MF35 Battery issue

scottnumurkah · Jul 17, 2011

Hi guys,

I need some help. I have lent my MF35 to my son, who had some issues with the tractor starting. He suspected bad/old battery so took out the battery from his V8 ute and put it in the MF35. He turned the key and there was sparks and a click. He replaced this with the original battery which at least cranked the engine. Now nothing just a click. THe battery from the ute was obviously way to powerful for the old MF35?.

My question is what needs replacing?, as i am pretty sure a fuse has blown or the Regulator needs replacing?, as that is where the click is now coming from. I now have my tractor back and want to start using it again. I see Voltage regulators are on ebay for $55.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Scott

ultrarunner · Jul 17, 2011

scottnumurkah said:
Hi guys,

I need some help. I have lent my MF35 to my son, who had some issues with the tractor starting. He suspected bad/old battery so took out the battery from his V8 ute and put it in the MF35. He turned the key and there was sparks and a click. He replaced this with the original battery which at least cranked the engine. Now nothing just a click. THe battery from the ute was obviously way to powerful for the old MF35?.

My question is what needs replacing?, as i am pretty sure a fuse has blown or the Regulator needs replacing?, as that is where the click is now coming from. I now have my tractor back and want to start using it again. I see Voltage regulators are on ebay for $55.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Scott

Do you think he had the polarity reversed or the new battery was not the same voltage?

scottnumurkah · Jul 17, 2011

he swears the polarity was hooked up correctly. The battery out of my v8 ute is a pretty heavy duty battery. Its a 12 volt battery i am pretty sure. Any suggestions?.

ultrarunner · Jul 17, 2011

Can you by-pass the starter solenoid to see if it cranks?

A regulator shouldn't affect starting... only keeping the battery charged.

I don't have a MF35... only thinking what I would check if you know the battery is good.

The size, cranking power shouldn't have any effect as long as it is big enough to supply the amps necessary.

scottnumurkah · Jul 17, 2011

And if it cant supply the amps as nescessary?

I will try your suggestion

ultrarunner · Jul 17, 2011

MF35 is 1960 to 65 and has a 12 volt system.

The gas powered model uses a single 12-volt battery and the Diesel shows 2 6-volts...

scottnumurkah · Jul 17, 2011

I actually forgot to mention this is a FE35 1957 model that is colored the same as the MF35.

Do the FE35's have a 12 volt system?.

banjodunn · Jul 17, 2011

G'day your system should be 12v but can't tell you off the top of my head if it is +ve or -ve earth, you could have a battery out of a D9 and it would not be too big so long as the voltage is the same. Try pulling your starter out it may be jammed on the flywheel.
P.s. are you at numurkah near shep??

Jon

scottnumurkah · Jul 17, 2011

OK i'll try that cheers.

I am in Numurkah, near Shepp yes.

ultrarunner · Jul 17, 2011

banjodunn said:
G'day your system should be 12v but can't tell you off the top of my head if it is +ve or -ve earth, you could have a battery out of a D9 and it would not be too big so long as the voltage is the same. Try pulling your starter out it may be jammed on the flywheel.
P.s. are you at numurkah near shep??

Jon

Good point... I've freed more than a few "Frozen" motors by rocking the tractor front to back while in gear to free a jammed starter.

scottnumurkah · Jul 18, 2011

I have sent you a pm ultrarunner

cheers mate

scottnumurkah · Jul 18, 2011

I bridged the solonoid with a screw driver and the starter tries to crank, but the battery appears weak. Just bridging the two nuts on the top of the solonoid did nothing, but bridging the nuts and cables attached sparked and got it cranking

Possible dead starter solonoid?

ultrarunner · Jul 18, 2011

You're going through a process of elimination.

Now it sounds like it could be a weak battery or a poor connection...

Bad grounds are common with older machinery... even more so one has been nicely painted because a good connection requires metal to metal bond.

Since you have 12v, is there anyway to use quality jumper cables and a good 12 volt battery directly to the starter?

scottnumurkah · Jul 19, 2011

Hi guys

Just letting you know that i got another battery and starter solenoid today. Its a bareco one but the guy assured me it works fine on MF35. I will have a go at hooking it up tomorrow. One thing i did notice today. The neutral safety switch i think it is, that is behind the gears. Should that have two wires coming off it for a 4 cyl petrol mf35?. One of them was off, and the other end of that wire went into the Starter solenoid. This would be the smaller wire coming off the solenoid on the right shown in my picture. I havnt mended it yet, ran out of light again but i will screw that on to make contact again and see what happens. Might get lucky.

New battery was in order though and it probly wouldnt hurt to hook up the new solenoid you think?.

Cheers
Scott

banjodunn · Jul 19, 2011

G'day Scott do you have a test light ? If so then the nuetral switch you mentioned had a wire off should have power in one lead and out the other when you try to start with it in nuetral, if your switch is not working then you can bridge the wires together to test but BEWARE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CRANK IT OVER IN GEAR, so please sit on the seat with the clutch down and out of gear when you try to start it . You said in the pm you sent that when you bridge the starter it cranks and fires but will not keep running i am wondering if you have got a bad ign switch/wire. Do you have power to the coil when you turn the ign on?? If not then you will have to trace back to the ign switch and see if you have power coming out there with the switch in the on position. They are a pretty straight forward elec system so it should not be to hard to work out just takes time when you are doing it via the www. Good luck
P.S If you are still in trouble then send another pm
PPS Do not see the pic you are talking about and don't worry about Bare Co stuff great stuff well priced we use alot of it
Jon

scottnumurkah · Jul 19, 2011

Hi Jon,

I am at work now but will test out tonight. I hooked the new battery up this morning and turn the key and now nothing, lol i give up.

My MF35 has a ignition warning light i guess you'd call it on the instrument panel. When the tractor was going, turning the key back to the left made this light go on. Now when i turn the key back to the left that light doesnt come on at all. There is no cranking whatsoever now.

I will work on tracing back and see what i can find.

scottnumurkah · Jul 20, 2011

Quick update.

Installed the new battery. Got the clicking on solenoid still when i turned the key. However after i shorted Solenoid on this new battery with my trusty screwdriver, she started straight up, and kept running fine.

I will wack on the new solenoid tomorrow and see how it goes. All things point to the old solenoid one would think?.

Cheers
Scott

banjodunn · Jul 20, 2011

G'day good to hear your on the right track if you have got clicking at the solenoid then your nuetral safety is ok, bung on the new solenoid and all should be sweet. You have got a good massey man up your way at echuca, a place called Lou's tractors, the old fella there is right into his early massey's i think he has got a bit of a wrecking yard there if you are looking for anything

Jon

scottnumurkah · Jul 21, 2011

Thanks for the heads up on the guy at Echuca.

Turns out it was as simple as new battery/starter leads. Got some nice new ones made up at my local Auto Electrician, and she fired up straight away. Obviously with the new battery the old leads showed their age.

Thank you for everyone with their help. It was invaluable.

Cheers
Scott