Massey Ferguson 35

Recently purchased MF35 had been sitting for sometime
Has a grader style blade with it got it running graded a drive way
Changed oils cleaned hydraulic filter
Was running great starts really well
Did get a bounce out of the lift arms when reversing
Couple of days ago freed up the alloy adjusting knobs
On draft control levers and then moved them back and forth to free up the levers action, with out the tractor
running.
Next morning when I started the tractor there was a loud
Bang, no hydraulics and unable to select low ratio
Removed top cover and 1/2" lifting cylinder studs 2 broken and two are bent, control levers not in cams as cylinder had moved.
My question is could the internal levers
Have moved out of the
Cams by me just moving both back and
Forth to free them
Intend to make new 1/2" studs fit new orings and gaskets
Adjust internal controls and top link
Fit new relief valve.
Used 15/40 engine oil in engine and trans, the tractor worked fine like that, intill freed up the draft levers, which
I moved back to approximately the original postions before
Starting
Thanks in advance Bruce

You might try posting this over at the Ferguson forum. Those guys work on these tractors all the time.

Wait... You put 15w40 engine oil in the transmission/hydraulic system? Those cylinder bolts needs to be acquired from someone selling oem parts. They are not just any old studs.

lucky those studs broke, but I'd still want to look closely at that lift cover for cracks.

No doubt.. Sounds like it over pressured badly with that heavy oil.

(quoted from post at 08:59:38 01/31/17) No doubt.. Sounds like it over pressured badly with that heavy oil.

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I just filled my MF202 Workbull with TSC's 90 wt mineral oil. Is that too heavy for the lift system? It seems to work fine.

You should be running something like Traveller's Universal Tractor Trans/Hydraulic Fluid in the transmission, it has a viscosity of around 10w-30.

While you *may* be ok in a hot climate with the thicker oil, I'm not entirely sure I'd risk it. That's a pretty big difference in viscosity. (both 90wt and 15w-40)

For the guy who broke the lift cylinder studs, I'd get to checking the nut on the control valve to make sure it's adjusted properly, and definitely replace the pressure relief valve.

Yesterday's Tractors also sells an updated lift cylinder with 1/2" threaded bungs for 1/2" studs rather than the weak 7/16" studs that come factory. That's what I put in my machine.

Mineral oil is weighted differently than dino oil. The 90 weight mineral oil is basically equivalent to 30 weight dino oil. As long as what you use meets or exceeds the M1110 spec it will be fine. Should state right on the container what spec it meets and not just say "compatible"..

(quoted from post at 15:05:41 01/31/17) Mineral oil is weighted differently than dino oil. The 90 weight mineral oil is basically equivalent to 30 weight dino oil. As long as what you use meets or exceeds the M1110 spec it will be fine. Should state right on the container what spec it meets and not just say "compatible"..

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Good catch, I didn't know that. Thanks for the info!

(quoted from post at 12:05:41 01/31/17) Mineral oil is weighted differently than dino oil. The 90 weight mineral oil is basically equivalent to 30 weight dino oil. As long as what you use meets or exceeds the M1110 spec it will be fine. Should state right on the container what spec it meets and not just say "compatible"..

Click to expand...

All it says is

"All Mineral SAE 90
Ford Tractor Transmission Fluid"

"API Service GL-1
Fur use in final drives, hydraulic systems
and manual transmissions of Ford Tractors
manufactured between 1939 and 1952"

If it is an UK made FE35 with a Standard Motors engine then 15W40 is fine for both engine and transmission . That is fairly common for just about any old Ferguson or MF tractor in Australia . I have 20W/50 in one worn engine and transmission .
The heat in summer can thin things out a little too much for lighter oils .
Sounds as if the relief valve pick up some gunk during the oil change and couldn't open properly .
Really lucky only the studs broke .

(quoted from post at 16:50:51 01/31/17)
If it is an UK made FE35 with a Standard Motors engine then 15W40 is fine for both engine and transmission . That is fairly common for just about any old Ferguson or MF tractor in Australia . I have 20W/50 in one worn engine and transmission .
The heat in summer can thin things out a little too much for lighter oils .
Sounds as if the relief valve pick up some gunk during the oil change and couldn't open properly .
Really lucky only the studs broke .

Click to expand...

I heard that's what those studs are supposed to do in an overload case.

I've got the DVD on repairing the MF35 hydraulics. On the one that they were repairing, that was what happened to it. The cylinder was still laying down in the case when they removed the top.

(quoted from post at 20:51:02 01/31/17)
I've got the DVD on repairing the MF35 hydraulics. On the one that they were repairing, that was what happened to it. The cylinder was still laying down in the case when they removed the top.

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[b:fea9f5cc88]
Correction to my above post, they didn't originally use 7/16 studs, they were 1/2". The upgraded/late model studs were 9/16".[/b:fea9f5cc88]

That's exactly what happened with mine as well. The lift cylinder itself was deformed on the mounting area because the rear two studs broke first, then bent the rear of the cylinder down, deformed the mounting area, then snapped the front studs. Later model MFs were fitted with 9/16" studs to help prevent this. (the lift cylinder also increased to 3" diameter from 2 1/2" It is very important to have the hydraulics properly adjusted.

One of the very knowledgeable members on another forum I frequent pointed me in the direction of the 9/16" studs. I was told that sometimes hitting a bump with a heavy piece of equipment on the hitch would break the old 1/2" studs.