David Brown 885 service schedule

1. Air cleaner: empty and clean the oil bath bowl and refill to the bead with clean engine oil. Wash the wire mesh element in petrol or paraffin, clean the pre-filter and centre tube, and refit with its sealing rings so no dust gets in. A paper pre-filter, if fitted, is cleaned and replaced.
2. Gearbox: top up to within the safe marks on the dipstick.
3. SAE 140 oil gun: king pins and front axle trunnions (2 points).
4. Grease: front hubs, steering box cross-shaft (2), steering column top bearing, clutch cross-shaft (2), rear hubs, brake pedal, foot throttle pedal, sensing unit, sensing unit cable, hydraulic lift ramshaft (3), lift rods and levelling lever (5), top link. Only 2 shots on the clutch cross-shaft and rear hubs.
5. Oil the controls and pivots with engine oil (leave them dry in very dusty work).
6. Check the foot brakes for adjustment and balance with the pedals locked together, and set clutch free play to 3/4–1 in (19–25 mm).
7. Top up the radiator to within 1 in of the neck (release the pressure cap slowly) and the battery with distilled water.
8. Set tyre pressures, clean the fuel water trap and sediment bowl, bleed at the first filter inlet, and check the wheel nuts.

Tools: Two grease guns (one with SAE 140 oil), Paraffin or petrol for the air cleaner gauze, Tyre gauge, Spanners

1. Run the engine warm, park level, stop it and chock the wheels.
2. Remove the sump drain plug and drain the oil while hot.
3. Filter (every 250 h by the book): undo the bolt in the end of the filter unit, remove the bowl and throw the element away.
4. Wash the bowl in diesel with a small brush. Do not use a cloth: lint can foul the by-pass valve seat in the base.
5. Fit the new element, make sure the rubber sealing ring in the block is in good order, refit and tighten the bolt to 10 lb ft (1.4 kgf·m).
6. Refit the drain plug and refill to within the safe marks on the dipstick.
7. Turn the engine on the starter to fill the filter, top up, then start and check the filter cover for leaks.

Tools: Drain tray (10 L), Spanners, Torque wrench (1.4 kgf·m / 10 lb ft), Small brush and diesel for washing, Funnel

1. Park level and stop the engine.
2. Clean round the filler plug on each final drive housing and remove it.
3. Top up with SAE 140 to the level of the filler plug hole and refit.
4. Make sure the hole in the vent plug at the top is clear.

Tools: Spanner, Oil can or pump

1. Stop the engine and keep flames away. Clean round both filter heads.
2. Remove the bowls, throw away the elements and clean the bowls.
3. Fit new elements with new seals and refit the bowls.
4. Vent the system: open the vent at the first filter and work the lift pump until air-free fuel flows, then the second filter, then the injection pump, as the handbook describes.

Tools: Spanners, Container, Rags

1. Drain the gearbox and transmission housing into a clean container, cover it and let the dirt settle while you work.
2. Remove the bolts and the full-flow filter housing. Clean it out with fuel oil and a stiff brush and make sure the wire screen is clean.
3. Fit a new paper element and reassemble.
4. Refill with the old oil except the last gallon, which is thrown away with the sediment. Top up with new oil to the dipstick mark.

Tools: Clean drain container (25 L) with a cover, Spanners, Stiff brush and fuel oil, Funnel with gauze

1. Clean round the injectors and pipes.
2. Remove the pipes and injectors, blanking all openings.
3. Have them cleaned and set to 175 atm by an injection specialist.
4. Refit with new washers and bleed the fuel system.

Tools: Spanners, Pipe blanking caps

1. Engine cold. Remove the bonnet and rocker cover.
2. Turn the engine forward until the valves of one cylinder are rocking (exhaust closing, inlet just opening).
3. No. 1 rocking: set No. 2 inlet and No. 3 exhaust. No. 2 rocking: set No. 3 inlet and No. 1 exhaust. No. 3 rocking: set No. 1 inlet and No. 2 exhaust.
4. Diesel: 0.010 in (0.25 mm) inlet and exhaust. 885G: inlet 0.010 in, exhaust 0.007 in (0.18 mm).
5. Slacken the locknut, turn the screw until the feeler is a light drag, hold the screw and tighten the nut. Refit the cover.

Tools: Feeler gauges, Screwdriver and spanner

1. Stop the engine and clean round the reservoir.
2. Drain the system, remove the filter and fit a new one.
3. Refill with SAE 10W oil, run the engine and turn lock to lock to clear air, then top up to the mark.

Tools: Drain tray, Spanners, Clean funnel

1. Stop the engine.
2. Press the belt midway between the pulleys: total deflection should be 1 in (2.5 cm). Adjust at the dynamo/alternator mounting if needed.
3. Dynamo tractors: remove the rubber plug at the end, put one or two drops of thin oil on the pad and refit the plug.
4. Check the tightness of external nuts while the bonnet is off.

Tools: Spanners, Rule, Oil can

1. Work the tractor so the oil is hot, park level, lower the linkage, stop the engine and chock the wheels.
2. Remove both gearbox drain plugs (main frame and rear axle) and drain fully.
3. Change the transmission filter element as in Task D.
4. Refit the plugs and fill with new transmission oil to the dipstick mark.
5. Drain each final drive reduction housing from its drain plug, refit and refill with SAE 140 to the filler plug. Check the vent plug is clear.
6. Belt pulley (where fitted): drain and refill to the plug with transmission oil.

Tools: Large drain tray (30 L), Spanners, Funnel or pump

1. Drain the engine oil and remove the sump cover.
2. Remove the set screws at the flange where the gauze pipe joins the oil pump and take the gauze off.
3. Wash it in paraffin; a small brush may be used. Never use a cloth.
4. Refit the gauze and sump cover with new gaskets and refill with the correct oil.

Tools: Spanners, Paraffin, Small brush, Drain tray

1. Jack up both rear wheels. With the pedals locked together, press them about 1½ in (4 cm) and pull the hand brake on just enough to hold them there.
2. At the rear end of the brake rods under each foot plate, slacken the locknuts and turn each adjusting screw until both wheels are equally stiff to turn by hand.
3. Tighten the locknuts, release the hand brake and check the wheels turn freely without binding. Grease the fitting on the locking bar.
4. When adjustment has run out the brakes need relining.
5. Set clutch free play to 3/4–1 in (19–25 mm), and check the front hubs, axle and steering for wear.

Tools: Jack and stands, Spanners, Grease gun

1. Engine cold. Release the radiator cap slowly.
2. Drain the radiator and block, flush with clean water.
3. Refill with the correct anti-freeze mix and clean water, to within 1 in of the neck.
4. Run the engine, check for leaks, and top up with the same anti-freeze mix.

Tools: Drain tray, Hose, Hydrometer