don't care if the machine is 900,9,000, or 90,000 dollars...i want a 3 day try and buy. if the dealer isn't willing to let me try it for 3 days, that in itself is a red flag. just depends how bad the dealer wants to sell it i guess
But it didn't sound like he bought it from a dealer. Would you still want a 3 day trial from a private seller - like say another dirt work company? I've never even been asked for more than a short demo on a private sale. Then again, none of my equipment was puking hydraulic fluid all over itself when I sold it. Maybe I'm just swimming upstream on this. Regards, Korey
Isn't that how you know its time to sell??:yup :yup
hi brett just came accross this while messing about on the forum yes jcbs do leak oil but i think you will find most other makes do i have had 3 of these 3cx now they all leaked but were very good machines and parts still available no matter how old but i did have the casting splines go on the backhoe slew when a rang jcb i would have needed to extend my overdraft i was put on to digger doctor in the uk he use to work for them he breaks them for spares and does new parts what a saveing i made going to him it may be worth getting in touch for your seals and stuff if you google digger docor uk it should come up good luck mate
I'm sorry for you're impending loss. The machines are fantastic when they're working, try getting parts!!! I used to live 40 miles from the factory in the U.K. and my dealer told me it was a 3 week wait for a 600mm bucket!!! Good luck.
hi i shouldnt worry about the odd leak on a jcb like the man said tighten all the hoses ,get your self a set of orings and washers you can do most your self if its pumps and hyd rams leaking you will need to get the right seals but the 3cx is a goos versatile machine and will do you good service your just sounds like it need some TLC if you need some proffessional advice on it or sparea google digger doctor they will sort you out good luck
Ive had several Jcb's and the 1987 was the best i ever had. If i was to buy another backhoe i go case or cat most likely. Jcb dont cost a fortune to work on. If you dont want genuine parts, try interpart. Your extra dig arm dropping sounds like a inner or out seal. Anyd your fluid dropping near the pump in the front could be a seal on the shaft. As already said, degrease it and throw up some pic of the machine nd where the problems are. What year is the machine ? I have a manual for a 3cx sitemaster, so i can scan pages if you want. I think the manual is for project 8 on
Hi Lads, I have the manual in a PDF if any of you want it. But I have a similar problem, in that, theres left/right slop in the back actor. you can actually work the sloppiness by hand if its up off the ground. Is it a big deal to put all that right, I can't find a description of what to do anywhere. It's a 1988 3CX black cab, extradig and 4in 1. I see a procedure in the manual for letting water out of the slew gearbox, but I don't think this could be causing the problem, could it? Hopefully one of you can put me in the right direction! S
sorry to bump an old thread. You have any other manuals?
I only have the one for the 1988 Black cab, and the newer 'curved type mudguard' model that came after it. They're pretty huge pdf's tho, I couldn't really email it to you..I guess I could snail mail you a cd if you are really stuck. Cheerio! S
I've owned a 1988 1400B for six years and love it. No leaks, starts every time and works just like a backhoe should. My advice is to give a good degreasing and start looking for where the leaks are, most likely it's just some of the hoses need to be replaced.
At two fifty one way on a low boy there is not a private seller or dealer on earth that will give you a 3 day trail period on a $9k machine. If you do not buy it there goes a huge chunk of their profit. Not to mention they know you are going to put the older machine it threw it paces possbily lining up some repair bills for them. If you are spending this small of an amount you road test the machine, dig a good size hole, then move the dirt around with the loader. When all that is done you check for leaks. This and other basic checks will tell you about all you need to know.
Hey mate, i see you have a manual for 3cx i have a 1995 4wd machine trying to finda manual to coverit, itsthe plastic guard grey cab model with xtendahoe. You mentioned it being too big to email? I have found a 2005 manual which was 40mb which my email was able to cope with, any chance you could try to email it to me? Alternatively i could set up an upload on my web page if you were able to assist? Thanks, marcus [email protected]
I forgot to mention in my previous post that I only just bought myself the 1995 JCB 3CX 4WD 4 in 1, extendahoe machine. It seems to be in pretty nice shape, I went for a 2,500 km round trip to check it out in Laverton WA, was not happy to buy it sight unseen. I am not sure where I would find information about all of the controls... So far I have the basics sorted, front bucket, and 4in1 open close. I've figured out "return to dig" via far left detent position, and also i think "bucket float" far forward on front bucket, which i think leaves the front bucket lift cylinders open to neutral, and will follow the ground. I've also figured out the front button on the front bucket stick is transmission dump (stop drive) I have a couple of other buttons that I don't yet know, left button on the front bucket stick, not sure if this is some kind of horn, or if it might be something related to extra power (block pressure release channel or something?) Also there are two buttons on the backhoe controls, what are these for? are there any other hidden secret extended stick controls like the return to lift and bucket float or combination controls that a newbie needs to learn? this is one of the main reasons I am looking for the workshop manual for this machine, the 2005 model manual is different in many of the minor details. I also am missing the rear boom lock control lever and what appears to be a connection between a cable end on the boom, and the locking plate presently operated by a piece of string on the rear boom! any assistance in these areas would be greatly appreciated! thanks, Marcus Perth Western Australia
hi marcus not bad machines those you should be able to get a operators book from your dealer they shouldnt be to expensive but if there not much help get intouch with digger doctor uk i get most my stuff from him very help full just google the name you will find him good luck mate
I would assume the kingpost and slewing mechanism would be the same from 1981 - 1997 before the rams came in. Ive had a case of fluid leaking from just above the pots for slewing left and right. happened in a 1987 3cx and a 1996 3cx............. Both machines seemed the same when replacing the seals in the pots for left and right. Clean the machine down and work it for a while and keep an eye out to try pin point where the fluid is comming from as best you can. The play is most like wear in the teeth in the pots, i remember the first of the 1997 jcbs got alot of play when they change to the ram system as no one greased them
Hi Marcus ,Yes the front bucket lever has a horn button ,should also have a transmission disconnect button. The buttons on the Bhoe levers ,one should be another horn button ,and the other one i don't think does any thing . Ian . Ps Sent you an email .
well the trans disconnect is working \o/ the horn isn't (on the front) will need to suss out the rear buttons next time I'm with the machine.. thanks for the update
Jb let me know if you got that mail.
Hi Stock , What do you remember about backhoes ..I would have thought the last one you would have driven would have had spiket steel wheels on it :tong . I found a couple of manuals on aussie ebay and sent marcus a link . Ian .
thanks guys, have received emails, and got more reading material.. still looking for a parts book for the 1995, and a service manual for same, and have hard copy options, $60 or so for parts book and $400 or so for service manual... i can buy a few parts for that money, so am reluctant to spend that just yet.. cheers for the assistance Marcus
Marcus, I bought my JCB manual on CD from Ebay. It covers everything I need and was about $20.00 from memory. Be wary of buying parts from the Perth JCB dealer. The parts are pretty pricey. Found it much cheaper to buy from Digger Doctor in the UK. Even better value with the good exchange rate too. Karl
I've managed to get a boom seal rebuild kit from digger parts in UK for 19 pounds.. so pretty happy with that, are you able to confirm if your CD contains parts/service manual for the 1995 3cx s.no 433395 I'm more than happy to pony up $20 if its got that covered... thanks mate
I'd have to look at my CD to check what models of JCB backhoes it covers. From memory, the CD is pretty comprehensive and covers quite a few models. My Backhoe is a 89/90 3CX and is covered so I'd say the 90's machines would be in there. Karl
Hi Karl, I was unable to see the CD on ebay over the last few weeks, went and checked tonight and its available so have now ordered a copy, thanks for the updated info! Thanks, Marcus
G'day Mate! I've received the CD in the post from ebay, seems to cover the later model well, however am still missing the specifics of my machine relating to the boom lock assembly, My serial number is SLP3CXTSSE0433395 Tagadeeese! Marcus
manual I need a copy of a manual for a 1987 1400B jcb
I am looking for a manual for a 1987 JCB backhoe 1400B I have trans proublem or electrical proublem
I've now replaced the boom lock cable, being very careful about the routing, to try to ensure no tight radiuses, however the lever inside the cab is still really hard to lift, (to release boom lock) does anyone know if the cable is meant to be lubricated? from my motorcross days, we never lubricated any control cables, cos they might start off slightly smoother, but the oil was a dirt magnet, and in dusty/dirty environment just ended up siezing control cables, any suggestions as to what the go would be for the 3CX? thanks
Some place when getting the cable can put a grease nipple on it. On our old kubota we had years ago the throttle cable was stiff, so we got a guy to make on up. He added a grease nibble on it we would grease every so often but not too much. Did you check the handbrake the cable is attached to for lifting the boom lock
i've greased the lever assembly inside the cab, to give that the best chance of sliding freely, but the cable is dry end to end. it seems to drop the plate easily enough ,its the lifting of the plate that is the issue, maybe it needs a stronger spring on the plate
My 3CX boom lock is hydraulic. It has a small slave cylinder on the boom that raises/lowers the plate when the master cylinder handle is pumped inside the cab. Usual story, the boom lock hydraulics have crapped themselves. Now we just manually move the plate and bolt it in the unlocked position when digging.
Those are two different machines.
I am working on an 1988 1400b. A manual would be awesome. Please PM me if you have one that would work.
I also just bought a 1400B from a 'friend'. Been chasing an overheating problem for a few months. (Slowly replacing hoses, water pump, fixing leaks (in the filler tube)). It's taken a few months due to other leaking and electrical issues. Looks like Rube Goldberg worked on this baby a few times... My symptom is that when I turn it off after working a couple hours, the coolant start boiling out the overflow. I still have the thermostat to replace next, but I fear the head may be toast, or at least the head gasket. IF the thermostat does not work, and the radiator flush does not either, we want to check the compression. Question (finally): 1) What sort of compression should I have in the vintage (1987) Perkins? 2) If I do need a new head gasket (or head) are they easy to find? 3) Were to I find the info to buy the correct head gasket (or head)? ID Plate, engine block, ..? 4) any other suggestions for this rube? Many thanks JoeRauh
Joe, I have the info but need to dig it out.............and I away from my office for a couple of days....... Stock
The brake fluid VG 15 was a light weight hydraulic fluid JCB made just for brakes. Any hydraulic oil will work. We use HYD 46 weight oil. DO NOT USE AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE FLUID!
Joe, That's quite a leap from boiling on shut down to a bad head/gasket. Are you an expert who didn't mention checking all the other stuff, or is this your first experience with old junk? Yes, parts are easy to find, as cheap as any, but you might have to wait.
Not a newbie to old junk, and understand your concerns. (thank you) I have two, maybe three smart mechanic friends who know their tractors and deal mainly in 'end of life' vehicles. I'm blessed enough that they will not let me do too much stupid stuff before they 'approve'. I feel it's head gasket or head because the heating problem, is slowly getting worse and on the vent from the valve cover I get water condensation. After replacing the last faulty hose, I've notice a small amount of black oiling substance in the radiator when I refill it. I know I have just the radiator and thermostat to 'eliminate' prior to touching the heads. I hope the back flush will give me enough feeling about the radiator to leave it or .... I priced a new rad, and it was over $2000. Hopefully the forum may give me a less pricey alternative if needed. Thanks again for the response.
I assumed that it only boils over when you shut it off. That sounds like it's running hot and only boiling when the flow stops. If the head/gasket was leaking it should leak the whole time it's running hot. Have you checked the temps of the top and bottom, and front and back of the radiator? That will tell you if it's overheating and boiling when you shut it off, or if it's building pressure before it's boiling. Those temps might also tell you if the radiator is plugged, water or air. Have you looked through the radiator with a light on the other side to see how clean the core is? Can you see the tops of the tubes inside the radiator, through the cap or the hose? After you flush it, you can run straight distilled or rain water to see how dirty it gets, and if it helps run cooler. Just keep an eye on the temp gauge, water will boil at a lower temp than antifreeze. If it's been run hot it's entirely possible that you have a bad head gasket, AND the overheating problem that caused it.
by the looks of dated comments, I'm a bit late to do much good. if your backhoe looks anything like this, than it's probably a JCB 3CX Sitemaster too. it had all the same problems you mentioned + fluid pumping up through the transmission fill tube (rigged up an overflow container), brake leaks (fixed), servo manifold leaking, 4WD engagement cable rusted froze (replaced) & wires controlling the clutch solenoid are unplugged (so i must have it in neutral to change gears) ...the fuel injector pump has fowled out, so now it wont even run & i paid $17,000 for mine. so i am feeling mighty ripped off that you got your for $8,000 less. :Banghead i have saved a ton of money fixing things myself (such as the boom seal) $70 for the seal kit & took about 5 hrs to do - about the same for the hoe ram also $180 for master cylinder (dealership) & $115 for the other (ebay) ...but only $15 hose to fix the leak on the intake equipment pump (cut-to-size from Auto Zone) i just hope i get it up to par & keep it running.
Joe, Way off topic, but are you into old TVR's as well as old JCB's? Ian
Joe, just a thought or suggestion, maybe worth checking the pressure cap... If it doesn't hold pressure the boiling point drops by about 20degrees... So once flow stops through the rad, the coolant will boil. Fix is a straight forward ten quid rad cap. Also, as a "just cos I like the stuff", water wetter (google it) lowers the running temp by a couple degrees. Works a treat in hot conditions, or to go off topic, towing (in your pick up)
some chep alternatives having oily deposits in the cooling system, i would strongly suggest a head gasket. while the head is off, it'd be a good idea to have it inspected at a machine shop for pressure testing. that alone wont eliminate the overheating, but usually a cause-effect of overheating & warp-age. the thermostat is a big culprit. 2 suggestions: remove the thermostat & dunk it in boiling water. if the plunger doesn't open, it's faulty. also, motors can run w/o the thermostat. operate it as normal with it removed. no boil-over will verify a faulty thermostat. if it turns out the radiator is faulty, a cost effective alternative is to take it to a radiator shop to have it chem-boiled cleaned. the place here found holes & welded then shut too for our CASE 850. hope this helps
I ran it the other day for about 3 hours doing some brush clearing/burying min 70 degree weather.. I noticed that the water in the overflow tank was bubbling even though it still was running. So it is running hot even when running. There is no easy way to view the inner radiator rods. How do you measure temperature at the top and bottom? My guess is that you use a thermal gun on the hoses and radiator?? I have high pressure hosed the rad and can see thru it and the other cooler on front, and the fan does seem to turn, and the water pump is new. Most gauges on this old beast are non-functional, I may have to add another water temperature on the lower radiator hose. Thanks again all for you help. JoeR
Living in California, I heard that the radiator shops now are very limited in what they can do.... I was thinking about having them build a new on from the old tanks... I need to verify if it is the rad first by checking water temps. Thanks for the thermostat tip, I will do so. joer
Yes, I am a registrar of the Griffith club, and raced a Griff for a while. Now working on a factory racer replica.
Hey Joe, I have a yellow 2500M and have met you once or twice, maybe at David Z's. I had a case 580SL backhoe radiator redone at Kirk's radiator in El Cajon seven or eight years ago. They are an old school kind of shop in business about 50 years and I was very pleased with their work. I have also used Water Wetter in an old Lotus I had and it seemed to drop the temperature 10 to 15 degrees. Would love to see some pictures of your racecar. Ian
Ian, Please email me at joe at griffthclub dot com. joer
Yes, a temp gun on the radiator hoses, or the thermostat and water pump, just compare rubber to rubber or cast iron to cast iron, don't trust it on bare metal (reflectivity/emmissivity). Use the temp gun on the top of the head if the gauge doesn't work. The bubbling from a bad head/gasket is a separate issue from overheating. If the pressure blows enough water out, it will overheat, but if it bubbles before it overheats that's leaking compression. Again it could be both, or either causing the other. Are you running antifreeze or straight water at this point? flushed it yet? to backflush, I like to remove both hoses and the cap, stuff a rag in the bottom hole around a garden hose and air blow gun, run it till the water overflows and give it a shot of air, repeat until the water runs clear. If it's really plugged you might blow a seam doing this, so start with little shots of air. Did you put a new belt on it with the pump? Tensioned right?
I will do your list one by one... please give me a few days. I appreciate the guidance. Buying a heat gun first, I think it will have the best diagnosis power at this time. No I did not put a new belt on the new pump. I noticed it is at it's max adjustment so that may be another think to quickly add. Many Many thanks! JoeR
I worked on a 1400b and they look different but the running gear may have interchangeable parts i have a manual
Figured out what tyhe heating problem was... Well, finally figured out what the heating problem was.... Apparently when I installed the first water pump, the key was not in correctly, so the pulley was spinning but the water pump was not. Finally discovered it when the pulley started wobbling. Had to replace the pulley and new water pump. Seems to cool now. Thanks all for your help. It still will overheat on a hot day but nothing like before. Do you know that JCB wants $2000 for a new radiator? Here in California, it's hard to find a radiator shop that will redo rads like they used to. Most shops just try to sell you a new one. I guess all those California environmental regulations are slowly killing us. JoeR
I bought a 1990 beater 1400b with leaks etc. theres a guy out of maine that sells the entire set of cylinder reseal kit on ebay that for $400. The control valves should be rebuildable with correct O-rings, dont use rubber o rings. Hoses are the most expensive, they’re British fittings and some specific to the model are also available on ebay seller all_backhoe_parts and have the serial number ready when buying, they are very helpful at getting you the right part. YouTube is also very helpful. I also overpaid for mine but save alot of money doing it myself, dont forget the huge harbor freight crescent wrench for under fifty bucks to open the cylinder’s up. Take care and good luck
This might be a resurrection record. Good advice though.