So I finally bought a MF 1030... now what?!?

[son of man]

What's good TBN?

I been reading posts and scouring craigslist for months trying to find a tractor to bush hog approx. 4 acres of pasture land. Well I recently contacted my local TYM dealer to get some recommendations. The owner told me one of his long time customers just purchased a bigger tractor and was selling his '85 MF 1030 with Big Bee Agri-five bush hog for $2750. The seller accepted $2500 cash and the next day I drove to her new home. It was less than 2.5 miles but felt like FOREVER - probably since this was my first time driving a tractor and I used medium gear most of the trip. Ever seen a black man hold up traffic going 1.7 mph on a tractor? My wife kept passing by and making fun of me, telling me hurry up. :laughing: We eventually made it home where she's been parked ever since, which brings me to my question... what do I do now?

She has a little over 1500 hours and starts quickly with a little puff of smoke. According to the seller, he purchased her new almost 30 years ago and the only problems are the fuel gauge is inaccurate, some of the lights don't work and the right brake sticks a little. He told me the bush hog was sharpened last year and suggested I change the oil (the date on the filter says 2010). However, I decided to change all the fluids and filters.

The transmission oil is barely visible at the bottom of the dipstick. I'm not sure what's in there now but the manual recommends Permatran III or SAE 80 GL-3 GL-4. The closest dealer is 78 miles so I'm trying to find an equivalent locally. I'm leaning towards Traveller's brand UTF at TSC? Can anyone vouch for it or suggest something better? They also carry Traveller's RENEW for older tractors. However, I'm not sure if '84 is considered an old tractor? As for engine oil, the manual recommends Multiguard or equivalent meeting or exceeding MIL-L-46152 requirements, API Service "CC/SE" in appropriate viscosity: 40 deg. F and above - SAE 30W, 10W-30. Below 40 deg. F - SAE 10W-30. However, it also mentions 15W-40 may be used in ambient temperatures above 14 deg. F. I'm leaning towards Rotella but unsure whether I should get 10W-30 synthetic or 15W-40?

My wife bought a tube of Lucas X-tra Heavy Duty Grease. However, the manual recommends M-1105 or equivalent lithium based grease No. 2. Therefore, I think I should get Lucas Red 'N Tacky #2 or some other kind? However, since I already loaded up the tube, perhaps I can still use it for my ztr? I bought a gallon of Peak 50/50 antifreeze/coolant. Do I need to figure out how to drain out the old or just pour in the new? Other than checking the tire pressure, is there anything else I need to do? I appreciate any and all input. Thanks and God bless!

 

[CanuckPT]

Welcome & congrats on your purchase! Have fun!

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[HEC]

1 .reg. 15w 40 rotella is fine in your area
2. I would flush the radiator with a good cleaner and then add new antifreeze if you have no idea when it was last changed 50/50 is fine ----check all the hoses also
3.try and match what the manual suggests along with a good filter for your tranny
4. I would want to check on the brakes

Sounds like you had a good ride , is the tractor gas or diesel . If a diesel a puff of black smoke on start up is normal .

I'm sure others will chime in , some of which may or have had that make of tractor .

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

Try some lube on the brake peddle linkage. A lot of times that take care of it.

 

[Sportsman762]

The grease that your wife purchased is just fine for the tractor.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Son of Man,
Thats a great little tractor, I have the big brother to your machine the MF 1040 for the past 10 years, and it has been a very dependable machine !

Most any good grade transmission hydraulic oil will work fine, I believe I used Hytran when I changed mine.

 

[mrosian]

Greetings. I too have a Massey Ferguson. Mine is a 1035 and a few years newer. All things considered I believe you got a good machine for a great price. FYI some replacement parts can be difficult to find but with some time spent searching the internet it isn't impossible. It never hurts to change out fluids and filters so at least you know for sure when they were done. Good luck and enjoy your new ride.

 

[ae_ted]

i believe you will like that one. my 1986 (bought new) has been a fine preformer for me with little or no problems.

 

[son of man]

Thanks for all the input and encouragement! I'm looking forward to getting the old girl ready for action. I finally found some time over the weekend to show her a little TLC.

Pretty much everyone suggested I go with 15w-40. One of the dealers recommended Permatran III but advised I could use any UTF that met the specs. A couple of dealers also carried other brands, some of which I was unfamiliar. However, I stuck with Traveller's Premium. I also went with full strength Traveller's antifreeze so I wouldn't have to buy 2 gallons of the pre-diluted 50/50. One of the guys at NAPA put me on some kind of special program which enabled me buy all of my filters for almost half price.

So far so good right? Well this is where the snags start...

I used a crescent wrench to remove the transmission and one of the oil drain plugs. However, I suspect King Kong may have tightened the second one. I started to strip the bolt so I bought a 7/8 in. socket for my ratchet. It fit snug and I could feel the whole tractor rock. But regardless of how hard I tried, I couldn't get it to budge. So as much as I hated to, I ended up changing the oil as-is. I also used a pair of pliers to turn the fuel shut-off valve since the little lever was broken. Isn't the handle supposed to stick out, forming a 90 deg. angle to shut off the fuel? Well, regardless of which way I turned it, diesel kept pouring out! I eventually lost all that was in the tank. Furthermore, the new fuel filter would not fit into the sediment bowl. I read somewhere they have a tendency to shrink over time which would explain why I had to pry out the bottom of the old filter with a pair of needle nose pliers.

I also tore the new filter as I tried to force it in. My wife thought it would still be ok but I have my doubts. I let her idle a while before topping off all the fluids. However, once she stretched her legs in the field, there was a noticeable loss of power. I couldn't always get the engine speed high enough to operate the pto. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. However, I suspect it might have something to do with the half bent/chewed up fuel filter on life support inside the sediment bowl.:confused3: I found a replacement kit online for about $13 that includes a filter, sediment bowl and o-ring. I need to find the site again. But next time, I will get one of those flexible funnels so I don't lose another tank of diesel.

 

[motownbrowne]

I can't address all the issues you outlined, but I'd agree with your assessment that you should re-replace the fuel filter.

Also, put that adjustable crescent wrench away. You got a good deal on your tractor. Use a little of the money you saved to buy a decent socket set. You'll need SAE up to 1 1/4", in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drive plus combination wrenches. If your tractor has metric fasteners too, add 'em to the list. It's cheaper to buy sets than individual pieces as you need them. Tell your wife that your sorry, but the tools to work on the tractor aren't optional. Save your receipts and write off the expenses if you can.

 

[son of man]

Thanks for the tips motownebrown! I have a little toolset I've used for years to work on our cars and odd jobs around the house. However, the sizes are just shy of what I need for the tractor. So I may have to bite the bullet and get a nice set. The misses doesn't have a problem buying quality tools or anything else for that matter. I'm usually the one trying to be a budgeteer. Just this past weekend, she suggested I buy an air compressor for the tractor tires. However, I figured I could 'get her done' with a $10 bicycle pump from Wal-mart. It took a little time but I finally aired up 3 of em before the sun went down. :laughing:

Upon receiving my fuel bowl kit from NCW Tractor Parts, I noticed the fuel filter was significantly smaller than the one I butchered from NAPA. However, once I screwed it on, replaced the bowl, re-poured the spilt diesel and bled the lines, she fired right up! I haven't engaged the PTO yet but I think we're back in business.:thumbsup: However, I am wondering where some of you purchase your fuel filters and how they fit inside the sediment bowl? The one I initially got from NAPA appears to be the same size as the JD filter I replaced.

I admit I had some technical difficulties changing the bush hog oil. The manual recommends SAE 90 or 140. However, I couldn't find either in 1qt bottles. So I bought 2 gallons of Travelers SAE 90 transmission fluid from TSC. It says it was formulated for old Ford tractors but I assume it will work. Since my gearbox only has a check level screw, I bought a little hand pump. I was able to siphon some of the oil but I couldn't get it to flow. Perhaps it was operator error or maybe that's all that was in there? I was also unable to siphon the new oil from the jug into the gearbox. So after a couple of other strategies failed, I grabbed a plastic water bottle, stuck a hole in the cap, inserted a straw and squeezed it until I saw honey brown goodness coming out of the check level hole.

 

[ironpen]

If you can find the number on the original, you can buy them cheap on Ebay. That is what I have done for years. Maybe ask NCW what filter is recommended??

 

[mo1]

I have an '87 1030L (the one with the live PTO, synchro transmission, and bowl-less "oil filter like" fuel filter) and you are mostly on the right page. I sucked it up and bought the service manual so I would actually know what I was doing.

1. All of the fasteners are metric. One of the POs of my tractor apparently owned only SAE tools and picked the "closest" SAE size to the metric fasteners and rounded a bunch off. You will want a good 1/2" ratchet and sockets ranging from 12 mm to 23 mm and wrenches of the same size. IIRC most of the fasteners are 12 mm, 13 mm, 18 mm, and 22 or 23 mm.

2. The service manual says 15W-40 is OK as long as you don't get well below zero Fahrenheit. I put whatever 15W-40 diesel oil O'Reilly's has on special in mine and it's been fine. O'Reilly's also has all of the filters you'd need for the unit as well (made by Wix) and they're not too expensive. I don't know if you have O'Reilly's in Louisiana but you could at the very least call them, get a Wix filter number for your various filters, and then take that to a good local auto parts store.

3. Tractor Supply's Traveller hydraulic oil lists itself as compatible with MF Permatran III specs. I use it and haven't seen any issues.

4. It takes a long time to fill a tractor tire with a bicycle pump. The front tires are doable (I speak from experience) but the rears really require an air compressor.

5. Go to an auto parts store and buy 85W-140 gear oil in a quart bottle to put in your Bush Hog, that's what they take. Get one with a nipple end on the bottle and you can just squeeze it in the gearbox.

6. Your 1030 is apparently an original 1030 as you stated it has a fuel filter bowl. You thus have a standard non-live PTO so you need to clutch and stop the tractor before engaging the PTO. Your PTO also stops when you clutch the tractor, so you will need to plan accordingly. You will also discover why people invented live/independent PTOs that don't stop when you push in the clutch.