Massey Harris 55 Diesel fuel filters and HP?

At one time it was my primary farming tractor for about 80 dryland acres.

I have no idea of what year they were built - I would guess somewhere between 1946 and 1955?

Can anyone help me on what I need or where to get the proper fuel filters for this tractor? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The running one quit the other day, starved for fuel, and it appeared that the primary filter would not pass any fuel. Imagine my surprise when I took off the bowl and there was NO ELEMENT inside, and it was all full of "gunk". As I was roading it at the time, I cleaned it up as best as possible, then blew back through the lines into the tank with a little bit of compressed air I had in a portable tank. Then I was able to pump the fuel into the secondary filter and through the bleeder plug and restart the tractor to get it home.

I have, however, no idea of what filter element should go in there. It appears to only be about an inch and a half in diameter and maybe only two to two and a half inches long, and is held in by a cup shaped flanged knurled nut on a long threaded rod, which also holds the bowl on at the bottom.

The secondary (final) fuel filter appears to be a sealed can which has threaded fittings top and bottom and a bleed screw at the top. It is held near the injection pump with a bracket, definitely it is not a "spin on" filter!

NAPA auto parts here seems to be good at finding obscure items, but they did not have anything listed for the Massey Harris 55 Diesel, and another listing we thought might be good was of no help, the filters being entirely different.

Though they are only about 30 serial numbers apart, the two tractors are quite differently equipped. The one not running has a place on the front of the engine block for a gear driven hydraulic pump (which is missing, unfortunately) and the other one has no provision for one. One has 18.4 (15) x 34 tires, the other running one has 23.1 x 26 (if I remember correctly. There was a Massey dealer in a town near here some years ago and they had a brand new hydraulic pump on the shelf to fit the parts tractor (which was running well at the time) but they wanted something over 800 bucks (20 years go?) for it and though I'm sure it eventually went into a dumpster, they would not consider dropping the price one bit. It was twice as much as I paid for the tractor! I added a 12 volt hydraulic lift-gate type pump to the tractor to lift an implement with a single acting cylinder.

Also, does anyone have any records of the stated or tested horsepower for these tractors?

Thank you all for bearing with me on this.

Leonard

Both seem to have the same filter setup, so I will take the bowl off the non-running tractor and see what is in there.

The more I think about the past, I remember the MF dealers telling me that the engine was made by Continental, and I should go to them for parts. Continental told me that it was a Massey Harris design and I should go to them for parts. Both were "passing the buck".

Still, I have a useful, if not modern, machine and when I get the shop up, a coat of paint is on the list of things to do. Also, I have a full sized backhoe attachment that is too big for a 3 point mount, so I may bolt it firmly on the Massey and use the PTO for a direct driven hydraulic pump.

As to being quiet...that is up for discussion. I spent a couple days on a more modern JD tractor, and there are so many nice features these days, not the least of which was a quiet air-conditioned cab with a radio where I could listen to classical music while running a 165 hp tractor. Now that's maybe odd for an old farmer/blacksmith/machinist, but I have a lot of ecclectic background which included a lot of musical training, singing in opera companies, playing trumpet professionaly, etc. so I guess I'm somewhat of an oddball?

It also had many other creature comforts we never had in years past. I farmed for many years with an old Model L case, so I never got used to these things, but today I'll take my creature comforts whenever I can, especially the power steering and hydraulic assisted turning brakes, cab, etc. for my regular farming duties. Nostalgia is fine, and I enjoy my old machines at times, but not for my daily routine, thank you!

Leonard

Link

You'll find an interesting adaptation of an M Farmall there as well!

However, if you wish, we could take this offlist if you would like and you could reply to

[email protected].

I'll try to get a digital photo or two of the "offending" filter housing.

I have an original book for the 55K but not the 55D, which I've not yet found, but these days the building project has me so broke that I'm going back to work on Monday after being "self unemployed" since 1984...that ought to be interesting working for someone else again. The last new job I started was in 1969!

But that building project got out of hand, foundation and concrete wise, and has me "too poor to pay attention", but finally it is beginning to look like something is possible to finish before I die! It's about ready for the side and roof sheathing which means that we won't have any more calm days without wind, I guess.

Regards and thanks again,

Leonard

Wasn't the 555 made under the Massey Ferguson name? I'm going to look up my serial numbers today when I go out there to do other things. I'm working on a big 50 x 100 foot shop building to work on things in. Huge project and I'm trying to do the lion's share without help :-(

It also explains why I'm so d-----d broke and have to go back to work which also makes getting the building finished more difficult. I'm getting too old for this.

Leonard