carnage 3ciii

[MrF]

Holger has put the dpa rebuild manual in the download section if its of use to anyone else for reference.

This week Ive been working through the dash checking out the wiring and replacing the switches.
I ran it on the bench from a regulated crowbar'd powersupply so if anything went bad, nothing would go up in smoke or die, and you can clip the -ve onto various sensor connections on the multi bullet connectors to check them out individually. Also the fusebox was corroded inside, but I found a nylon brush in the dremmel soon had that back to shining brass where the fuses and lucar contacts made contact so hopefully it will eliminate any future issues there. Then just a good going over with contact cleaner and a tiny wire brush in the dremmel down each connector and it should be good.

All the electrical gauges appear to work (havent tried oil pressure as its a manual type), and the idiot lights in the cluster function fine and Ive replaced the missing switches with some off ebay with little orange telltales in them. Bit of a feel of rubbish quality, but they work and the orange glow is useful. I'm really itching to get it back on the machine and hooked in properly, but I need to bind it and tidy it, and Ive been occupied with using the machine to dig trenches for the house before the rain/bad weather hits and we're living in the middle of a mud ridden site.

The bad but not so bad news, working on moving the rubble into the lee of the garden, I built a road out of destroyed building rubble to avoid sinkage, and while it was off level at the bottom it started to loose power. Made a beeline for the strainer in the lift pump and it was clogged, so cleaned and changed the fuel filter and all was fine. Obviously the tank being at odd angles is causing sludge to come up, so it has to be cleaner inside. However, Ive discovered that the fuel filter is shared by LOTS of other more commonly available vehicles. And I had one on the shelf in the workshop purchased in error for our ducato motorhome. Heres the fitment, dont worry the car names are in english. For me, its great because I can buy filters in the supermarket now :-
http://www.oscaro.com/filtre-a-carburant-mecafilter-elg5209-1094771-9-p

For the tank cleaning, I'm eying up that hole where the fuel level sensor fits as I don't fancy cutting a hand sized hole in it just yet I think if I use the old wrecked tacho cable inner in a cordless drill, and flare out the end of it into a wire brush type affair, I can feed it round the inside of the tank to loosen off any crud and flakes. I can check out the inside with a usb webcam on the end of a flexy neck (poor mans borescope) to see how its going through the same hole.

Im also happy that it got clogged and lost power. It means the filter is doing its job inline properly. If the lines were still wrong, I'd be bemoaning another wrecked pump about now.
Apart from that, replaced the rear bucket pins and bushes on my smaller bucket and removed a hardox scraping blade that someone had welded over the teeth on it as it made the bucket too long and catch the arm on full curl, and it wasn't actually that much use to dig with, and I couldnt see the real point in having a smooth edge on a narrow bucket. Setting fire to the crotch of my combats when cutting it off with the big angle grinder much to mrs's amusement...

Looking forward to the weekend, as lots of stuff to collect from the brother in law's place is steadily arriving. Just have to source some metal to remake pin bosses for the loader arms and dipper, a ram and a tyre while I'm in the UK. I'm apparently only allowed 3m3 of load coming back though...

[MrF]

Insert more naughty word of choice. One of the loader arm hoses has let go. Mrs is now learning the routine of taking hose to tractor shop as Im busy with work
I even washed the hose in the parts cleaner and wrapped it in paper towel, they should love her for bringing one in, in that state instead of the old grease slavered things Ive seen people in there with
Also, off to wales as part of my uk tour to pick up two spare rear wheels. Only issue is I'm only supposed to have 3m3 of load and its for my own personal use. Well it IS for my personal use, but jcb rear digger wheels might be a bit hard to convince the loaders, a prediction of fun on the horizon
Now just to source a few more bits n bobs, and maybe some paint

[Holger]

JCB 3C Leyland 4/98 CAV DPA diesel pump rebuild manual

Thank you Phil!

[MrF]

Cool and glad to be of service, I'll always know where the copy of the dpa rebuild stuff is this way

Got two replacement wheels, and seller in a little village in wales bit of a sod to find as my satnav didnt know the village existed, nor the postcode. I saw some guys putting bucket forks onto a 3cx in a field, thinking I'd found them but no, but they DID know where the guy selling the tyres lived and directed me to his village. By the time I finally arrived very late for my appointment, the guy had gone to his local for a few shandies, but his lad helped me load the wheels into the van, and we had a quick look at a old 3c that they were "going to restore". His son said it was a 3ciii, but the cab shape was much more like a 3cii. They have loads of spares for the 3c series too, so I might have to get lost again at some point.
Driving round welshpool way, there was quite a lot of old plant in fields and stuff, 3c's era and older and some really old bulldozers at one place, but no time to stop and locate owners on my schedule.

Wheels are good, one has a gaiter over a small->medium split in sidewall, and the other looks bob on. So today I swapped out my bad (undersized, it was a 14.9 tyre fitted in an emergency) wheel for the best wheel, fitted the replacement loader hose as it had finally arrived, and fired up the engine to operate the jack legs to make it easy to change. And Im pleased to say after nearly a week of inactivity and it being a bit wintery, it started with no heat nor easystart.
For the anticipated chunnel problems, lets just say that perhaps one of the guys doing the load volume checking might just be a classic machinery enthusiast, albeit not one from here, but maybe, who knows...

Fan belt and other bits and bobs turned up today in the uk, so they'll have to come over with the next relative to visit...

Time to go finish that septic tank install, then when the bad weather hits I can be getting on with the cab tucked away in the barn...

[MrF]

Well she's managed the tank! Ground was a bit hard going being heavy clay, but all good and backfilled with sand although those "rocks" were actually really hard lumps of clay. And I'm starting to get the hang of digging with it and using the side cutting bucket teeth a bit better I feel too, Ive never operated one properly like most of you people so for me that's an achievement.

Photo of boom from down in hole. Next stop trench 100m of bog/garden to add land drains, then we have to dig a large sandfilter out but that will be happening next year now. In the meantime our 15m3 of firewood is all cut neatly into 50cm branches and stacked on stillages or in 2t rubble sacks tucked away in the barn next to the 3c and Ill be slinging them next to the house one by one as we use them instead of having to wheelbarrow it over every day all winter!



I also now have the luxury of some of the dash working. Oil pressure, battery level indicator and fuel level gauges all operational, starting from a lucas key, although I still have to look into why the water temperature gauge isn't functional and the alternator isn't charging. Plus I need to find a indicator stalk too. But oh the luxury of a working fuel gauge...

And finally, the sick fanbelt finally gave up the ghost, but a excellent car spares place matched up a gates replacement from the remains. So that job of changing the fan belt that I never wanted to do again, I did yet again on sunday. And I still didn't have my spare belts to fit and zip tie out the way as suggested. It only took me 20 minutes to do this time though instead of hours, and I knew which spanners fit where to get the pump prop shaft bolts out with the best efficiency.

[Mark.Rive]

Another great update MrF thank you. I believe the indicator stalk is a morris marina/ triumph/ austin princess type arrangement. I've studied pictures at length on e-bay cant remember exactly which one it is though! they were cheap which is good. Mark

[Dieseljimmer]

Hi All, MrF,

Been keeping an eye on proceedings, everyone has been really busy here!!

For the indicator stalk on mine I used a Land Rover one, had to cut the plug off it and solder on the JCB plug but all the wire
colours are the same! I think I had to change the fixing plate on the Land Rover on for the JCB as well, watch you don't loose any bits out of the internals of the stalk though! Once in works a treat!

You could have called in for a cuppa MrF if you were over here in Wales.

Update to follow shortly on my latest escapads

DJ

[MrF]

Mark, generic BL/lucas then. Theres a marina nos one on ebay at the moment I'll keep a watch on being the eternal cheapskate. Thanks.

DieselJimmer, only as far south as welshpool while I was visiting a friend in whitchurch then I shot across towards brum to head down to kent, so not really south, but thanks for the thought. For the LR one, My trouble is I don't have anything at all, just a hole in the dash, so I will have to fab up whatever is missing from the switch /clamp etc that I fit. I think I can knock up a column clamp on the mill without too much pain however.
Was the LR one from a Series 3 by perchance?:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Series-3-Indicator-Horn-Main-Beam-Switch-575383-/150674058827?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2314dfae4b

The later defender ones seem to have a funny clamp arrangement. Actually I must see if I have the old one from my dead Rangerover classic that I broke (rot), although that was 8 years ago, so the memory is a bit hazy. I think I've forgot half the stuff I have stashed Ive got so much junk and I only just remembered the RR one while typing this.

Today the 3c almost pushed me over the precipice again. I took two days off work to get the yard sorted before winter proper, and went out to start it in early morning low temps to make a good early start, fingers sticking to everything metal like they do. When no panel lights at all. A hour on the rapid charger and it still couldnt even crank the motor, so stole the battery off the new van figuring the cold had got to the old battery and killed it. Then it wasn't diesel'ing, so off to car spares shoppe for replacement filters as had ran out and some easystart, fitted new filter, bled through, cleaned pump mesh out and a quick sniff of easystart and it started up. Not that I like having to use the stuff, but needs must and time off work unproductively = money lost.

About 20 minutes later, it developed a water leak from the water pump impeller area and started to get steaming hot. Frustrated at yet another water leak but not wanting to seize it I stripped off the fan shroud and water pump, made a new gasket from gasket paper with a scalpel, and found a small hole in the impeller body when I cleaned it on the parts washer, which I milled a round hole in place of and turned a button plug on the lathe to suit. Assembled and it wasn't leaking but will order a new water pump anyway as it will be structurally weaker now.
Finally about 2pm, it was ready again, and then proceeded to redeem itself for the morning by working well without issues, not even using any coolant.

If anyone needs a replacement fanbelt in a hurry, the code on mine was 6481MC, although I'm not now convinced it was the right width to be honest. It did go on and didn't slip and beat waiting over a week for the real thing to arrive in the post.
It lists as a replacement belt for the following, if your local parts place doesn't stock gates :-
FORD CAPRI (1974 - 1987)
FORD CORTINA (1975 - 1982)
FORD GRANADA (1979 - 1985)
FORD TAUNUS (1976 - 1982)
MERCEDES-BENZ 250 (1976 - 1985)
MERCEDES-BENZ 250T (1978 - 1982)
MERCEDES-BENZ 280GE (1979 - 1989)
MERCEDES-BENZ 280TE (1977 - 1985)
NISSAN PATROL 160 (1983 - 1985)
NISSAN PATROL 260 (1983 - 1996)
SAAB 9000 (1986 - 1990)
SAAB 9000 CD (1989 - 1990)
SAAB 9000 S (1989 - 1990)
TOYOTA BUNDERA (1990 - 1992)
TOYOTA CROWN (1980 - 1983)
TOYOTA DYNA (1988 - 2001)
TOYOTA LAND CRUISER (1990 - 1997)
VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER (1990 - 2003)


I'm supposed to be outside setting up floodlighting to set the geotextile and drain pipework so I can backfill in the morning, but after today, I'm off for a early night instead

[Dieseljimmer]

Mr F,
The one I used was from a LR 90. It’s not clamped to anything it’s physically screwed up to the underside of the dash to just stick out of the hole in the side of the dash. You have to change the plate on the LR one as that has the fixing holes in it but as you say you don't have that. I'm sure you can fabricate something to the LR plate to fix it!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defender-Indicator-Horn-Switch-Stalk-STC439-/120495757007?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1c0e1b56cf

Ah, now that I have looked at it it's come flooding back to me! The blue bit in the metal part is redundant and the metal bit is but as you say you don't have the old JCB one. You need to drill two holes in that plate to fix it to the underside of the dash. Hope this is of help to you! It does seem an awful lot of dosh to have to completely cannibalise it Maybe it’s back to the drawing board, I was lucky as I have had LR's in the past and had one lying around!

DJ

[MrF]

My "daily" driver is actually a 90td, its what I replaced the rotten v8 classic with. Can't nick its indicator stalk though as it just passed its french mot again this week
Thanks for the pointers on it screwing the dash rather than the column, that makes it loads clearer. I had a brain fart and was imagining it clamping on the column, then the stalk itself screwing into through the hole like the fwd/reverse lever does the other side. I was thinking through all sorts of mad ways to achieve this makes life easier to screw the underside of the dash instead

I also got the cab out of the corner of the barn where I'd abandoned it today, and decided the lower sections could be replicated from sheet with a box pan folder wholesale rather than trying to repair and joggle in little repair patches, so a excuse to take new big white van and go buy one when one appears at the correct price. Pity some enterprising soul doesn't sell "jcb 3c cab lower repair sections" pre folded up