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JV3CII
03-12-2006 06:03:02
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Re: Buying a JCB 3C in reply to BigRob, 03-12-2006 00:51:25
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Hi there. £1500 should buy you a pretty reasonable example of a Mk.2 or a slightly tattier Mk.3. It's unlikely that you would get usefull add-ons like a 4 in 1 bucket and extra rear buckets without straying over budget, but it's well worth keeping a close watch on your local agricultural auction yard as these tend not to make silly money. As with buying any secondhand tool, examine it carefully before buying. Make sure all of the hydraulics will travel through their full stroke without making untoward noises or horsing oil out. The loader is reasonably trouble free but have a close look at the pins and bushes as some drivers don't greae these properly.
The back actor is a rather more complicated job, but still relatively simple. Major point to watch for is damage to the kingpost (the huge vertical swivel at the bottom) if this is damaged, then you're facing a crippling repair bill. Also check the whole back actor for cracks/cracked welds as evidence of a rough life. Slew cylinders are prone to seal failures, usually diagnosed by the back actor wandering when you release the slew valve. Check for leakage around all rams, a small amount of weepage is normal, but major leakage would indicate damaged seals (not expensive or difficult to fix, but a nuisance none the less). Check as much of the chrome on the rams as you can as dents/cuts/rust patches can cut ram seals, causing yet more leakage. Again pins and bushes are worth examining for being slack or ungreased, they are fixable and not massively expensive, but can be a pain.
The steering system on JCB's of this age is reasonably strightforward, but is a bugger to repair because of the weight of everything! Worn swivel pins/knackered bushes are the biggest problem and most difficult to fix. The best way of checking for this is to lift the front end on the loader and rock everything attached to the axle to see what's worn. Wheel bearings aren't usually too bad IF they're greased regularly. Brakes are normally non-existant, but are standard Leyland/Nuffield parts and fixable at need.
Consumables like belts & filters are available through most good motor factors. Back tyres are normally 16.9/14x28, but a part worn 16.9-28 (common front tyre on many large 4WD tractors and commonly available secondhand) makes a good substitute. I don't think the 9.00x16 (8.25x16 wagon tyres will fit) front tyre is common to anything else but I could well be wrong.
If I've forgotten anything, AJK can probably fill you in (watch this forum/group/list for his posts).
Hope some of this helps, JV3CII.
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