MF35 Diesel

L.C.Gray

Member
I picked up a "locked up" 1962 35 Massey Diesel for next to nothing just to harvest the like new rear tires for another tractor. I've never scrapped a tractor and think there's too much of this one left besides the tires to just toss away.

The previous owner's story goes that after he finished doing some shredding and dropping off the shredder, he pulled forward 5 feet and the motor died and has been locked solid since. From what all he had to say I didn't think the engine is trashed but it's something from the bell housing on back from the start.

What I can see is the engine oil is still full and relatively clean, no obvious evidence of water or fuel contamination. There's no damage showing externally to the pan or block. There was no mention of any knocking or banging prior to it dying.

The tractor will roll freely when in neutral but when in high gear (clutch out) will not roll or budge the engine at all.

I removed the starter and using a crowbar on the flywheel ring gear I can turn the motor back and forth a few degrees. It seems to turn relatively freely until it hits a limit each way. When prying the flywheel back and forth the crank and belt pulleys are turning with the engine.

This still leads me to further believe the problem is in the back half with something that is direct driven off the crank. I'm guessing either with the hydraulic pump or the pto, but I don't know much about Massey architecture to what type hydraulics/pto was available, know how they're driven or where they are located. I haven't had a chance to pick up a manual yet.

I thought I'd get on here and let the Massey experts chime in with what they'd be looking at as the cause of the lockdown.

Thanks
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I'd put the clutch in, and try to pry the engine over, or put it in gear with clutch in, and see if it will roll or not. I have seen engines that will lock up because something broke internally, but will look good as far as the oil, coolant, and any external damage goes.
 
I have checked further. The PTO is free to turn when disengaged and locks in when engaged. With the clucth bottomed out there is no change in ability to bar the enigne over a short distance. It's starting to look like the engine....

What would you do next? Take off the head and inspect cylinders and look for piston travel?
 
It's the engine, You can drain the coolant, and engine oil. Pull the head, and you can pull the oil pan without splitting the tractor. If you are lucky, and it didn't hurt the crankshaft, or block you maybe able to do a "in-frame" engine re-build. I don't know what other tractor you have, but this tractor maybe better than the one you have now. The Perkins 3 cylinder diesel just sips fuel, it's one of the most fuel efficient engines out there (plus it makes good power). If it where me I'd fix it, and keep it!
 
Well I"m not so into these "new" tractors so much, but I think this one would be a fun utility tractor...

In the shed already...
1927 McDeering 15-30
1929 Case L
1929 McDeering 22-36
1934 Case C
1936 Case CC
1947 IH I-4
1963 Ford 2000

Working Tractors
1969 IH 154
1973 IH 574D
 
With that many tractors what's one more? It would be a great utility tractor. With the 35's fuel consumption that's at least half of your 574D I'd almost bet you would use it a lot more than your 574D. My brother uses his MF150 (a little bigger tractor than the 35 but with the same engine) a lot more than his Ford 7710 with a cab, and a/c here in Texas.
 

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