How Do I Remove Radiator On MF 203?

ChrisE.

New User
I own a 1966 Massey Ferguson 203 Industrial with the Perkins diesel engine. I bought a shop manual, but lo and behold, no instructions for removal or installation of the radiator. I added several pictures I have of the radiator area and tractor. I don't know if I should try to remove the radiator by removing the fuel tank and pulling it from above, or by removing the grill and hydraulic pump and removing it out the front. The shroud is attached to the sides of the radiator, so I could remove the side sheet metal body skirts that hide the side of the radiator on each side. Then I could detach the shroud, but will the radiator come up and out? Or out the front? Has anyone installed a new radiator in a MF 203 or similar tractor?
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Hi, I've never removed a 203 radiator but here is how I would go about it. Remove the fuel tank. Remove the top hose and tie rod. If you can remove the side panels do so. Can you reach the screws on the sides holding the cowl to the rad? If so, remove them and move the cowl rearwards as far as it will go. Remove or cut the bottom hose. The rad is likely to be retained by two 7/16 studs passing through the axle casting. If you can get at the nuts, remove them. Hopefully you will be able to wangle the bottom rad pipe past the cowl. You should now be able to lift the rad out. As a precaution you could remove the fan blade to safeguard the rad.
DavidP, South Wales
 
It looks like a tight fit. I like the suggestion to remove the fan blade as well. When things are close like that I cut a piece of cardboard to fit against the core so that it can't bump something on the way out. Don't ask me how I know. Good luck!!
 
Thank you for the advice. I think I will give it a try as you explained, and add a piece of plastic cardboard to protect the core coming out and going in, as advised by Cedric. If I have to remove the fan, I will, but there may be enough room to get around it, especially since I will have another pair of hands helping me.
 
Here are a few pics I took when I restored my MF203 a few years ago. I had the hood and side panels off so that job was not that bad. Make sure you attach the bracket that connects the radiator to the engine BEFORE you put the fuel tank back on. I realized I forgot to put the bracket on after it was too late. From what I recall, the one hose that is curved was no longer available. NAPA ended up finding me something similar that worked.
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I finally finished installing the refurbished radiator. A few tips - Have a tight fitting flat blade screw head bit that fits on a ratchet handle. That made removing and installing the shroud screws much easier. I didn't strip one of the ten screw heads! While you're at it, with the tank removed, install all new radiator hoses and a new thermostat. When I removed the thermostat housing, I discovered some previous owner had removed the thermostat and used copious amounts of clear silicone to reseal the old gasket. No wonder my tractor was sluggish in the winter! While the gas tank was removed, I cleaned it out. Since I removed the horizontal and vertical sheet metal, I replaced the nuts and bolts as needed. Some were mis-matched, some were quite rusty. Now my water temperature gauge actually climbs to 170! I thought the sender or gauge was bad because the needle hardly ever moved. Tractor fired right up, no leaks except where the fuel line attaches to the fuel shutoff on the tank. I removed the nut and thoroughly cleaned the mating surfaces and the threads with q-tips, and then used some purple sealant made for fuel line connections. No leaks now. Changed the oil, installed the screw-on oil filter adapter, and now it is time to remove the steering wheel. I have a bearing removal kit from Harbor freight for that task.
 
(quoted from post at 23:24:29 04/20/20) I finally finished installing the refurbished radiator. A few tips - Have a tight fitting flat blade screw head bit that fits on a ratchet handle. That made removing and installing the shroud screws much easier. I didn't strip one of the ten screw heads! While you're at it, with the tank removed, install all new radiator hoses and a new thermostat. When I removed the thermostat housing, I discovered some previous owner had removed the thermostat and used copious amounts of clear silicone to reseal the old gasket. No wonder my tractor was sluggish in the winter! While the gas tank was removed, I cleaned it out. Since I removed the horizontal and vertical sheet metal, I replaced the nuts and bolts as needed. Some were mis-matched, some were quite rusty. Now my water temperature gauge actually climbs to 170! I thought the sender or gauge was bad because the needle hardly ever moved. Tractor fired right up, no leaks except where the fuel line attaches to the fuel shutoff on the tank. I removed the nut and thoroughly cleaned the mating surfaces and the threads with q-tips, and then used some purple sealant made for fuel line connections. No leaks now. Changed the oil, installed the screw-on oil filter adapter, and now it is time to remove the steering wheel. I have a bearing removal kit from Harbor freight for that task.

I have an MF202 which is the gas version. I just installed a new radiator. I did not have to remove the fan shroud. But, I did have to remove the fan. A ratcheting box wrench made it pretty easy to get at those fan bolts.

Here is a post that you might check out. It's how I removed my steering wheel with a Harbor Freight bearing puller.

https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=mf&th=180009
 
I saw that. Thank you. Between you and a video of a removal from a lawn tractor, I have a real good idea how to do this. And then there is the infamous video of the guy who splits his steering shaft head to show how not to do it! I have the same Harbor Freight kit, so I'm set to try today.
 
(quoted from post at 09:27:52 04/21/20) I saw that. Thank you. Between you and a video of a removal from a lawn tractor, I have a real good idea how to do this. And then there is the infamous video of the guy who splits his steering shaft head to show how not to do it! I have the same Harbor Freight kit, so I'm set to try today.

It could pop right off with that puller or it could be stubborn. Like I said, I removed mine over a period of two days. Tighten a little and hammer taps. That did it. Lots of liquid wrench also.
 

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