Reviving the old Massey 135

[Mur386]

Hello Everyone!
What a wonderful forum you have here, so much information. Recently I acquired the familys old tractor, has not been run for many years. But I was hopeful, drained old fuel, checked and topped off all fluids, new battery, and it runs! Needs a lot of work as you can tell from photos. After all the repairs and new paint, believe all will be great. Will eventually be posting before and after pictures. Will be changing fluids and filters before any more usage. But for now this is what I have.
Billy

 

[Harvey9]

The 135 is a great tractor, have fun with the restoration !

Harvey

 

[Mike476]

You'll enjoy it, no better way to get to know your machine!

 

[Texas Blues]

Congradulations! Yours is still better looking than mine! lol

 

[beenthere]

:welcome:
Have fun on the restore. Looks to have some armor plate underneath. And a heavy push grill out front. What was it used for?
It is often unfortunate that such gems have to spend time out in the brush just sitting.

 

[Mur386]

Hi Guys! thanks for all the responses.
beenthere: My Grandfather purchased the tractor when I was still in middle school, about 1975 or 1976. My father said that it may have been used for logging before our family bought it. Our family mainly used it for farming, bushhogging and other things. Will keep the plating and grill protection on it, after cleaning up all the gross welding and cutoffs from who knows what has been attached to it at some point in time.
Mike476 nice looking gas burner, was it a restore project as well?
Bill

 

[Mike476]

Thanks Bill, it was a bit of a project, chicken farmer had it here in the Annapolis valley before me. Aside from the 3 Pt not working (rig the lever stops / replace upper link spring), starter rebuild, new water pump / fan and make a few light bars for it so I am seen at night when plowing snow, it was mostly just cleaning the old rust off and spraying it. Rattle cans for the chassis, took what little paint was left after from spraying my 2004 Ram (thought it was pretty clost to MF red) and painted the skins in my driveway on a still day.

It's a great tractor, teaches me something every time I get on it.

 

[Mur386]

Mike476
think I read something about that upper link spring issue, may have to check into mine as well, what was the issue that lead you to replace the spring? Have read about it only, but from what I read, it was related to the draft control lever not operating properly? Kinda worried about my tractor because I know its never seen any repair facialty for anything other than a engine rebuild 30+ years ago, but its not smoking and starts well for a diesel that has been sitting for so long. Oil pressure needle has actually rotted off the shaft and is laying in the bottom of the guage housing. Prices do seem to be very reasonable for something that is its age. The color you painted yours is very close and the tractor looks great. Thinking of saving all the old grease/dirt buildup that I scrape off of mine, just to measure it for fun. to see how much comes off it. Will probably be several gallons of it lol.
The skid plate will make that easy!
Bill

 

[Mike476]

Bill,

Too funny, it does take a little scraping, mine looked a lot like yours when I got it, if only dirt could talk.
Prices are very reasonable for parts I've found, and am surprised how readily available most parts still are. When I went looking for the parts I needed, what wasn't held in stock came in within a few days, was really happy with that.
Being a gas (continental) 4 cyl I replace the points, rotor button/cap once a year as preventative maintenance (did it during a snow storm in my driveway the first year I owned it, fool me once) but aside from that I haven't done much to it the past five or six years.
You're right Bill, the upper spring is the draft control. I originally took the upper link apart after realizing the gaskets inside were deteriorated and were allowing water into the hyd fluid, it was taking over an hour to warm the tractor up in the winter to get to the point where the 3 pt would lift the old MF 7 foot back blade I use. I looked into the fluids and saw that the hyd fluid was contaminated and was actually freezing, didn't want to damage the pump so I had to replace the packings. While I had it apart (nut gave me a lot of grief without the proper tool) I thought I'd change the spring, again more of a precautionary thing. With the work I did while having it apart I can't say whether the spring alone made any real difference but it is working great now.

I do have a shop manual for the 135s, if there's something you need when working on yours let me know and I'll scan it for you.

Mike

 

[Mur386]

Thanks Mike for the information, and offering to help with manual. I worked on one car once while it was snowing, ages ago for a girlfriends friend. Man it was cold.
Bill