Massey 35x 3cyl has trouble starting....help

Hi All,

My 1963 35x has been getting slower and slower to start.

She used to start after just a couple of turns, but now is getting more and reluctant.

I used her last week and did about 4 hours mowing, all was fine. When I went to start her today, she just turned over and over for ages. I bleed the fuel system and eventually she started but not easily. I'm not sure where to start to find the fault. There's plenty of clean fuel, I changed both fuel filters a few months ago and she's regularly serviced. She's done this a few times after I have been using her all day.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I own a 1963 FE-35 X 3 cylinder Perkins, SNMY320137. A SIMILAR scenario happened with mine. I believed at the time EITHER AIR was being introduced into the fuel system, or a lack of fuel due to either the mechanical Transfer pump(rear right side of engine)or the HIGH PRESSURE pump was faulty. The problem was,the main fuel supply valve, that is attached to the rear left side of the Diesel Tank,had a SCREEN that was plugged off. This screen protrudes up into the diesel tank. I also had the same scenario later on. A SPRING in the TRANSFER FUEL pump was BROCKEN.

We actually had a couple of days with no rain last week.

Please keep us posted as to the cure for the PROBLEM.

Bob. Alberta Canada......

Hi Bob, thanks for the advice. I guess it must be fuel related as after I bleed the system, i'd then get some smoke when she was turning over - eventually! It's weird that its only after running her hard for a few hours.

Are you referring to the filter bit in the fuel tank?

THanks

Richard

Here's the old girl in action

Screen part of FUEL SHUT OFF valve......parts for FUEL Transfer pump.

I had a plugged off screen on the Fuel Shut OFF valve and then later a broken Spring in the Fuel transfer pump.

Bob..

Well, the new filter helped and has solved that problem.

The new problem is possibly more of an issue, but I would welcome some advice! My 35X has had a new electrical system and that starter motor seems fine. Most of the time when I go to start her either hot or cold she just wont turn over. The started doesn't click, it just feels like there isn't enough power to turn the engine over. Eventually, she will turn over and fire straight away. This has been the case even with a freshly charged battery. I don't know if the engine is stiff or what. Please help!

Our FE 35 X arrived from England with a CAV STARTER as per PICTURES:

CRANCKING of the engine became (low to no rpm from starter) hit and miss!

The STATER was REMOVED(1973)from the TRACTOR. I discovered the RPM was not engaging what appears to be a DIVICE to add more ELECTRICAL into the FIELD windings to achieve greater torque after the STARTER has engaged with the FLYWHEEL?


I had done a lot of trouble shooting before I ever removed the Starter:

As per the picture you can see the device I had replaced:

On or about 08/21/15 once again I had the same starter issue:

With NO parts available readily I purchased a NEW starter with SOLENOID mounted on top of STATER as per the pictures...not a CAV type:


The starter arrived with ONLY ONE BOLT HOLE in the STARTER flange aligning with the threaded bores in the Engine mount:

I made a decision to drill two of the holes in the STARTER FLANGE to a lager I/D, mounted the STARTER and It work great:

I now have an OIL LEAK from around the pivoting shaft in the transfer fuel pump:

The price of a NEW CAV starter was not in my budget:


BELOW is INFO supplied by "ptfarmer" when I was looking into STARTER problems on my FE 35 X on 08/21/15.

From what I understand a newer starter that has the nose cone will not work (a newer starter with a nose cone hits the transmission case from what I've heard).
This is the only place I've found that can work on the obsolete CAV starters http://www.startermotorsalternators.com/starter-motors.php
This post was edited by ptfarmer at 06:55:14 08/21/15.