1999 JCB 215 III - Brakes and Dash issues

[Mike-JCB]

Hey guys- I just bought my first piece of heavy machinery to start doing some land clean up and clearing on a new piece of property we purchased.

We bought a 1999 JCB 215 3 series backhoe, that appears to be in pretty good shape overall but has a few things I’d like to address, the first being brakes.

The machine has some braking power And I can stop the backhoe if I’m in neutral and slowly rolling, but only barely, and if in gear, it won’t stop at all. The pedal goes all the way to the floor. So my question is, how can I tell if this is a master cylinder issue, air in the lines/ bleeding issue, or if the machine really just needs new brakes?

After brakes, the next thing I’d like to address is the dash which half seems to have no power, I’ve got some gauges that jump and move around and the ignition itself is unreliable, I’ve got to bump the key in order to get it to start up. Maybe a fuse issue hopefully?

For those of you who have JCBs, where can I get an operator and service manual? Since this is my first backhoe, I’ve got a lot to learn on how to use the machine and it’s features, but I can’t find much for it online.

Thanks guys!

 

[Tinkerer]

Welcome to HEF, Mike !
Send me your email address in a PM (private message). I can upload the service manual to my Google Drive and send you a link to it.
It may be later today before I have it uploaded.

 

[Mike-JCB]

Sent! Thanks man!

 

[Tinkerer]

Mike; I sent you the link.
Hopefully it is a manual you can use.
Like all service manuals for a specific model of a machine there are continuous changes in them as newer serial numbered machines are developed and manufactured.
Section K of the manual describes the engine removal procedure only.
I don't why, but JCB does not include the engine in the machine service manual. It is a separate publication and I do not have it. If you need it you will need to determine what your machine has in it.
A good place to look for a manual would be EBay. JCB Dieselmax is what engine is commonly called.

 

[Mike-JCB]

Got the link. Thanks again for sharing!

 

[skata]

I believe there is bleeder nipples on top of the axle to bleed the brakes. I'd try bleeding them first. And you don't use brake fluid. I believe jcb uses mineral oil for the brakes.
If you can find a cheap master cylinder, I'd try that next. Because redoing the brakes, means disassembling the axle.
You can find cheap parts sometimes on ebay.
As for the electrical, first thing I'd do is pull the fuses out and check for corrosion. Then check relays for corrosion. This was common on my old jcb. Clean the contacts.