The JLG 40F Boom Lift Dilemma

[bigboy2000]

Thanks, willie59. I'll have to take a more confident look at it. Just to be sure, when you say the platform do you mean the one located under the boom or the one you stand in. I assume you mean the platform the turret sits on, but never hurts to ask Also, thanks for the warm welcome :drinkup

I'll send you a PM about the 40F manual - thank you so much

 

[bigboy2000]

Hmm... maybe I haven't been authorized yet. Can't seem to PM you after having made three posts. :beatsme
Here's my email address: email edited out by moderator
I'll just edit it out afterward

Thank you willie59 and OFF

 

[Rick39]

40F vs 40-45

Oh I forgot to mention that I figured out that mine is a 40F by comparing it to pictures on google images, etc due to the fact that there is no discernible plate with a serial / model number visible on mine. It's been painted at least once, but there's no rivet marks or outline in the places it would be found. So 40F is my best guess, based on what I've seen, and I'm almost 100% sure that's what it is. But if there's another model that's similar I'd love to hear about it.

To tell a 40F from an original 40-45 look at the turntable plate the boom rests on.

If there is a rod going back to the lift manual descent valve, it's a 40-45. If there are three valves directly mounted to the plates it's a 40F. Or a G.

Also the F models had a quick change platform that hung from hooks and slid into a slot on the bottom with vertical pins probably replaced with bolts by now.

The 40-45's platform set on top of the upper panel and bolted at the bottom with two horizontal bolts.

The F's also originally had a weight capacity indicator on the end of the fly boom dubbed a "pendulum" by JLG.

 

[OFF]

Welcome bigboy2000! The manuals have been sent, your address can be deleted now.

 

[OFF]

To tell a 40F from an original 40-45 look at the turntable plate the boom rests on.

If there is a rod going back to the lift manual descent valve, it's a 40-45. If there are three valves directly mounted to the plates it's a 40F. Or a G.

Also the F models had a quick change platform that hung from hooks and slid into a slot on the bottom with vertical pins probably replaced with bolts by now.

The 40-45's platform set on top of the upper panel and bolted at the bottom with two horizontal bolts.

The F's also originally had a weight capacity indicator on the end of the fly boom dubbed a "pendulum" by JLG.

Welcome Rick39!
Sounds like you've got some serious knowledge behind you. Ever have much to do with Bertea valved 40F's? I only ever saw 2 of them the whole time I was working on JLG's and never really got very involved with them. We've got a couple guys here having trouble with that mess of flow dividers, dump valves, pressure regulators, and what ever else it is they have plumbed in there. Help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rick39]

Welcome Rick39!
Sounds like you've got some serious knowledge behind you. Ever have much to do with Bertea valved 40F's? I only ever saw 2 of them the whole time I was working on JLG's and never really got very involved with them. We've got a couple guys here having trouble with that mess of flow dividers, dump valves, pressure regulators, and what ever else it is they have plumbed in there. Help would be greatly appreciated.

We had lots of units with Bertea valves.

From the factory they had to be run a long time in the winter before the functions would work. JLG's fix was to thin the oil with up to 20% diesel fuel.

Yes, there is an adjustable flow divider between the pump and the valve bank that splits the flow between the function spools and the pilot valves.

That pilot flow allowed the "jet diverter wand" to do it's thing in the pilot valves.

As I recall turning the adjustment on the divider out increased the pilot flow.

Too little pilot flow and the functions would not operate. Too much could damage the pilot valves at worst or at best waste what little power the units had.

 

[OFF]

That's great Rick39, good to have you aboard. We used to cut our hydraulic fluid 50/50 with kerosene btw, just to keep the Racine machines going at below -20

So that crappy little "Waterman" filter, that was inline with the pilot pressure?

 

[Rick39]

That's great Rick39, good to have you aboard. We used to cut our hydraulic fluid 50/50 with kerosene btw, just to keep the Racine machines going at below -20

So that crappy little "Waterman" filter, that was inline with the pilot pressure?

Yes, exactly.

The pilot valves were vulnerable to contamination hence the filter.

The later units had a much higher quality Parker canister high pressure filter. The old style wasn't the best.

The Bertea valves had only one coil per valve. 2.4 volts commanded full stroke one way and -2.4 made it go the other way.

No square wave generator was needed unlike the Racine or Vickers valves.

 

[willie59]

By golly I'd like to welcome Rick39 here. With him being from SE PA, that's the home of JLG in McConnellsburg. I've been through that plant, pretty fascinating. And yes he's spot on, the 40F machines with Bertea valves didn't like heavy viscosity oil at all, they need the viscosity of cooking oil, especially in the cold climates.

 

[OFF]

By golly I'd like to welcome Rick39 here. With him being from SE PA, that's the home of JLG in McConnellsburg. I've been through that plant, pretty fascinating. And yes he's spot on, the 40F machines with Bertea valves didn't like heavy viscosity oil at all, they need the viscosity of cooking oil, especially in the cold climates.

"By Golly" is right Willie! I'm sure glad Rick39 showed up. Both "od1" and "exwestracer" need his expertise.

I'm wondering if the cold problem isn't the reason I didn't see many Bertea equipped JLG's in Western Canada. They knew not to send them here. All the older ones were Moog, and then everything after about 1977 or 78 was Racine.

 

[Rick39]

By golly I'd like to welcome Rick39 here. With him being from SE PA, that's the home of JLG in McConnellsburg. I've been through that plant, pretty fascinating. And yes he's spot on, the 40F machines with Bertea valves didn't like heavy viscosity oil at all, they need the viscosity of cooking oil, especially in the cold climates.

Thanks for the warm welcome, Willie and OFF.

We never tried to get bertea units to operate at -20 but as OFF says they needed 50/50 oil/kerosene. Rather thin oil indeed!

I read through most of this thread and took quite a trip down memory lane.

Started dealing with JLG's when the F's first came out in late 1976.

Hard to believe it was 40 years ago.

How times have changed... Back in the day boom lifts were still rather rare and we would travel long distances to deliver and repair them.

Customers were in awe of them back then. Now they have no more luster than a shovel in the eyes of users.

I remember driving the 40H prototype at the factory (back then if you said "the factory" everyone knew you were talking about McConnellsburg).

What a big difference in performance!

 

[Rick39]

"By Golly" is right Willie! I'm sure glad Rick39 showed up. Both "od1" and "exwestracer" need his expertise.

I'm wondering if the cold problem isn't the reason I didn't see many Bertea equipped JLG's in Western Canada. They knew not to send them here. All the older ones were Moog, and then everything after about 1977 or 78 was Racine.

Wow, Moog! Haven't seen a Moog unit in a long time.

Back in the day a new Moog controller cost $1,600... Like $6,000 in 2017 dollars!

Back in this thread is a picture of a rather rudimentary joystick with individual switches and a spring loaded stick.

Believe it or not that was how the older units came from the factory.

JLG switch part numbers start with 436. The switches for that arrangement were 4360001.

 

[OFF]

Wow, Moog! Haven't seen a Moog unit in a long time.

Back in the day a new Moog controller cost $1,600... Like $6,000 in 2017 dollars!

Back in this thread is a picture of a rather rudimentary joystick with individual switches and a spring loaded stick.

Believe it or not that was how the older units came from the factory.

JLG switch part numbers start with 436. The switches for that arrangement were 4360001.

I remember the picture you're referring to. I thought it was a replacement controller that some clever person had fabbed up. I had never seen anything like it or the 27N with cable operated valves. I've learned a whole lot of stuff about JLG history in this thread.
One of the Moog machines I was friends with back in the day was a 60W. Nobody was ever able to tell me what a 60W was all about. It looked like an older version of a 60F. Any insight on that one?

 

[Rick39]

Yes...

All the older 60's had hydraulic outriggers. The oldest one of them I know of was S/N 188. The oldest 40 I ever worked on was S/N 16.

JLG then figured that a 60 would work on rubber if it was 10' wide. That was the 60W.

That made the unit a pain to haul so in 1976 JLG got the idea to make the axles extend to 10' but be able to retract to 8'. That was the 60F.

JLG did make outrigger versions of the 60F by special order. We did sell a 27/32 (before I started) that had hydraulic outriggers.

Back in the day JLG made quite a few special units. Have you ever seen a Grinell special?

It was a 40-45B and later units were 42C's with a special removable platform and could be used as a forklift for unloading sprinkler pipe.

 

[OFF]

Yes...

All the older 60's had hydraulic outriggers. The oldest one of them I know of was S/N 188. The oldest 40 I ever worked on was S/N 16.

JLG then figured that a 60 would work on rubber if it was 10' wide. That was the 60W.

That made the unit a pain to haul so in 1976 JLG got the idea to make the axles extend to 10' but be able to retract to 8'. That was the 60F.

JLG did make outrigger versions of the 60F by special order. We did sell a 27/32 (before I started) that had hydraulic outriggers.

Back in the day JLG made quite a few special units. Have you ever seen a Grinell special?

It was a 40-45B and later units were 42C's with a special removable platform and could be used as a forklift for unloading sprinkler pipe.

I never even noticed that 60W didn't have extending axles like the 60F's! & I always wondered about the 42C. They were way beefier, like a short 50F, or a short 60F even. Now I know why. Thank you

I had a blast working on the JLG F series stuff. They were good times, I really miss that. These days you just call a phone number, they tell you what's wrong and you change the part. No fun or adventure in that at all.

 

[Rick39]

I never even noticed that 60W didn't have extending axles like the 60F's! & I always wondered about the 42C. They were way beefier, like a short 50F, or a short 60F even. Now I know why. Thank you

I had a blast working on the JLG F series stuff. They were good times, I really miss that. These days you just call a phone number, they tell you what's wrong and you change the part. No fun or adventure in that at all.

The 42C was kind of an answer to a question that no one was asking. 4000 lbs. more weight and only another 8 HP to move it, a 38 HP VG4D vs. a 30 HP VH4D.

It was supposed to have a 1000 lb capacity but was radius limited at that load. When the 50F was introduced on pretty much the same frame it made sense.

The 40-45B was the forerunner to the 42C but few were built that I ever saw.

 

[willie59]

I worked on all manner of Aerial lifts from the mid 80's up through mid 2000's. In the late 90's into the 2000 era I purchased my JLG parts from Aerial Service And Parts in Shippensburg. Can't recall their last name, but the owners were Randy and his wife Beverly. I know Randy used to work at the plant and all the folks at ASAP new their stuff on the JLG machines. When I made the trip to the plant for training, 2003 I think, I stopped in to meet Randy and Bev, super nice folks. They eventually sold the business to Best Line Equipment.

I had a blast at the plant, the manufacturing capabilities they had were impressive to say the least. At that time the hottest item was the QuikStik machines. I never got to ride in one, but when they told me what they would do I just said to myself...DA-YUM!

 

[willie59]

Oh, and Rick39 mentioned the H series. IMHO, one of the best models JLG ever built. The 80HX model that had the extend axle function that was all done at the platform, no pins to set or steer cylinder to manually set, dang good machine!

 

[od1]

Hey Rick39,
Glad to have you on board.

 

[Rick39]

I worked on all manner of Aerial lifts from the mid 80's up through mid 2000's. In the late 90's into the 2000 era I purchased my JLG parts from Aerial Service And Parts in Shippensburg. Can't recall their last name, but the owners were Randy and his wife Beverly. I know Randy used to work at the plant and all the folks at ASAP new their stuff on the JLG machines. When I made the trip to the plant for training, 2003 I think, I stopped in to meet Randy and Bev, super nice folks. They eventually sold the business to Best Line Equipment.

I had a blast at the plant, the manufacturing capabilities they had were impressive to say the least. At that time the hottest item was the QuikStik machines. I never got to ride in one, but when they told me what they would do I just said to myself...DA-YUM!

I worked with Beverly for a few years before she married Randy. Schaffer?