Just bought a well used JCB 1400 b. Mechanically it is sound cosmetically it needs some love. It will do all the important things like start, move, dig, lift and dump. As one would expect for a machine it's age it could use new covers, switches, meters and knobs. But the biggest issue is the seat it is trash. Any suggestions on where to get a seat for a backhoe? If I need to make brackets to mount it that is fine.
Welcome to HEF, KKcomp ! Tractor Supply on New Kings Road have a selection of seats available.
I like boat seats. much more comfortable and waterproof for less than half the price.
I went with a boat seat. Has height adjust, rotates and slides
Welcome to HEF kkcomp! So far it's only one question! Don't leave us hanging!
Any suggestions on where to buy parts that are not stupid expensive? How do you change the fan belt and will a regular V belt work or is it special? Are there any grapple buckets that will fit a 1400b? Give me time to actually put it to work I am sure there will be more questions.
V belts are not all the same. There are different angles of the V in different belts. It has to match the v in the pulleys they ride in. You may have a serpentine belt on yours. A JCB may have some European belt that only a dealer can get.
I was just giving you grief kkcomp!
Oh don't worry I can handle it LOL
Found the right belt by looking at the engine not the tractor. JCB original part on Ebay 36.59. Found Goodyear equivalent on Amazon 8.29, I bought two
Gotta unbolt the pump shaft I believe, in order to change the fan belt. 4 bolts. Not bad.
When I bought my Deere 310L, I soon discovered that owning one was more expensive than owning a Lambo or a Ferrari. I buy my parts from the local Deere dealer because I want the service and support that is part of the whole maintenance experience. It's worth paying a few more bucks for parts and fluids to insure that I can call them to ask advice, questions, or get a hold of difficult-to-find parts.
Back with more questions. As expected the hydraulic fluid is about the color and consistency of milk and of course needs changed. I am aware to get as many pistons retracted as possible but, Someone suggested to me that I should go a bit further and disconnect the hoses and blow air through them. Thoughts on doing that? Worth the time or too much work to bother with? Will that cause any issues until all the lines are refilled?
Next question. The steering is really hard and jerky any suggestions as to what may be the cause? It is a JCB 1400b unit
Yes, it's worth the time to disconnect lines and empty them. I did the process on mine and it went back to milky pretty quickly. Now that I store the machine inside I need to do it again. Here are the posts I read about the process: HeavyEquipmentForums HeavyEquipmentForums HeavyEquipmentForums
When you replace the hydraulic oil, take the port cover off what would be the passenger side of the hydraulic tank. It's round and circular. There you will find the power steering pump and hydraulic pump intake screens. Remove and clean any debris from them before filling the tank. See if that helps your steering.
Do not use air pressure to flush the hydraulic system. If you get air in the hydraulic pump it could be destroyed when you start the engine.
Awesome information! Thank you very much
Thank you! Very informative and quite useful information. Looks like next weekend is going to have a really long day.
Yeah, my neighbor helped me and we were both new to the process though he has some hydraulic experience otherwise, it took us a good 12 hours, and a lot of money, but I was also changing out filters too and one of them gave us a heck of a time.
There is more to a flush that purging the lines. The cylinders ports have to be opened, and then the the rod needs to be extended and retracted to purge all the contaminated oil out of it. If it isn't done properly you will not get all the crappy oil out of the system. It takes a lot of new oil to do it. The last time I did it, it took 35 gallons of new oil. A filter cart is a better way to do it if you have access to one.
Well first fluid change done in the transmission. The oil was as black as used motor oil. I doubt I got it all out but let it drip for almost an hour. I plan to run it a few weeks or so and swap it out again. Glad I bought extra filters. If this is any indication of what's to come I am going to buy an oil company or at least contribute to their record profits.
Updated status for those that have been following and helping. Drained the entire half gallon of lube out of the rear end today and replaced it with the suggested 7.5 gallons the book calls for. Did the same with the 2 gallons of oil vs the 3.5 book suggestion. Flushed 2 gallons out of the cooling system and added back a whole 4 gallons. There was only about 8 gallons of hydraulic fluid in the tank out of 40 again I guess the book amount was just a suggestion to the previous owner. Only major issue is that I broke the housing for the hydraulic filter and now have to practice my aluminum welding. Because of that, flushing the lines will have to wait a bit. I got to hand it to JCB, even being so low on fluids the thing ran pretty strong when I got it. New seat, new front and rear light bars and work lights, custom built consoles, and new flooring are all done. Soon I may actually get to use it as something other than a boat clone. Many thanks to all for the help, suggestions and recommendations.
What year is this machine?
1987 JCB 1400b
I also have an 87 1400b 14BN2037/325454/7 . For parts I use Ray at "allbackhoeparts" on ebay and ontrackmachinery.com in Florida. Have used Ray for years, never have been disapointed in the quality of Kabal Parts. It ships free from india, but it usually gets here in 3 days...quicker than many domestic suppliers, including JCB proper. I know theres propbably people here that will look down on me for this,but JCB is completely out of their frickin minds an most parts. Good luck
I bought a Case 580K 16 years ago. Belt didn't look good. I bought a new one & kept an eye on the old. It's a big job, so I never did it. Spare belt is still in the cab, never has been installed.
Are you well qualified for aluminum welding? Filter canister for a John Deere was $1100! Oil is nasty in an aluminum casting, but I welded it successfully!