JCB 1400B no steering

[ShaneWY]

I have a JCB 1400B sitemaster. The other day I lost the steering and now the steering wheel just freewheels around and around. I pulled the steering valve. The end of the steering shaft that engages the valve looks to be in good shape. I expected splines to be stripped or a woodruff key to be sheared or something like that. On the valve, there is only about a quarter inch that the steering shaft can go into, which seems odd. I would normally have thought that the steering shaft broke off in the valve, but the shaft looks good, as I stated. In the hole where the shaft goes, everything looks smooth like it is supposed to be that way. I just can't imagine there only being a quarter inch of hole for the shaft to engage with.

Thoughts? Anyone have a picture of a steering valve?

Shane

 

[Kernopelli]

I know nothing about this machine but before you pulled the valve, could you turn the wheel and visually see that the shaft end was engaged and turning the control valve? That is generally hard to do with the way a lot of steering shafts bolt to the valve body but some valves have just enough lip extended above the valve body that you can see the shaft end turn the valve.

I am wondering if the shaft is pinned or otherwise 2 pieces and the steering wheel is spinning but the shaft end/ control valve are not. 1/4" engagement sounds shallow but my Deere valve is basically the same.....looks like about 1/4-3/8" of the steering shaft is all that engages the splines on the valve itself. Can you hold the end of the shaft with vice grips etc. and confirm the end of the shaft is solidly connected to the steering wheel?

When checking any kind of hydraulic valve, I usually first use pneumatic pressure on the supply inlet and function the valve to confirm air is/will come out of the corresponding function outlet. That will often help me confirm that it is at least allowing flow like it should. Also, have you confirmed hydraulic flow and pressure from the pump?

If the valve is turning with the steering shaft, you have hydraulic flow and pressure, you have to assume the valve ( or relief) is bypassing completely......or you have totally blown cylinder seals.

Service manual ( including valve) are available here..... STEERING COLUMN - CONSTRUCTION JCB 1400B-4WD - BACKHOE LOADER USA/CAN, 9802/8600, M306001- STEERING STEERING - 2WD STEERING COLUMN | 777parts but it is pricey to be a member. I think for $5-$10 you can look at the complete manual online for 6 hrs.

 

[ShaneWY]

I have the hoses to the valve still attached. Today I found a chisel that was the right size to engage the splines of the valve. With the engine started I was able to turn the chisel fairly easily and turn the front tires. I know that I don't have hydraulic problem.

I'm not sure if the shaft was engaged with the valve. I would guess not. Just above floor level on the shaft is a rubber disc which I assume is some sort of damper. I wonder if this got tired and flexed and allowed the lower portion of the shaft to come up and out of the valve.

 

[Kernopelli]

Sounds like you're on the right track.

 

[NoelC]

I have the hoses to the valve still attached. Today I found a chisel that was the right size to engage the splines of the valve. With the engine started I was able to turn the chisel fairly easily and turn the front tires. I know that I don't have hydraulic problem.

I'm not sure if the shaft was engaged with the valve. I would guess not. Just above floor level on the shaft is a rubber disc which I assume is some sort of damper. I wonder if this got tired and flexed and allowed the lower portion of the shaft to come up and out of the valve.

Were you able to solve this problem? My father has a 1989 JCB backhoe with the same problem, was hoping somebody could offer some insight into a solution.

 

[ShaneWY]

Were you able to solve this problem? My father has a 1989 JCB backhoe with the same problem, was hoping somebody could offer some insight into a solution.

Thanks for keeping me honest. I always hate it when someone has a problem exactly like mine, but they never get back and post how the fixed it because they just move on.

I did figure out the problem in my case. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there was only about 1/4" of hole for the splined steering shaft to go into. I thought that was weird. At one point the steering shafted popped completely out of the hole in the valve. Turns out that what looked like the bottom of the hole was actually many, many years of dust that had crept in and packed into the hole. We pulled up the rubber flooring, removed the little cover right by the steering shaft in the floor board, and used small chisels and screwdrivers to loosen up the packed in dirt. Then we would blow it out with compressed air and loosen some more and blow it out, etc. Turns of the hole in the valve is actually 1/2" - 3/4" deep. To get the shaft out of the hole so we could get to the dust, we loosened the bolt on the clamp that holds the lower part of the shaft to the upper part, right above the rubber disc. This allowed us to slide the slower part up the upper part and give a room so that we could get a prybar in there and pry the lower part up and away from the hole so that we could get to it.

I hope this works for you. Easy and cheap! Let me know if you have questions or I haven't explained something well.

Shane