Massey 555 Issues

Hi all,

Hoping some experts here can offer me some advice. I recently bough a 555 with the 382 diesel because I've always loved them and the price seemed reasonable. Now I'm not so sure if it was altogether wise:

The first thing I did was to drain and fill all fluids. I filled the coolant to the top of the rad. Now, when I start it up fluid gushes out of the overflow tube for a few minutes before calming down. Once it's settled and the engine's turned off it's below the level where I can see it in the radiator.

Could the coolant really be expanding this much, or could there be air causing havoc in the system, or is this more indicative of a bad head gasket/sleeve/block? There doesn't seem to be any trace of coolant in the oil, nor does it seem to be burning with any trace of white smoke.

If it happens to be a cracked block/sleeve, is it worth fixing at $400/sleeve (or $1400 for the whole set, if I do them all - which I probably should)?

My other options would be:

a) Purchase a JD403, which I understand bolts right in. Unfortunately the 403 I possibly have access to is not cheap, and it's a bare-bones long bock; no injection pump/oil filters/fuel filters/manifolds. Not sure how these parts would interchange with the 382.

b) Find a Detroit 3-71 (which I've always loved) and some how swap it in there. Not sure how it would fit in the frame, nor how hard it would be to work out the clutch/bellhousing/flywheel issues. I know Centash has mentioned a few times he had a 55 with a Detroit. Not sure this route is a good one, as I wouldn't be able to use the existing Massey hydraulic pump setup, which is rather nice to have.

I guess the first step, if the experts here agree that there is definitely something wrong, is to pull the head and see if it's just a head gasket.

Does it bubble up through the rad neck with the cap off and the engine running? Does the engine oil look normal and level stay the same? Probably just air locked, drive it for a bit and see if oil level changes or coolant goes down.
As far as putting in a Detroit, I did have one so adapted. The previous owner cut the cast tub in half length wise to fit the Detroit. Heavy 1 inch plate was then bolted to the front of the transmission and the tub was widened about 6 inches and fitted to this plate to accommodate the Detroit. Similar plate was used to re attatch the front axle. The Detroit used it's own clutch/ pressure plate, so it was just a matter of lining up the input and output shafts. They installed a hydraulic clutch to fit the linkage.Bear in mind that the Detroit turns a lot faster than the Massey engine, so 540 pto rpm occurs at a low engine rpm. Anything else I can help you with, just ask. Added a picture. Ben

Dang, that's a good looking unit. I've always loved the old 2 stroke Detroits - use them for powering some old circular sawmills. I don't think the conversion is the route I'll pursue; I might as well keep it original if possible. If It ever comes up with a cracked block I might try that, rather than have it brazed and re-machined.

I'm glad you think it could be just air. The engine oil doesn't look milky, nor does the level appear to rise. There weren't any regular bubbles in the rad neck, just some odd blurps I attributed to air finding its way out. I also found some suspect crud in the lower radiator hose. I was wondering if the rad cold be plugged such that there's not enough free-flow through the rad and the pump's pushing it out the top.

It may look not too bad, but it was pretty crusty. Slipped out of 3rd gear, brakes and steering were just so-so, clutch was a bear to operate and just not an easy tractor to use. I also had a stock 55 in very good shape that was much more user friendly, but didn't have that WTH factor to it! Ben

Sounds a touch rough around the edges, but I'd still swap mine for it in an instant. My two favourite tractors have always been the Oliver Super 99 with the 3-71, and the Massey 55/555. That beast of yours has the best of both worlds.

Thanks again for the picture and the thoughts. I may have some other questions for you in the future.