new "dump truck"

[schmism]

Picked up my new farm truck tonight.

$1500 1985 C30 chevy with dump bed and plow.

(crappy pic from tonight)

The dump bed doesnt go up all the way. im assuming it needs oil.

I dropped Eddie a pm, hear was his response.

On mine, there is the pump that is connected to my PTO shaft. Probably the same with yours. Then there is a high preasure hose from the pump that goes to the cylinder.

Behind my cylinder, there is another hose that goes back to the pump. This is my resevoir. When the piston moves under preasure, it also forces the fluid on the other side of the piston in and out through the low preasure hose to the pump.

If yours is similar, then there is a screw on the top of the cylinder. Mine looks like a giant philips head, but it's big enough that I can take it off with a large flat blade screwdriver. I do this with the bed up.

My pump is intergrated into the base of the cylinder. so there are no hoses. there is a pto saft that runs to it from "under the cab" (ill take a pic in the morning)

there is a large bung hole plug on the top end of the cylinder. i assume thats were you fill.

you fill with it compleatly up? with it down?

will my FEL on my tractor lift the bed past the point the pump takes it?

 

[Birdhunter1]

Whenever you hoist that bed up and plaec yourself between the frame or cab of the truck and the bed in a raised position make sure and block the bed so if something gives it will not slam down on you. I actually knew of one person who didn't and when he cracked the pressure on a hose to replace it the bed crushed him.

 

[john_bud]

That's about the exact truck I'm looking for. It's the $1500 part that is most often missing...

jb

 

[schmism]

for all the truck pics
Sep 2007



so i take that plug out and put what in?

same hydraulic fluid i use in the tractor?

 

[Builder]

for all the truck pics
Sep 2007



so i take that plug out and put what in?

same hydraulic fluid i use in the tractor?

Why don't you call the manufacturer of the dump hydraulics and ask them? That way you'll get the right answer. Or maybe the body company tag is still visible. They would also be a good info source. Or maybe you have a truck body company nearby that you can ask.

Be careful. I had a dump body let go on me and I was lucky enough to get out in time.

 

[schmism]

There is a tag, but i dont know if its still visable, ill see what i can clean up.

in hind site i should have moved my block from the other side to the side i was taking pics from so i wouldnt get a tone of "block the bed you idiot" posts

but there was one there.

 

[schmism]

Why don't you call the manufacturer of the dump hydraulics and ask them?

info on the ancient brass tag barely readable after scrubbing with scotch brite pad.

Gar Wood hydraulics. model D7LU

No info found.

 

[AlanB]

If it was mine, I would see if I could drain it, and fill with TDH. Most fill almost full collapsed (leaving a little Ullage, or expansion room) and then suck up most of it to make it too the extended position.

Looks like a deal, parts will be easily available at any local auto parts store.

 

[schmism]

Agreed. There is another plug on the bottom? (i know... go look)

If it was mine, I would see if I could drain it, and fill with TDH. Most fill almost full collapsed (leaving a little Ullage, or expansion room) and then suck up most of it to make it too the extended position.

Looks like a deal, parts will be easily available at any local auto parts store.

and any jegs or JCwitney or similar after market catalog.

 

[Builder]

My old IH1700 4x4 had a Fontaine dump on it with the same kind of hoist you have, except a little bigger. IIRC, I just raised the bed slightly and added fluid.

 

[EddieWalker]

The plug on the side of the cylinder looks like an overflow plug like on a rear end diferential. Is there anything on the cylinder above that plug on the side?

My fill hole is in the same area as that one on the side, except mine is at the top of the cylinder. I don't have anything else on mine, so that might be the only one on yours.

The first time I opened mine up, I had all sorts of blocking on it because I had no idea what would happen. Nothing did, as there is no preasure on the oil on that side of the piston on my setup.

Yours is totally different then mine. I forget my manufacturer, but I do remember finding out that they have been out of buisness for decades.

If there is no other plugs anywhere, I'd add more blocking and when I was sure there was no way for the bed to drop on your skull, take out that plug and see what's in there. Stick your pinky in there and see if you can touch oil. If not, try a stick or anything flexible that you can get an idea of what's in there and how it looks.

I use the same hydraulic oil in mine that I use for my tractors.

Eddie

 

[Charlesaf3]

I'd check your block by lowering the bed on it before I got under there. Can't really tell from your pic, but if the block is just a chunk of 6x6 it could squirt right out.

Can you get jack stands under there?

 

[schmism]

I'd check your block by lowering the bed on it before I got under there. Can't really tell from your pic, but if the block is just a chunk of 6x6 it could squirt right out.

Can you get jack stands under there?

ya the bed is currently sitting on it. i even got in the bed with it blocked up and it was "solid".

Im going to spray the bottom down with de-greaser and let it sit over night and then hit it with the pressure washer and see what i can find for other plugs toward the bottom.

 

[EddieWalker]

... washer and see what i can find for other plugs toward the bottom.

I don't think you want to fill from the bottom of the cylinder. This is where all the preasure is going to be on the piston to hold the bed up. If you do have a plug on that part of the cylinder, then removing it will release all the preasure on the piston. This would be bad.

Look at the high end of the cylinder for that plug. There is no preasure on anything on that side, unless yours is a two way cylinder, which doesn't make any sense.

Do you have a can of break cleaner? Nothing clean off grease like that stuff. You can get it cheapest at Walmart, but any break cleaner will just melt away the grease.

If it's there, it shouldn't be too hard to find. If it's not there, then pull that side plug and see what you find out. My guess is that you only have the one plug, and it's on the side of your cylinder.

Eddie

 

[schmism]

I don't think you want to fill from the bottom of the cylinder. This is where all the preasure is going to be on the piston to hold the bed up. If you do have a plug on that part of the cylinder, then removing it will release all the preasure on the piston. This would be bad.

understood, I just liked the idea of draining what little fluid was in it and refilling.

as the bed was set down onto the block(s) i assumed there would be little to no pressure on the cylinder as weight was being carried by the blocking.

got to get my 75 strawberries in the ground this morning before the rain hits later today.

Ill be back on the new toy this afternoon. (with an update)

 

[schmism]

i just went ahead and filled it up with out draining it first.

put nearly a gallon and a half of fluid in it. well see if it finds its way out some place.

bed raises all the way up now. I will admit sticking my arm in there to undo that fill bung the first time was nerve racking.