My 1966 Massey 135 Tractor (Pics)

[vegaome]

Good to see you back Massey

 

[MasseyWV]

On the head you have the one bolt with the exposed threads. I can't remember what attaches to that.

I'm not certain what that bolt was originally used for, as it wasn't attached to anything when I first began disassembling my tractor. Here's a picture of the head bolts shortly before they were installed. Note the varying lengths.

I went to work on mine today and as usual Murphy showed up. I misplaced my thermostat gasket and had one made at a gasket place. Unfortunately I did not make it thick enough as once it was bolted down, antifreeze still leaked out.

Do you know the needed thickness of that gasket and what do you recommend I torque those two bolts to? I initially torqued them at 25lbs, then noticed a leak and put more sealer and 30lbs and still leaked.

The Tisco gasket set which came with my engine kit had the wrong thermostat gasket in it so I made my own gasket using Fel-Pro 1/32 in. rubber and fiber gasket material and sealed it using Permatex aviation grade gasket sealer. Anything up to about 1/16 in. should work, but one doesn't want the gasket to be much thicker than that. I torqued my bolts to 25-30 foot pounds.

 

[Forester Massey]

Thanks for your help. My thermostat housing gets pretty narrow on two sides. Hopefully this one will work. Its more resistant to water than the nearly cardboard one I had made first. Love your attention to detail. I know how much work I did to prep engine for painting. You prepped the whole tractor! Heck, I probably spent the most time sanding the gas tank for painting.

 

[MasseyWV]

Thanks for your help. My thermostat housing gets pretty narrow on two sides. Hopefully this one will work. Its more resistant to water than the nearly cardboard one I had made first. Love your attention to detail. I know how much work I did to prep engine for painting. You prepped the whole tractor! Heck, I probably spent the most time sanding the gas tank for painting.

In my experience, I've found that rubberized gasket material is far superior to paper gaskets.

Good surface preparation is definitely a real PITA, but it's a necessary evil if one expects to achieve good long-lasting results. It's easy to make something look pretty, but making it last is a bit more difficult. My attention to detail is sometimes a love/hate relationship, where I love the outcome but hate the time it takes to get there, especially when I encounter so many delays. I'm definitely ready to get this project finished so I can start the next one... with a Perkins diesel, only next time I'll take a completely different approach, utilizing what I've learned from this project and putting it to good use.

 

[murphy1244]

In my experience, I've found that rubberized gasket material is far superior to paper gaskets.

Good surface preparation is definitely a real PITA, but it's a necessary evil if one expects to achieve good long-lasting results. It's easy to make something look pretty, but making it last is a bit more difficult. My attention to detail is sometimes a love/hate relationship, where I love the outcome but hate the time it takes to get there, especially when I encounter so many delays. I'm definitely ready to get this project finished so I can start the next one... with a Perkins diesel, only next time I'll take a completely different approach, utilizing what I've learned from this project and putting it to good use.

Waiting for you to start on a diesel so I could follow along.

 

[Forester Massey]

Massey:

After all that work will you sell it and rebuild a diesel? It would be hard for me to part with something I worked so hard on. However, I don't part with things very easily. I still have my first wife.

 

[MasseyWV]

After all that work will you sell it and rebuild a diesel? It would be hard for me to part with something I worked so hard on.

Currently, my plan is to keep this tractor and purchase a newer 1970's Massey Ferguson 135 tractor with a 3 cylinder Perkins AD3.152 diesel engine to restore. Many people get emotionally attached to their tractors, even giving them names, but to me it's just a machine, nothing more. That said, I cannot rule out the possibility of selling this tractor when it's complete, but only if I could get enough money for it. All things considered, determining it's value may be somewhat difficult so I'll cross that road if/when I come to it.

Despite unexpected delays, the tractor I'm currently restoring was always intended to be a learning experience, albeit a very expensive one, but the next tractor will take it to the next level and beyond.

 

[toddol1971]

I've had gas and diesel tractors. I used to love the diesels. I thought they were superior to gas. That was when I was younger. Now I like them the same. I was always told that diesel was more fuel efficient, but that is dependent on hp range and weight pulled. My 65 uses about 1 gal hr. My cousins 231 uses the same. I pull a 6' heavy duty bush hog and he, a 5' light one. Now that I'm older, for some reason my views on just about everything has changed or (for lack of a better word) relaxed. I love the way an old gas tractor sounds when working. That being said, I want a 70hp or so diesel with fel.

Your doing a great job wv. Without looking back, what was the red paint used inside the engine? Primer? Also what was the name of the stuff you used on the starter windings and the inside of the starter housing? I rebuilt my starter a while back and may take it apart and do that to mine. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Oh yeah, I cant imagine doing a tractor restoration any more thoroughly than what your doing to that one. You are one patient man!

 

[MasseyWV]

I've had gas and diesel tractors. I used to love the diesels. I thought they were superior to gas. That was when I was younger. Now I like them the same. I was always told that diesel was more fuel efficient, but that is dependent on hp range and weight pulled. My 65 uses about 1 gal hr. My cousins 231 uses the same. I pull a 6' heavy duty bush hog and he, a 5' light one. Now that I'm older, for some reason my views on just about everything has changed or (for lack of a better word) relaxed. I love the way an old gas tractor sounds when working. That being said, I want a 70hp or so diesel with fel.

Your doing a great job wv. Without looking back, what was the red paint used inside the engine? Primer? Also what was the name of the stuff you used on the starter windings and the inside of the starter housing? I rebuilt my starter a while back and may take it apart and do that to mine. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Oh yeah, I cant imagine doing a tractor restoration any more thoroughly than what your doing to that one. You are one patient man!

My main reason for wanting my next project to be a diesel is because I've never worked on a diesel engine before. That and I really like the sound of that little three cylinder Perkins engine. Then again, I also love the sound of the four cylinder Continental engine, which will sound all that much better when I start it for the first time after a complete overhaul.

Like you, I've found that I've become much more relaxed as I grow older. I've slowed down a lot and not necessarily because of any physical limitations, but primarily due to a new mindset.

Thanks for the compliment. I do tend to be very patient, but this tractor restoration has tested my patience to it's limits. It's so close, yet so far. I have to wait for warmer weather before I can paint it prior to final assembly.

The paint inside the engine is red oxide primer and the coating inside the generator (haven't done the starter yet) is red insulating varnish, specially formulated for motor windings. It's commonly available on websites like Amazon, etc... Before applying the insulating varnish, it's important to ensure the surfaces are clean and free of oil or grease. I like to use brake parts cleaner spray to clean them with prior to applying the spray varnish coating.

 

[murphy1244]

Like you, I've found that I've become much more relaxed as I grow older. I've slowed down a lot and not necessarily because of any physical limitations, but primarily due to a new mindset.

Thanks for the compliment. I do tend to be very patient, but this tractor restoration has tested my patience to it's limits. It's so close, yet so far. I have to wait for warmer weather before I can paint it prior to final assembly.

The paint inside the engine is red oxide primer and the coating inside the generator (haven't done the starter yet) is red insulating varnish, specially formulated for motor windings. It's commonly available on websites like Amazon, etc... Before applying the insulating varnish, it's important to ensure the surfaces are clean and free of oil or grease. I like to use brake parts cleaner spray to clean them with prior to applying the spray varnish coating.

Try Gliptol ? I can't spell it but I used it when winding field coils