Ferguson to-30 engine clatter

817jdg · Jun 15, 2013

Hi. I am not a Massey guy just fixing one for a guy down the road. He brought it over and said it had a nocking noise. By chance I noticed the front pulley was loose. The flange area that the bolt rested on to hold the pulley on was broken. Letting the pulley move in and out and wear the key and key way. I figured that would fix it no problem. Well I admit it is better but still noisy. It sounds real nice under a load and at higher rpm. It is VERY noticeable at low RPM. I am wondering could it be the governor weights?? Perhaps a timing gear? The noise is in the front of the motor. To me it is more of a clatter than a nock. O yea also the owner and his brother rebuilt it and it has been run very little since then. I understand it didn"t run when he got it and it nocked when the put it back together. Any help is appreciated.

Jason S. · Jun 15, 2013

Check the crank end play. It is controlled with shims and thrust washers behind the lower crank pulley. Did they even set it or check it when they rebuilt it?

Jerry/MT · Jun 16, 2013

What about the valve lash? Have you checked that?
it"s a pain be cause you have to remove the fuel tank.
The TO-30 had those little spacers that sat on top of the valves that tend to come out and that can increase the valve lash. I have one valve doing that and that"s what I suspect because it has happend before. Next time I pull the tank to set the valves, I"m going to remove those.

Tony in Mass. · Jun 17, 2013

My bet is with Jason, but... a big job getting to a little job. Those pulley nuts... 1 1/16"? 1/4? are one of the few things I use an impact wrench on to assemble, instead of take down. They have to be more than tight, or they will get rattley. Just get a long box wrench in there, a pipe over it? and rap it with a plastic hammer or 2 by 4... btw, in a gear. See if that helps

Anonymous-0 · Jun 19, 2013

Just normal piston clatter?
Does it get better as the engine gets warm?

Anonymous-0 · Jun 19, 2013

Other possibility could be cam bearings, they'll clatter like the dickens and get better under higher RPM. How's oil pressure, with a real guage, not tractors.

maxwell99 · Jun 19, 2013

my to-35 started making that type noise, coming from the front of the engine area.

the big nut/bolt that holds the front crankshaft pulley on was loose,

we cleaned the threads then added a light coat of lock tight.
then as others said, tighten it with all we had using cheater extension.

motor ran fine, just like a fergy sewing machine.

I was sweating over the noise, thinking the motor was going to have to be rebuilt.

Just proves:
every once in a while, even a blind hog finds an acorn.

Ferguson to-30 engine clatter

817jdg

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Jason S.

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Jerry/MT

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Tony in Mass.

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Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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maxwell99

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