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The JLG 40F Boom Lift Dilemma

OFF

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Sep 30, 2009
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Alberta, Canada
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HD Mechanic
Hi guys. I just acquired a JLG40F. It's not a complete basket case, but it's gonna need a lot of TLC. It did actually unload itself from the trailer, which I consider to be quite an accomplishment. I've read the first 9 or 10 pages of this thread and I am thoroughly impressed with the information I'm sure must be contained in here. I'm eager to get started overhauling this beast. I've got a lot of reading to do from the beginning of this thread. Any advice you could give to get me out of the "starting gate" would be appreciated. Where to start - where to start. I think pics first....then a good steam cleaning will be in order to get all of the caked oil, grease and quarry dust off. Although it may be all that's holding it together.

Welcome to the site Jonesy!
Picture are always very welcome and they help us help you better when we can see what you have there. Get 3 posts in and then private message me your email address so I can send you the operators/service/parts manual set in PDF.
 

Jonesy

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Apr 19, 2014
Messages
18
Location
Perrysburg, OH
Attached a couple of pics of my new rig. As I said, it needs a little work. I found out from the previous owner that he had installed new wiring harnesses twice since he's had it. It had a rough, dirty life in a stone quarry. OFF - I really appreciate the offer of the manual. dump 043.jpgdump 044.jpg
 

OFF

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Alberta, Canada
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Wow Jonesy! I can tell you it's an early model by the basket shape and the way the hoods are held down. It's also got a brand of valve we rarely see. We had a 60F with those valves and they were virtually trouble free. That may be the reason this old girl has been able to avoid the crusher for so long. Send me a private message with your email address and I'll send you those manuals. To send a PM, just click on my user name in this post and a menu will pop up. Choose the "private message" option.
Your ladder (cable tray) sure needs some work but in most cases they are repairable.
 

Jonesy

Member
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Apr 19, 2014
Messages
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Location
Perrysburg, OH
This thing was spewing water/oil out of the breather when I unloaded and parked it. My plan is to change the oil / filter, run it for about 15 minutes, then change the oil / filter again. The engine has no identifying tags. I'm pretty sure it's a Wisconsin, but I have no idea what size. I need to know so I can get the correct oil filters, plugs, etc.
 

OFF

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This thing was spewing water/oil out of the breather when I unloaded and parked it. My plan is to change the oil / filter, run it for about 15 minutes, then change the oil / filter again. The engine has no identifying tags. I'm pretty sure it's a Wisconsin, but I have no idea what size. I need to know so I can get the correct oil filters, plugs, etc.

They have a tendency to get water in the oil pan when left out in hard rain/snow/weather. You probably need a drain & refill. The engine is most likely a model VH4D.
Plugs are NGK #AB6, Champion #D16. Oil filter is a NAPA #1106 or #1072 depending on age. if it looks like a normal spin-on it's a 1072. if it looks like the top of a glass jar when you screw it off, it's an 1106.
I don't see an alternator hanging below the oil filter where it should be. You see an alternator anywhere on that engine? Hopefully it's got more than a flyweel alternator. That will never keep up to electrical demand.
 

copperdon

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May 9, 2014
Messages
2
Location
Copperopolis, CA
Wow, what great forum! Thank you so much! I am a new owner of a JLG 40F (I have previously owned a 50F). When I purchased it, it was only partially working on auxiliary power. Using your threads I was able to diagnose and repair a bad dump valve solenoid (and 3 burned jumper wires linked between the solenoids) as well as free a stuck steering spool. The only thing that is still giving me fits is that the auxiliary power will not run the joystick valves on the platform just the toggle switches (I recall my 50T had the same problem), any help on this would be awesome. Besides that it seems to be working well except for ram leaks, unfortunately, I do not have a parts manual (or any manuals for that matter) to locate the correct part numbers. I see there have been numerous manual requests throughout the thread, if someone would be so kind as to forward a copy of the manuals to hamaridon@yahoo.com I would be hugely appreciative. By the way, according to the posts I have Racine valves (round boots). Thank you!
 

OFF

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Welcome copperdon! Manuals have been sent. You may want to edit your email address out of your post.
 

copperdon

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May 9, 2014
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Copperopolis, CA
Invaluable!

Welcome copperdon! Manuals have been sent. You may want to edit your email address out of your post.

Thanks OFF, I really appreciate you shooting those manuals over you are a life saver!

I am not sure how to edit a previous post, I tried clicking every link related to my account and posts without success.
 

Jonesy

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2014
Messages
18
Location
Perrysburg, OH
So far, so good. I got the cover off of the engine, then changed the oil & filter....it was pretty watered down. Ran it for 15 minutes...#4 cylinder was running cold. Changed the oil & filter again, and replace the spark plugs. Actually running on all 4 now, and the oil on the dipstick looks reasonable. I'll probably change it again after a couple of hours run time. Actually sounds pretty good, considering it was running with a high percentage of water in the crank case. Off, you were right on with identification...even though I haven't seen any tags or stampings, I'm satisfied that it's a VH4D, NGK AB6 plugs, and a Napa 1106 filter. Wisconsin has a nice website with specs, part numbers, etc. to help identify stuff. Your question about the alternator has me baffled. I don't see one, and I don't see where one has been removed. Yet, the machine has apparently functioned this long. However, I don't know if it functioned well.

My next move is to steam clean the entire machine so I can actually see what I'm working on.
 

OFF

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Your question about the alternator has me baffled. I don't see one, and I don't see where one has been removed. Yet, the machine has apparently functioned this long. However, I don't know if it functioned well

every Wisconsin powered JLG I've ever seen had an alternator hanging below the distibutor and driven off a pulley. Normally Wisconsin engines just have a flywheel alternator for charging. I suspect it wasn't enough to keep up to the electrical demands of a JLG. It's all they used on a Condor though (another manufacturer of manlifts from the same erea). Is there a pulley mounted on end of the casting the distibutor goes into?
 

willie59

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every Wisconsin powered JLG I've ever seen had an alternator hanging below the distibutor and driven off a pulley. Normally Wisconsin engines just have a flywheel alternator for charging. I suspect it wasn't enough to keep up to the electrical demands of a JLG. It's all they used on a Condor though (another manufacturer of manlifts from the same erea). Is there a pulley mounted on end of the casting the distibutor goes into?

Given the vintage, it's very possible the engine has been changed out to a VH4D that didn't have the alternator pulley.
 

Cudaman

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Jan 8, 2013
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Location
Oklahoma City, OK
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FAA Electrical Tech
Manual valve operation

Hello All,

I did a search and must not be typing in the right thing but...
Can someone tell me what "function" these manual valves control? I have a JLG 40FR (1978)
I'm having switch issues I think but want to manually control the valves to drive forward or backward as a test.
here is a pic of what I'm talking about. There are 6 total.
When I first purchased the lift a year ago, the previous owner turned them to show me what does what but I forgot.
Plus not sure if I have to do something after I turn them in.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

DSC03593.jpg
jlg%2040f%20Bertea%20valve.jpg

Thank you in advance.
Tom
 

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willie59

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Those are manual controls for the valve spools Cudaman. If I recall correctly, the knobs are free spinning, you have to push in on the knob slightly while turning until they grab threads. Once it does, screw the knob in until it seats, this shifts the spool of that particular valve section, but in order to make a function work you would have to power up the dump valve solenoid for that control valve.
 

Cudaman

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Thanks Willie,

Do you know what valves do what function?
Also, you say "power up the dump valve". Is that using the foot peddle in the basket? Sorry for the dumb questions here.

thanks,
Tom
 

OFF

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Tom,
on those 3 valves in your picture, the valve with the largest hoses coming out of the top of it will be drive. You can power up the dump valve by switching to ground control. Or while on ground control, activate either lift or swing and that will supply hydraulic pressure to the valve bank.
 

Cudaman

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Location
Oklahoma City, OK
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Thanks a bunch OFF.
So it's the valve closest in the picture with the turn knobs?
I turn one valve all the way in and with pressure, it should move one direction? Then open it up and screw in the other to go the opposit dirrection?
Does that sound right?
I don't want to blow anything up so that's why I'm asking.
 

Cudaman

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Oklahoma City, OK
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Tom,
on those 3 valves in your picture, the valve with the largest hoses coming out of the top of it will be drive. You can power up the dump valve by switching to ground control. Or while on ground control, activate either lift or swing and that will supply hydraulic pressure to the valve bank.
I closed the valve to which I think is for the drive. None of may switches in the ground position work to rev up the motor (another issue) but I used the foot switch in the basket which did rev the motor. No movement happened that I could see. Am I missing something?
Thank you,
Tom
 

willie59

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It's likely you're not getting input to power up the dump valve for the proportional valve, you may have to power the dump valve with jumper wires until you get the machine sorted out.
 
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