Found my water

Richard · Oct 27, 2022

I've got a JCB 1550-B backhoe/loader that I've owned for over 20 years. It's ALWAYS had a pinkish tone to the transmission fluid and I've never been able to figure out where/how the water got in.

Last spring, noticed that my loaer/dump hoses were down to rusty steel braids...so decided to change them. (first time since I've owned the machine)

Got the replacements, crawled under there to swap them and BINGO..... I found my culprit as to how my transmission was likely getting water inside.

There is a rubber boot (Brits call it a 'Gaiter') in the cab which by the way, has no windows. Shifter goes through the floorboard via the gaiter. Shifter goes down to transmission where there is ANOTHER gaiter.

The boot in cab is needing replaced...I've never been in hurry to do it until now. I saw the small boot on the transmission itself and this jumped high on my priority list. Got BOTH gaiters replaced and am now, flushing the transmission several times to get the "foamy" transmission fluid out. This weekend, I hope to flush it several more times (using diesel) and then flush again with maybe 2-gallons of transmission fluid and then, replace all with fresh trans fluid. Springtime I might do it once or thrice more.

I give you my culprit! Note, this is AFTER I 'reassembled' the boot to resemble what it should look like. It's very sticky and gooey. Definately needs to go and is now, gone....replaced with new one. They actually sent me TWO of these so I've got the other in drawer to keep eye on this one.

DJ54 · Oct 27, 2022

I use a 50/50 mix of ATF and diesel, plus 1 quart of 90% rubbing alcohol. I got the recipe from a longtime poster here on TBN. The alcohol will absorb any remaining water in the trans and take it out with it. Works great..!!

ROUSTABOUT · Oct 27, 2022

20 years ago I worked for JCB as a field service mechanic in North Little Rock. Backhoes, trackhoe, telehandlers, forklifts, skid steers, dozers, all of it wasn't JCB, but a lot of it was. And yes, some people can break the blade off a bull dozer, put two back on while I was up there. A lot of people used komatsu dozers.

Richard · Oct 28, 2022

DJ54 said:
I use a 50/50 mix of ATF and diesel, plus 1 quart of 90% rubbing alcohol. I got the recipe from a longtime poster here on TBN. The alcohol will absorb any remaining water in the trans and take it out with it. Works great..!!

Excellent, thank you! Without looking, I think it uses 4 gallons of transmission fluid. I have a 5-gallon bucket and two individual quarts. I was going to "rinse" with that but, like the idea of adding the alcohol. If I know my wife, she's got 44 gallons of rubbing alcohol hidden somewhere in the house! (she's one of those who's always prepared for anything)

DJ54 · Oct 28, 2022

Good deal..!!

Tinhack · Oct 28, 2022

Yep, that will do it. When I did the restore on the 3910, the shifter boots were top on the list. Mine were a little better than your old one but loose at the top. That allowed water to run down the shifters (one gear shifter, one H/L selector). The picture below shows the rear remote valves but it's the only one I could find that shows the shifters. The open station tractors are especially vulnerable.