65 M-F Executive motor swap

Hey all,

I'm new here and not sure where else to start looking for help. I bought myself a little 65 Massey Ferguson Executive Tractor. I want to swap the motor out for either a 4 cylinder DOHC, or a 1000cc motor I have from an old bike. What are your thoughts? This will not be raced or anything, just want a fun project, bit of a shock and awe job and be able to plow my driveway. Haha

Thank you

I would try posting on the Lawn and garden tractor forum below. There have been garden tractor pulls a few times going on at the same time as the full sized tractor pulls. I have seen some with motorcycle or snowmobile motors. A few with twin engines.

It is yours to do with what you want. However, those are fairly rare of a little tractor if it is in fact a yellow painted Executive. If it were me, (and it's not), I would keep the Executive original and
maybe find something more common for a fun project.

Hello Jesse welcome to YT! Your idea of using your
1000cc motorcycle engine will make that tractor nearly
useless. The original engine has a top RPM at around
2000. To make any power with your motorcycle engine
it probably had to turn at least 3000 rpm and probably
makes better power in the 4 - 6000 rpm range. So the
gearing in the tractor is all wrong for that. Your big
problem will be getting something set up as a clutch
that will hold the transmission input shaft supported in
the proper location so it does not self destruct the
transmission. The 4 cylinder engine may have a better
chance of working for you but the same gearing
problems apply to that but it is just to a smaller
degree. So here are the questions the greater majority
of folks that read this will want to ask, I suppose while I
am typing someone has already asked. ..What is the
problem with the original engine? Why not repair it? Is
it a gas or diesel?
One last comment, you say you want to use it to plow
your driveway that would indicate to me you intend to
use the hydraulic system to lift your plow. Unless
geared down some way both of the engines you are
proposing to use will severely over speed the stock
hydraulic pump. Chances are this will greatly reduce
the reliability and longevity of that system. In other
words add another vote for figuring out how to use the
original engine.

Unless you put an awful big reduction box in front of the clutch you will be all speed and no torque with a motorcycle engine and most car engines. Like used red stated it will be pretty useless as a tractor might make a trailer queen for shows and a conversation piece but not useful.

If The motorcycle engine has a transmission that works, that is a good choice. The cycle trans (in some gear )will gear it down. If the MC engine has chain drive on the left, the engine will face toward the left with its front, If shaft drive, the easiest is with a shaft on the right side. (shaft turns CW looking from the front toward the back. If chain drive and chain on the right or shaft drive with shaft on the left, things get complex due to rotation error for input to the tractor transmission. Tractor engines (almost)always turn CW from standing in the front of the radiator looking rearward. Jim

Sounds like fun. 4m37s video of more power.
Best to start small and work up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZLe97d1bEQ

Is this a garden tractor or is it a version the Massey utility 65 made in the late 50s and 60s?

Is it similar to this:

https://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/001/9/4/1942-massey-ferguson-elf-engine.html

(quoted from post at 05:53:58 06/08/23) Is this a garden tractor or is it a version the Massey utility 65 made in the late 50s and 60s?

Is it similar to this:

https://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/001/9/4/1942-massey-ferguson-elf-engine.html

Click to expand...

I think this is the one
https://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/001/9/4/1940-massey-ferguson-8e.html