Massey Ferguson 135 or 150

[WilliamBos]

I thought the 4x4 version of the Massey 135 was interesting too but it doesn't look like they were ever sold in the US or if they were, they are extremely rare.

I saw one on Agdealer a few years back, was sold and headed to Northern Ontario. Guess tne $5,500 price tag and tne FWA is why it sold quick?

 

[farmeratheart52]

I have a 135 MF 1970, my problem is the three point it will lift but lowers itself back down with the eweight of the rear blade or just me standing on the lift arms, Im sure its a seal or gasket maybe a check valve, obviously my 41 Farmall H has no three point so this new to me any and all ifo would be appreciated.

 

[Mike476]

Is it lowering after you shut down or while the tractor is running? I asked a similar question after I bought ours and was told it is not uncommon for the older MFs to do that. Mine will lower to the ground within 15-20 minutes of shutting down with a 7 ft blade. So long as you have good control while running and it isn't dropping quickly after shutting down I wouldn't think you have a serious problem.

 

[farmeratheart52]

This one will raise the back blade about a foot then it stops and slowly lowers down with the lever still pulled up and engine running.

 

[Mike476]

Apologies MasseyWV for hijacking the post.

This is the third time this week I've responded to people with MFs experiencing 3PH problems. I would suggest if you have a small inspection mirror, remove the hyd filler cap and look into the case to see if you have a fountain of fluid spraying down from the standpipe where it sits in the divertor valve like mine did. There should be no fluid coming from it at all.

I don't like telling people to run their tractor while standing beside it, exercise caution as it is VERY dangerous. I'm too old to fold down that far and see what I needed to see from the seat, you may be able to.

If you see fluid then you'll need to replace the seals. You can do it with the valve removed without having to remove the top cover. When re-installing the standppe into the pump be sure to stop once you feel the o-ring seat into the groove in the pump. If you bottom out the standpipe into the pump you will restrict the fluid travelling up the standpipe and not be able to get a good seat of the seal into the divertor valve.

If there isn't fluid leaking fro the top take note of the colour of your hyd fluid, mine was contaminated with both water through aged and cracked shift lever boots (mine is outside under tarps at all time but I do use it when raining if need be) as well as excess grease from my excessive greasing of the 3PH levers, that's right, the excess falls right into the case. The hyd oil was brown and soapy from the water, my filter was clogged with grease. It was a wonder my 3PH was working at all. Changed the o-rings, shift lever boots, filter and replaced the oil and it works better than it had since I purchased it.

Hope the attached photos help orient yourself, let us know how you make out.

Regards,

 

[farmeratheart52]

Thank You Mike:
The pics are a great help in seeing the stand tube and where to look. This tractor has sat outside year after year uncovered and may be the water in the case is whats going on I'll tie into it this week.either way it runs and has some implements diesel power steering ,and good tires for 2000 I cant go to far wrong. I am anxious to look in there.

 

[Mike476]

I guess not, for $2000 it sounds like a steal if it's running well. Good luck.

 

[MasseyWV]

In a sudden turn of events, I came across a 1966 Massey 135 with a Continental Z-145 4 cylinder gasoline engine and bought it today. I got the tractor and a new 6ft box blade (heavy duty with removable blades) for $3800. I'll try to take some pictures and post them tomorrow.

Aside from a few minor dents in the sheet metal, the tractor is in reasonably good condition overall, and the hydraulics and PTO work flawlessly, but it does have some minor issues I need to address. It has a small miss and doesn't want to idle below 1000 RPM which I believe is caused by either the carb or the governor. The valves have a slight tic (confirmed with a stethescope) and may need adjusted. Also, the rear tires look brand new but the rims will need to be replaced soon due to corrosion around the valve stems.

I was going to buy a dump trailer and wait on the tractor because I just wasn't seeing anything which interested me but as luck would have it, the right one came along. After doing the math, I think it will be much cheaper to have gravel hauled anyway.

 

[Mike476]

Look forward to the pics. Congratulations, your patience paid off.

 

[rScotty]

In a sudden turn of events............. as luck would have it, the right one came along.

Congratulations. It's a talent to be able to recognize the right one. But if you can do it, it works more often than not.

Sounds like minor problems are all it has. As for the low speed idle, I helped out a friend with the same engine once - and I'd rate myself good with carburetors. At least I do enjoy looking at different carbs and seeing how different designers solved the same air and fuel flow problems. In my friend's tractor it didn't turn out to be the carb at all. It was the electric fuel pump located on the lower right side of the engine. A new replacement unit was tried and was also weak - even though it tested within specs for flow under no pressure. As a diagnostic tool we tried an inexpensive universal electric fuel pump from the auto shop and it ran beautifully.....
good luck, rScotty

 

[MasseyWV]

Congratulations. It's a talent to be able to recognize the right one. But if you can do it, it works more often than not.

Sounds like minor problems are all it has. As for the low speed idle, I helped out a friend with the same engine once - and I'd rate myself good with carburetors. At least I do enjoy looking at different carbs and seeing how different designers solved the same air and fuel flow problems. In my friend's tractor it didn't turn out to be the carb at all. It was the electric fuel pump located on the lower right side of the engine. A new replacement unit was tried and was also weak - even though it tested within specs for flow under no pressure. As a diagnostic tool we tried an inexpensive universal electric fuel pump from the auto shop and it ran beautifully.....
good luck, rScotty

I can't say that my talent was the main reason for finding a good tractor, because extensive research and advice from others (mostly from TBN) is what provided me the information I needed so I would know what to look for.

This morning, I moved the tractor into my garage so I could look it over and perform some basic tests to see what I was dealing with and to see if I could determine what was causing the idle issues.

As it turns out, the miss and idle problems were mainly caused by the ignition system. The plugs were gapped at .020 so I set them to .030 (until the manual arrives) and I cleaned the distributor cap and rotor button, both of which were somewhat corroded. The points looked ok but I won't know if they are set correctly until the service manual arrives. The plug wires are shot and will need replaced soon.

The lowest I was able to get it to idle was around 600 RPM, which is much improved, but the throttle response is a bit sluggish, which leads me to believe the governor either needs adjusted or replaced. The valves will also need to be adjusted and it's still running a bit rich.

I also did a wet/dry compression test on all 4 cylinders to get a better idea of the internal condition of the engine. Surprisingly, all 4 cylinders tested close to the same which means it was either well cared for or was rebuilt at some point in the past. Given the hours (2700 or so) showing on the working tach, I tend to believe that it's all original as it appears to be, including the hours.

Anyway, the compression readings are as follows. Number 1 is at the front of the tractor and number 4 is closer to the rear. Accuracy = +/- 3 PSI.

Dry Compression:
1. 155
2. 155
3. 155
4. 155

Wet Compression (2 squirts of oil):
1. 160
2. 165
3. 165
4. 160

I also took several pictures, in addition to the ones my wife took as it arrived and was being unloaded, which I will upload soon.