Rusty, I thank you for your input and suggestions! I'm currently watching a youtube video that has a couple of options he is trying: 1) relief valve replacement 2) hydraulic filter cleaning 3) replacing hydraulic oil. His first two have been inadequate for restoring the power so hopefully, the new hydraulic oil does the trick.
1971 MF 165 that has 3 pt hitch weakness
- Thread starter tjlutz
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TBN Support
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Hi and welcome to the forum!
:tractor: I'm going to move this thread over to our Massey section.
:tractor: I'm going to move this thread over to our Massey section.
Thanks Catherine! Hopefully the more eyes the better for figuring this out!
DLTTrekkers
Veteran Member
Can you lower the FEL and then disconnect the supply hose for it and fit a gauge to that hose...40 Mpa gauge and check the pressure and report back.
Murt be round about 15 Mpa.
Murt be round about 15 Mpa.
DLTTrekkers
Veteran Member
Front End Louder = FEL
JWR
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Hey TJ, I believe I know what your problem is.
The Massey-Ferguson 3pt lift is designed to provide either simple position control OR Draft control primarily for plowing. That design and features were still common when I bought my 2011 MF2660. Same mechanisms with the big spring and all that.
What is little-known and not well publicized is this: Having the Draft lever in the full up position DOES NOT really disable the Draft control but merely desensitizes it. Some dealers even tell customers that it does disable Draft Control. I think even the manual says so [maybe the shop manual admits desensitizing rather than disabling?]
ANYWAY, here is the problem you are experiencing: Above some large amount of weight on the 3 pt hitch, that weight overcomes the desensitized Draft Control and causes the system to be in Draft Control. MF actually sells an override kit to to take the Draft Control totally out of the picture. What that does is: 1) Remove the pin connecting the top link to the "big spring." That big spring controls input to the Draft Control system internal to the tractor. 2) The kit then attaches the top link "beam" (the heavy cast iron one with several holes) to fixed points in behind the area where the top link attaches to your tractor and anchors it so it cannot move nor affect the Draft Control. I'll post a picture here in a minute. I think once you see how that works you can make up your own bypass linkage rather easily. The kit from MF costs around $130.
This is with the kit installed. Note the empty hole up top where the 'beam' used to be connected to the big spring. See cotter key in the new shaft through ears on the rear axle.
View attachment 658721
This below is how it looked BEFORE the kit was installed, Note the pin is in the hole thru the big spring rod.
View attachment 658729
Either you make your own or order the MF kit it will probably be the same on your MF165. Confirm that with your dealer or via my pictures before buying anything.
I think it is good for you to know this no matter what you end up doing. If it were me, I would be more inclined to put some sort of ballast on the back like a heavy bush hog or some weight box full of sand or cement or whatever and use the FEL for moving hay bales. I assume your loader has the strength for that task. The rear ballast will fix your "lifting the rear wheels" disease.
The Massey-Ferguson 3pt lift is designed to provide either simple position control OR Draft control primarily for plowing. That design and features were still common when I bought my 2011 MF2660. Same mechanisms with the big spring and all that.
What is little-known and not well publicized is this: Having the Draft lever in the full up position DOES NOT really disable the Draft control but merely desensitizes it. Some dealers even tell customers that it does disable Draft Control. I think even the manual says so [maybe the shop manual admits desensitizing rather than disabling?]
ANYWAY, here is the problem you are experiencing: Above some large amount of weight on the 3 pt hitch, that weight overcomes the desensitized Draft Control and causes the system to be in Draft Control. MF actually sells an override kit to to take the Draft Control totally out of the picture. What that does is: 1) Remove the pin connecting the top link to the "big spring." That big spring controls input to the Draft Control system internal to the tractor. 2) The kit then attaches the top link "beam" (the heavy cast iron one with several holes) to fixed points in behind the area where the top link attaches to your tractor and anchors it so it cannot move nor affect the Draft Control. I'll post a picture here in a minute. I think once you see how that works you can make up your own bypass linkage rather easily. The kit from MF costs around $130.
This is with the kit installed. Note the empty hole up top where the 'beam' used to be connected to the big spring. See cotter key in the new shaft through ears on the rear axle.
View attachment 658721
This below is how it looked BEFORE the kit was installed, Note the pin is in the hole thru the big spring rod.
View attachment 658729
Either you make your own or order the MF kit it will probably be the same on your MF165. Confirm that with your dealer or via my pictures before buying anything.
I think it is good for you to know this no matter what you end up doing. If it were me, I would be more inclined to put some sort of ballast on the back like a heavy bush hog or some weight box full of sand or cement or whatever and use the FEL for moving hay bales. I assume your loader has the strength for that task. The rear ballast will fix your "lifting the rear wheels" disease.
Last edited:
denchen
Gold Member
I don`t want to be a kill joy, but back in the 1970s, I remember a number of these early MF165 breaking clean in half at the clutch bell housing. I`m just thinking, is you tractor one of the batch of weak ones and MF have done a mod to prevent this happening.
JWR
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Denchen -- I doubt it. Even if there were "weak ones" Mr. TJ is not doing anything all that hugely challenging by lifting a round hay bale with either end of the tractor (!) Certainly MF would not have designed the Draft Control to come back into play in order to protect a weak tractor chassis. That is one heck of a heavy and strong main chassis. Breaking one in half at the bell housing is wild wild. VERY wild. It is a great resource to have all these memories like yours to recall such issues (and I certainly am not questioning that there was some problem like that which you remembered) but can you add to that ? Any news articles or pictures or service bulletins or who had it happen and what his loading was ? Any idea what kind of mod (other than going back into draft control) that MF might have made to protect a "weak" chassis ?